Cupcake Contest

I entered a cupcake contest on ravelry this month. I'm a part of a Hogwarts-loving bunch with a fiber addiction. We get along quite well.

The contest ends on Halloween and includes many yarn-related prizes.

I submitted these:

Raven Clawcakes

It's all the deliciousness of a bearclaw in a cupcake. Oh... and it's chocolate. I made them for my son's birthday party, and the kids loved them. They are also gluten-free, vegan, and use no cane sugar, though obviously, the frosting adds some sugar...

What you need:

For the cupcakes (makes 12) 

2/3 c almond milk 

1/2 t apple cider vinegar 

2/3 c real maple syrup 

1/3 c canola oil 

1 t vanilla extract 

2 t almond extract 

1/3 c cocoa powder 

1/2 c, plus 2 T soy flour (rice flour would also work) 

1/2 c millet flour 

3/4 t baking powder 

1/2 t baking soda 

1/4 t salt

For the frosting (enough for 24 cupcakes) 

What you need: 

8 c. powdered sugar 

1/2 c vegetable-based shortening 

9 T almond milk 

2 t vanilla extract 

1/4 t salt 

a small scoop of flour (any variety) 

food coloring

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 F. Place liners in a 12-cake muffin  tin. Spray each liner with cooking oil for easy removal from the cupcakes after baking.

2. To make cupcakes: In a large bowl, mix together the almond milk and the vinegar and allow the milk to curdle. Then beat in the syrup, oil, and extracts. Then sift in the cocoa powder, flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat to well mixed and fill each of the 12 liners 2/3rds of the way full. Do NOT taste the batter. The batter tastes very very bad, because of the vinegar, but trust me, it does taste good after baking. Bake about 20 minutes. They are done when a toothpick comes out clean.

3. Remove the cupcakes from the oven to cool. For frosting: In a large bowl, beat together the powdered sugar, shortening, and almond milk. Add the vanilla and salt and mix well. Taste the frosting. If it tastes too sweet (and it will) add a small amount of flour to kill the oversweetness. A little bit goes a long way. Mix well.

4. If you want different colors of frosting, say blue and bronze, put a fair amount of frosting in a separate smaller bowl. For blue, add some blue to the frosting and mix. For the bronze-ish orange, add red and yellow together (less red, it’s overpowering). Then add a tiny tiny tiny bit of blue to give it that bronze tinge. Decorate cupcakes as desired. I personally found it irresistible to add three almond slivers to the top to mimic claws.

5. Eat and taste the chocolate almond goodness.

I'm going to win. Just look at that photo.