Vegan Black Forest Cupcakes!!

Since I love to bake, Valentines Day seemed like the prefect excuse to try out  Black Forest Cupcakes.

I always end up altering recipes somehow, searching for recipes that interest me and combining parts. You end up with a delicious Frankenstein dessert! 


Cupcake Base:
11/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt (I use sea salt)
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I use Green & Blacks Organic)
11/2 tsp vanilla extract (I use Nielsen-Massey)
1/3 cup canola oil
1 tablespoon white distilled vinegar
1 cup cold water


Preheat oven to 350 F/180 C
Thoroughly combine all the dry ingredients.
Create a well in the center on the dry ingredients, and add vanilla, oil, vinegar & water.
Mix until combined. Pour into cupcake pan. I use cupcake papers to line. 
Cook for 20 min. Check with a toothpick, they may need a minute or 2 longer.


Chocolate Frosting:
1/2 cup nondairy butter softened (I used Vitalite, in the US Earth Balance is great!)
3 cups confectioners sugar sifted
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder sifted (I use Green & Blacks Organic)
1 tsp vanilla extract (I use Nielsen-Massey)
3-4 tablespoons nondairy milk (I used 3 of soy)


Cream together butter in a bowl with electric beaters until smooth.
Add sugar and cream for another 2 minutes.
Add cocoa, vanilla & milk and blend further.
*I placed the frosting in a plastic wrap & poked a hole in it to substitute an icing bag because I wanted that effect with the decoration*


Other ingredients:
1 can of cherry pie filling. I used black cherry.


Fill them:

After the cupcakes have cooled for about 10 min, take a knife and cut a circle out of the middle for the pie filling to fit into. It can be as deep or shallow as you like. Place filling in the middle of the cupcakes and replace the top. Decorate with frosting and enjoy!!