Vegan Chocolate Buckeye Cupcakes

It's Spring Break!!!

I couldn't be happier to be home with my family (and two adorable dogs).  Because of my school schedule, I missed both my mom's and my stepdad's birthdays...so of course I had to make it up to them.

Thus commenced Project Cupcake.

Both my mom and my stepdad are huge OSU football fans.  A lot of my childhood was spent watching the games, and celebrating touchdowns by eating a buckeye.  Buckeyes are a candy version of the native Ohio buckeye nut (made of peanut butter and chocolate).  So, what better way to celebrate these two birthdays than with a chocolate buckeye cupcake?  The recipe I created is a chocolate cupcake with fluffy chocolate "buttercream" frosting, topped with miniature buckeyes.  Feel free to customize and experiment with new flavors!

Vegan Chocolate Buckeye Cupcakes

makes 12 large cupcakes (or 24 mini cupcakes)

1 cup non-dairy milk
1 tsp vinegar (white or apple cider)
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup coconut sugar + 1/3 cup evaporated cane juice (or use all coconut sugar!)
1/3 cup melted vegan margarine or cooking oil of choice (try applesauce if you want a lower-fat version)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour + 1/2 cup whole wheat flour (or try white whole wheat flour)
1/3 cup cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder

for the Mini Buckeyes 
2 tbsp cold peanut butter
1 tbsp cold vegan margarine
2 tbsp powdered sugar
4 oz. vegan chocolate, melted + 1 tsp coconut oil

for the Fluffy Chocolate "Buttercream" frosting
1/4 cup vegan margarine
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 cups powdered sugar
1-2 tsp non-dairy milk

Let's get started!  First, preheat the oven to 350 and line your muffin tin with muffin cups (duh!).  Then, in a large bowl, whisk together the non-dairy milk and vinegar.  Leave to curdle for about five minutes (the mixture will thicken).  In a separate medium-sized bowl, combine all the dry ingredients.  Set aside.  Add sugars, vanilla, and melted margarine to the non-dairy milk mixture. Whisk until emulsified and foamy (about a minute).  Add the dry ingredients in three batches, folding in gently until no large lumps remain.  Fill your muffin cups about three-quarters full (they will rise!).  Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Set aside to cool.

While the cupcakes are baking, assemble the buckeyes!  Mix the peanut butter and margarine in a small bowl.  When well combined, add the powdered sugar.  The texture should be a little crumbly but should clump together with gentle pressure.  Roll your mixture into 24 tiny balls; the easiest method I found was to roll 12 small balls and pull them in half.  If desired, you can put a toothpick in each ball to make the dipping process easier later.  Place on parchment paper and freeze for 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, melt the chocolate on the stove and add the coconut oil.  Allow to cool.  Now, for the fun part!  Dip your little peanut butter balls in chocolate one-by-one, leaving a small circle of peanut butter visible on the top.  When you're all done, pop them back in the freezer for another ten minutes.

While your cupcakes are cooling (and your buckeyes are chilling), whip up the frosting!  Mix the vegan margarine and coconut oil with a hand mixer until smooth and well-combined.  Add the vanilla and cocoa powder, beating till smooth.  Then, slowly add the powdered sugar, increasing the hand mixer's speed until the frosting becomes fluffy and magical.  If it looks too creamy, add a little bit of powdered sugar.  If your mixture is crumbly, add a little bit of non-dairy milk.  Voilà!  

To assemble your cupcakes, hand-frost or pipe your cupcakes.  Top each sucker with one or two mini buckeyes.  All done!  Enjoy.