Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Mousse Frosting (gluten free and vegan)

Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Mousse Frosting

Recipes available in Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World

These cupcakes are delicious. Including non-vegan and non-gluten-free cupcakes, I think these are near the top of the list for flavor and consistency.

For the chocolate cupcakes, I used the "Chocolate Gluten Freedom" recipe in Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World. The recipe calls for tapioca flour, ground flax seed, white rice flour, and quinoa flour. Thanks to Ocean State Job Lot's huge selection of Bob's Red Mill products, I was able to find every flour except quinoa. I happened to have 1/4 cup of Whole Foods' Gluten-Free All Purpose Baking Mix on hand, so I substituted that for the quinoa flour. I suspect almond meal would work just as well.

Gluten-free cupcakes do not rise as much as gluten cupcakes (according to the book), so you can fill the cupcake tins almost to the top. 

The frosting recipe I used is called "Chocolate Mousse Topping," and it is also found in the book. The base of the frosting is extra-firm silken tofu (like Mori-Nu, which is shelf stable). I found gluten free/vegan chocolate chips at my local grocery store in the gluten-free section. I thought about using Whole Foods' vegan chocolate chips because the ingredients appear to be gluten free, but because the package doesn't specifically say "gluten free," I decided against it.

Right from the blender, the frosting is pretty soft. It's the consistency of pudding right after you mix it up. Like pudding, the frosting becomes firmer after refrigeration. The recipe said to chill the mousse for an hour before serving. I did frost a couple of cakes after the mousse had chilled for an hour, but as you can see from the first photo at the top of this page, it was still quite soft. 

It took several hours for the mousse to become properly firm for frosting. The second photo was taken several hours later, and you can see that the frosting holds its shape much better. 

I love this recipe, and I think I'll continue to make it even for my gluten-eating friends. Many gluten-free baked goods have a jello-y consistency. They wobble when you shake the pans. These cupcakes are not like that. They are cake-y, as a cupcake should be. I am not a fan of overly sweet frosting, so this chocolate mousse hit the spot. It is light, fluffy, and not too sweet. I was thrilled with the results. 

If you don't yet own a copy of Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World, make sure to get your hands on one soon. Happy baking!

Asparagus Tofu Frittata (gluten free and vegan)

Asparagus Tofu Frittata

Adapted from Vegan With A Vengeance

 

This is one of the first recipes in the book Vegan With A Vengeance, written by the lovely women at the Post Punk Kitchen. There are two great things about this recipe. First, you can eat it for any meal. It's similar to a tofu scramble, so it's perfect for breakfast or brunch. I dressed it up with a side of broccoli and had it for dinner. Second, you can throw whatever you like in to the mix. I included asparagus, tomatoes, and artichoke, but you could easily add your favorite veggies.

This recipe is gluten free and vegan.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb extra firm tofu (a little more than one carton, although you could get away with one carton's worth if you didn't want to buy extra)

• 1 Tbs. mustard

• 1/4 to 1/2 cup gluten-free nutritional yeast, depending on how flavorful you want the tofu (I used a brand called Kal)

• 1 Tbs. gluten-free soy sauce 

• 1 Tbs. oil for frying

• 1/2 of a medium-sized purple onion

• 4 stalks of asparagus

• 1 small jar of marinated artichoke*

• 1 small jar of sun-dried tomatoes, chopped*

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 Tbs. thyme

• 1 tsp. turmeric

• 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

* I couldn't find sun-dried tomatoes, so I used an artichoke/tomato tapenade that I found at the grocery store.

Supplies:

• An 8-inch oven-safe pan (a frying pan, cake pan, or pie pan will work fine)

• Skillet

Preheat the oven to 400°F

1) Crumble the pound of tofu into a bowl. Add the mustard and nutritional yeast to taste. Combine.

2) Sauté the onion, asparagus, artichoke, and tomatoes until tender. Add the garlic, thyme, and turmeric. Sauté for an additional minute.

3) Add the veggie mixture into the tofu mixture. Combine. 

4) Add the chopped basil. Combine.

5) Press the mixture in to your pan.

6) Bake at 400°F for 20 minutes. Then broil on the top rack for 2 minutes.

7) Let the frittata sit for 10 minutes before cutting and serving. Enjoy!