Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes

Earlier this week I made another batch of cupcakes for a co-worker's birthday at my office. This particular co-worker has flirted with being a vegetarian during times in his life and even has an, "Eat More Kale" sticker up outside of his desk. I've wanted to make these Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes found in my trusty "Cupcakes" by Martha Stewart for years, but just haven't pulled the trigger. As a peace offering to get him to stop calling me, "mincemeat" I decided to gift him with vegan cupcakes.

I can't find this exact recipe on ol' Martha Stewart's website, so here it is straight from the good book itself.

Ingredients: yields 12 cupcakes

1 1/2 cups cake flour, sifted

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for dusting

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups water

Confectioner's sugar, for dusting

Yes, no eggs, milk, butter, or shortening. This had to be the quickest recipe to throw together, which means it's probably perfect if you have little ones running around and you're short on time.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Sift together cake flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. In a medium to large mixing bowl mix together oil, vinegar, vanilla, and water until well combined. I used a simple whisk and could get everything smooth.
4. Add flour mixture to liquid mixture until smooth.
5. Divide batter into lined muffin tins. Because the batter is very liquidy I found that dumping it into my large measuring cup allowed for the easiest transfer into the cupcake liners.

1. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
2. Lightly dust with confectioner's sugar and/or cocoa powder before serving.

They're actually quite good! They have a very fudgey and cake-like taste to them, which is yummy. Numerous co-worker's turned their noses up at the word, "vegan," but word quickly spread throughout the office that they were tasty and all of those bad boys went like hot cakes.

If hot cakes were made without the use of animal products :)