Maple-Gingerbread Cake with Salted Maple-Caramel Sauce

 Maple is a perennial favorite around here, and this recipe from Bon Appetit is a creative twist on the usual flavor combinations. I cut this recipe out of the magazine in the fall of 2013, but looking back through my recipe books, I actually found a version that they printed back in 2010. There is a reason this one has stuck around.

Maple sugar can be a little hard to track down, and it is a bit pricey. Trader Joe's used to carry it, but sadly doesn't anymore. I found maple sugar at a local upscale grocery chain, but I have a note that the Joy of Baking says you can substitute 1 1/2 cups white sugar and 2 teaspoons maple extract for 1 cup of maple sugar. (I have not yet tried this.)

The creme fraiche in the frosting makes this very creamy and rich. The maple-caramel is absolutely decadent, but it really makes the cake.

Maple-Coated Pecans

• 3/4 cup pecan halves, toasted
• 1/4 cup Grade B pure maple syrup
• Kosher salt

Cake

• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Chinese five-spice powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/3 cup chopped crystallized ginger
• 1 cup maple sugar
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup hot water
• 2/3 cup molasses

Frosting

• 1 1/2 cups chilled creme fraiche
• 1 1/3 cups chilled heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup maple sugar
•  6 tablespoons powdered sugar

Salted Maple-Caramel Sauce

• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup maple sugar
• 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 5 to 6 drops imitation maple extract

Maple Coated Pecans

1. Place large piece of foil or parchment on work surface. Combine nuts and maple syrup in heavy medium skillet (not nonstick) over medium high heat. Bring to a boil and toss to coat. Cook until syrup is dark amber and almost cooked away, thickly coating the nuts--about 3 1/2 minutes. 
2. Scrape nuts onto covered work surface, quickly separating clumps. Sprinkle with sea salt and cool until coating is hard, about 1 hour.

Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two 9-inch cake pans. Combine first 4 ingredients in food processor; add ginger. Blend until ginger is finely ground, about 1 minute. In a mixer with a large bowl, beat maple sugar and butter until fluffy. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. (Batter may look curdled.) 
2. Stir 3/4 cup hot water and molasses in a small bowl. Beat dry ingredients into butter mixture in 4 additions, alternating with molasses mixture in 3 additions.
3. Divide batter between prepared pans (about 2 1/2 cups each). Bake until tester inserted into the middle comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks.

Maple-Caramel

1. Melt butter in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add sugar. Whisk until sugar melts and mixture is thick and boiling, 2 to 3 minutes. Gradually whisk in cream. Bring sauce to a boil, whisking often. Boil, whisking often, until sauce thickens enough to coat a spoon and is reduced to 1 cup (another 2-3 minutes). Remove from heat. Whisk in salt and extract. Cool.

Frosting

1. Combine creme fraiche, cream and both sugars in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until very thick and stiff.

Assembly

1. Cut around sides of cake pans; turn cakes out onto racks. Place 1 cake layer on platter. Spread with 1 1/3 cups frosting. Drizzle with  3 tablespoons caramel sauce.
2. Top with second cake. Spread a thin layer of frosting over entire cake and chill for 15 minutes to create a crumb coat. 
3. Spread remaining frosting evenly over top and sides of cake. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons caramel sauce. Cover and chill cake for at least 1 hour.
4. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before continuing. Press pecan pieces into sides of cake. Serve cake slices with caramel sauce drizzled on top!

Chocolate Stout Layer Cake

This cake is from Bon Appetit Magazine online, and is very similar to the chocolate stout bundt cake I made for Lauren's birthday two months ago. Between the two, the bundt cake is definitely easier and quicker, since you don't have to trim the two layers of cake, frost in between, and frost sides and top. However, the layer cake is an excellent choice for a celebration such as St Paddys Day. I made it last night for 'day after St Paddy's Day dinner' dessert. It was delicious, especially when paired with a full pint of Guinness. In retrospect, you could probably add a bunch of green food coloring to make it even more festive, to give it a green velvet look.

What's in it

Cake:

3 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped

2 1/4 C all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

14 Tbl (1 3/4 sticks) salted butter, room temperature

1 1/4 C plus 3 Tbl sugar

3 large eggs, separated

3/4 C chocolate stout, regular stout, or porter

2/3 C freshly brewed strong coffee

Frosting:

1 lb bittersweet chocolate (54% to 60% cacao), chopped

2 C heavy whipping cream

1 tsp instant espresso powder

How it's made:

CAKE

• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter and flour two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Line bottom of each cake pan with parchment paper round; butter and flour parchment. Place chopped chocolate in medium metal bowl. Set bowl over saucepan of barely simmering water and stir until chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove bowl from over water and set aside.
• Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat butter and 1 1/4 cups sugar in large bowl until fluffy and pale yellow, about 2 minutes. Add egg yolks 1 at a time, beating until well blended after each addition. Beat in lukewarm melted chocolate, then stout and coffee. Beat flour mixture into chocolate mixture in 2 additions just until incorporated.
• Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites and remaining 3 tablespoons sugar in another medium bowl until stiff but not dry. Fold 1/3 of egg whites into cake batter to lighten, then fold in remaining egg whites in 2 additions. Divide batter between prepared cake pans (about 3 cups for each); smooth tops.
• Bake cakes until tester inserted into centers comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Transfer cakes to racks and cool in pans 20 minutes. Invert cakes onto racks; remove parchment paper and cool completely.
  DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and store at room temperature.
  
  

FROSTING

• Place chopped chocolate in medium heatproof bowl. Combine whipping cream and espresso powder in medium saucepan. Bring cream mixture to simmer over medium-high heat, whisking occasionally. Pour cream mixture over chopped chocolate; let stand 1 minute, then whisk until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Chill chocolate frosting until slightly thickened and spreadable, stirring occasionally, about 2 hours (or for quick chilling, place frosting in freezer until thickened and spreadable, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes).
• Using serrated knife, trim rounded tops from both cake layers so that tops are flat. Place 1 cake layer, trimmed side up, on 9-inch-diameter tart pan bottom or cardboard round, then place on rack set over baking sheet. Drop 1 1/4 cups frosting by large spoonfuls over top of cake layer; spread frosting evenly to edges with offset spatula or butter knife. Top with second cake layer, trimmed side down. Spread remaining frosting evenly over top and sides of cake.
  DO AHEAD Can be made up to 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and refrigerate. Let cake stand at room temperature at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours before serving.

Pumpkin Spice Layer cake with Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

Is it so wrong to eat birthday cake for breakfast? Yeah, I didn't think so, either.

I relish the opportunity to make fancy cakes, since I so rarely get the chance. I guess that's not exactly fair---I could make a fancy cake anytime, really, but that would be a dangerous, dangerous idea. I reserve my fancy cake baking to birthdays. Usually my own.

This year I was agonizing over two really amazing-sounding recipes, but an informal poll on the Recipes For Laughter facebook page proved the pumpkin spice cake the most popular. I'm glad it was. It's hard to say which aspect of this cake was my favorite. The cake itself has the perfect dense-but-fluffy crumb---maybe even the platonic ideal of a birthday cake crumb. The combination of spices in this cake was truly spot on. The spices made this cake seem more pumpkin-y than any other pumpkin dessert in my recent memory, yet the flavor was not at all overwhelming (as some heavily

spiced cakes tend to be). This cake had a perfect balance of warm spices and pumpkin flavor. It easily could have been my favorite part of this cake...if it weren't for the frosting.

By now you may have picked up on the fact that I am an unrepentant cream cheese frosting enthusiast. Give me any excuse to top something with cream cheese frosting, and I will. But, this cream cheese frosting was a revelation. You make a quick and easy caramel from powdered sugar and heavy cream, then mix it into your typical cream cheese frosting. I love caramel nearly as much as I love cream cheese frosting, so this was a match made in frosting heaven. It was bordering on cloyingly sweet, so if you are not really into that, I would recommend adding less powdered sugar or adding more cream cheese to mellow out the sweetness a little.

I think this cake would have been even more perfect with some candied pecans on top, but I ran out of time before my guests arrived. I guess I should stop throwing myself birthday parties...

Ok, that's not going to happen. There's no way I'm giving up an excuse to make myself fancy cakes. Even if that means I have to eat cake for breakfast for days afterward.

Pumpkin Spice Layer Cake with Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

~Print Recipe~

For the Frosting:

• 1 pound of powdered sugar, divided (from a 1 pound box, or approx. 3 1/2 to 4 cups)
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temp.
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temp.

For the cake:

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder

  

  T's cake-slicing ability is unmatched.

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg*
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1 15-ounce can of pure pumpkin
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
• 4 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons finely grated orange peel

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two 9-inch cake pans, tapping out any excess flour.
2. Sprinkle 1/2 cup powdered sugar over the bottom of a small non-stick skillet over medium heat. Cook without stirring until the sugar melts. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is a deep amber color, about 2 minutes more. Stir in 1/2 cup cream, vanilla and salt--be careful, as the mixture will bubble up. Stir until any caramel bits have dissolved. Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon of cream. Strain caramel sauce into a small bowl and cool to room temperature.
3. Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder and spices (through cardamom) in a large bowl.
4. In another large bowl, beat pumpkin, sugar and oil with an electric or stand mixer. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating to incorporate between each addition. Mix in orange peel. Add flour mixture, beating on low just enough to blend.
5. Divide batter between prepared pans and bake until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean--about 33 minutes. Cool in pans on racks for 10 minutes. Carefully invert cakes onto rack and then turn them top-side up to cool completely.
6. While the cakes are baking, sift the remaining powdered sugar into a medium bowl. Using an electric or stand mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter in a large bowl. Gradually beat in powdered sugar. Beat in the cooled caramel. Cover and chill frosting until firm enough to spread, about 2 hours.
7. When cakes are cool, use a long serrated knife to cut the rounded top of off of one of them, leaving a flat surface. Place that cake on a cake plate cut-side up and cover with 3/4 cup of frosting. Place second cake on top. Cover top and sides of cake with remaining frosting.

Serves 12-16

Note: Cake can be made up to 2 days ahead. Just cover and chill. Let stand at room temp. 2 hours before serving.
*Buy whole nutmeg wherever bulk spices are sold. Whole nutmeg looks expensive, but if you just buy one (which is more than enough for this recipe) it will probably cost you less than a dollar. Grate the nutmeg with a microplane or the finest holes on your grater just before using.

Vegan Maple Cupcakes with Vegan Maple Buttercream Frosting

The first time I made these cupcakes, people went crazy for them. They likened them to maple bar donuts and gobbled them up. When I made them this time, I had been doing homework all night and didn't have time to do the sugared walnuts. Then I forgot to double the recipe so there would be enough cupcakes for everyone in my class. I tried a vegan maple cream cheese frosting, but it didn't turn out as well as the buttercream I used in the recipe below. But, I did at least take a photo this time! You'll just have to imagine the fancy sugared walnut on top.
_____________________
Re-post from recipe archives, originally from 12/21/08

There are a number of vegans in my life and they have happily introduced me to the art of vegan baking. Up until a few years ago, I'd been under the impression that 'vegan' automatically meant no tasty desserts. Oh, how very wrong I was.

My friend Audra lent me and Natalie a snazzy little book called Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. Between the two of us, we've made a nice array of delicious cupcakes--and people are definitely surprised to find out they are vegan.

I've had numerous people tell me that the little treats from this book are the best cupcakes that they've eaten--ever. But this recipe in particular really takes the cake...

Vegan Maple Cupcakes

~Print Recipe~ 

For the Sugared Walnuts:

• 1 cup walnut halves
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• Dash of salt
• Dash of cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Spread the walnuts on a pan and bake for 6-8 minutes. Toss after 4 minutes and keep a close eye on them so they don't burn. Remove from oven and place in a bowl to cool. Prepare a lightly greased piece of parchment paper to use in just a minute.
2. Pour sugar, maple syrup and salt into a large, heavy skillet. Heat on medium, stirring with a wooden spoon until the sugar melts and the mixture is thick and smells caramel-ly.
3. Remove from heat and stir in the walnuts and cinnamon. Stir to coat each nut. Immediately spread coated walnuts on the parchment; use a spatula to keep them from clumping. Cool completely before handling.

For the Cupcakes:

• 1/2 cup soy milk
• 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/3 cups flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 1/4 maple extract
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup sugared walnuts (from above recipe)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line your cupcake pan with liners. (Recipe only makes 12 cupcakes.)
2. Whisk together soy milk and vinegar in a large bowl. Set aside for a few minutes.
3. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg into a separate bowl and mix. Whisk the maple syrup, oil, brown sugar, vanilla and maple extracts into the soy mixture.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until lumps dissolve. Fold in the sugared walnuts.
5. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full. Bake for 20-22 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting:

• 1/4 cup non-hydrogenated shortening
• 1/4 cup room temp. margarine (Earth Balance is the best!)
• 1 3/4 cups powdered sugar (sift it for silky smooth results)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons maple extract
• 1/4 cup soy milk

1. Beat the shortening and margarine until well combined and fluffy. Add the sugar and beat for 3 minutes. Add the maple extract and soy milk. Beat until fluffy--5-7 minutes.
2. Frost cupcakes and top with the remaining sugared walnut pieces.

Dark Chocolate Frosting

I have to admit I'm a little disappointed with the Martha Stewart's Cupcakes cookbook. I've only tried two recipes, but the results have been merely mediocre. I'm a huge fan of her Cookies cookbook, from which I've probably made 20 different cookies that all came out fantastically, so I had high expectations.  I thought Martha was like the gold standard for these types of things...

Maybe it's me. Maybe I don't love cupcakes as much as I love cookies. I don't know. But, so far, the only thing that has impressed me about the Cupcakes book has been this frosting recipe. I LOVE cream cheese frosting, and you know butter cream is ok, but I've never come across a frosting recipe like this. Cocoa powder AND tons of melted chocolate (ok, lots of butter, too.) But I like the idea of a melted-chocolate-based frosting. It tastes just like you'd think it would--very chocolate-y. It is definitely important to use your favorite high quality chocolate here.

I halved the following recipe when I made my chocolate mint cupcakes, because this will give you 5 cups of frosting. Which is fine---if you are feeding a small army. I also added pure mint extract as I was mixing in the chocolates at the end. I'd imagine any other complimentary flavor would work well here, too. Coconut? Almond? Mmmm. I haven't completely given up on Martha's cupcakes. Yet. I'm willing to give the Cookies and Cream Cheesecake cupcakes a try.

 

Dark Chocolate Frosting

~Print Recipe~

• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon boiling water
• 2 1/4 cups unsalted butter (4 1/2 sticks), room temperature
• 3/4 cup powered sugar, sifted
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 pounds best-quality semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped (or use chips)

1. Place chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over (not in) a pan of simmering water. Do not let any of the water touch the bottom of the bowl. Heat until chocolate is almost melted, then stir with a spatula until it is completely melted. Remove bowl from pan and let cool, stirring occasionally. Wait 30 minutes before using. 
2. Meanwhile, boil water. In a small bowl, combine cocoa and boiling water, stirring until the cocoa has dissolved. 
3. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, mix butter, sugar and salt until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to low and add melted and cooled chocolate. Beat until combined. Beat in cocoa mixture and any extracts.

*If not using immediately, frosting can be refrigerated up to 5 day, or frozen up to 1 month. Before using again, bring to room temp. then beat on low until smooth.

Yield: 5 cups

Gingerbread Cupcakes with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

I needed something to pair with Christmas Blend coffee, so something with ginger, orange, cinnamon, nutmeg or cloves. I found this Martha Stewart gingerbread cupcake recipe (Martha always comes through in a pinch) online and that took care of all of the spices in one fell swoop. Then I saw a recipe on 52 cupcakes that topped gingerbread cupcakes with a lemon cream cheese frosting. I figured orange would work just as well. And done---I've got all of my flavors present and accounted for. This recipe makes 10 "jumbo" sized cupcakes, but since I only have the regular size pan it made about 20. And that's ok with me, because I figure the more cupcakes the merrier!

These cupcakes have 2 teaspoons of baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon salt, which I felt made them a little too salty. I would maybe add 1/4 teaspoon salt. Then again, maybe that's just the way gingerbread is suppose to taste, so salt to your preference.

I had forgotten how much fun cupcakes are to make and eat!

Gingerbread Cupcakes with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

~Print Recipe~

• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (or less, to taste)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2/3 cup packed dark-brown sugar
• 1 cup unsulphured molasses
• 2 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line you cupcake tin with paper baking cups, set aside. In a saucepan or kettle, bring 1 cup water to a boil. In a small bowl, combine boiling water and baking soda and set aside. In a large bowl, sift flour, spices, salt and baking powder together and set aside. 
2. With an electric mixer, cream the butter until light. Add the brown sugar and beat until fluffy, around 1 to 2 minutes. Beat in the molasses, baking soda mixture and flour mixture. Beat in the eggs. 
3. Fill cupcake liners until 3/4 full. Bake cupcakes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let cupcakes cool in the pan on a wire rack for a few minutes, then transfer them to the rack to cool completely before frosting.
4. Frost and sprinkle with crystallized ginger.
 

Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

~Print Recipe~

• 1 8 oz. package of cream cheese, room temperature
  
• 1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) of unsalted butter, room temperature
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• zest of one orange
• 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice

1. Beat cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer until soft. Slowly add sugar, zest and juice. Beat until creamy--about 3 minutes.
2. Chill frosting before frosting cupcakes.
   

Carrot Cake Cookie Sandwiches with Cream Cheese Frosting

I came late to carrot cake. As a child, I was of the mind that anything with carrots in it had to be healthy, and therefore not as good as chocolate. I don't remember a specific moment when I realized how wrong I was (about both things), rather it must have been a slow awakening. I'm pretty sure it was the cream cheese frosting that really won me over.

My favorite carrot cake used to be the little personal cakes from The Upper Crust Bakery in Chico, California. After moving to Portland, my favorite happened to be the vegan carrot cake from Sweet Pea bakery that they sell at New Seasons market. (Go on Friday to make sure they still have some.)
Now, I'd rather just bake my own, whether from my vegan cupcakes to these scrumptious Martha Stewart sandwich cookies. The vegan carrot cake definitely works, but the cream cheese frosting in these cookies happens to be waaay better--the real deal. I present you with my evidence:

The Cookies

• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temp.
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temp.
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour (plus a little more for flattening cookies)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1 1/2 cups finely grated carrots
• 1 cup raisins
• Cream cheese frosting! (recipe below)

1. Beat butter and both sugars in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy--3 to 4 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until well combined.
2. Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger together. Stir to combine. Add the flour mixture a little at a time to the butter mixture. Mix on low until just blended. Stir in oats, carrots and raisins. Chill until firm, minimum 1 hour.
3. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment. Scoop out dough into balls using a tablespoon. Place two inches apart on the baking sheets (these spread a lot as they bake). Using the lightly floured bottom of a glass, flatten cookies into circles. Try to keep them uniform so your sandwiches will match up.
4. Bake until browned and crisp-- around 12-15 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Spread cream cheese frosting onto the flat sides of half of the cookies, then make sandwiches with the remaining halves.
   

The Frosting

• 8 ounces cream cheese, room temp.
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temp.
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Place cream cheese in a mixing bow. Beat until smooth. Gradually add the butter and beat until well blended. Sift in the powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Stir in vanilla.

* The first batch of frosting I made with my electric mixer, the second with my spoonula. Both worked fine.
* I think these cookies are best the first day when the cookies are a bit crunchy. If you store them, the cookies absorb some of the moisture from the frosting and become softer, more like actual carrot cake.They are delicious both ways.
* I used much more frosting than was called for, since that's the best part.

Vegan Maple Cupcakes with Sugared Walnuts

There are a number of vegans in my life and they have happily introduced me to the art of vegan baking. Up until a few years ago, I'd been under the impression that 'vegan' automatically meant no tasty desserts. Oh, how very wrong I was.

My friend Audra lent me and Natalie a snazzy little book called Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. Between the two of us, we've made a nice array of delicious cupcakes--and people are definitely surprised to find out they are vegan.

I've had numerous people tell me that the little treats from this book are the best cupcakes that they've eaten--ever. But this recipe in particular really takes the cake...

For the Sugared Walnuts:

• 1 cup walnut halves
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• Dash of salt
• Dash of cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Spread the walnuts on a pan and bake for 6-8 minutes. Toss after 4 minutes and keep a close eye on them so they don't burn. Remove from oven and place in a bowl to cool. Prepare a lightly greased piece of parchment paper to use in just a minute.
2. Pour sugar, maple syrup and salt into a large, heavy skillet. Heat on medium, stirring with a wooden spoon until the sugar melts and the mixture is thick and smells caramel-ly.
   
3. Remove from heat and stir in the walnuts and cinnamon. Stir to coat each nut. Immediately spread coated walnuts on the parchment; use a spatula to keep them from clumping. Cool completely before handling.

For the Cupcakes:

• 1/2 cup soy milk
• 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/3 cups flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 1/4 maple extract
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup sugared walnuts (from above recipe)
  

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line your cupcake pan with liners. (Recipe only makes 12 cupcakes.)
2. Whisk together soy milk and vinegar in a large bowl. Set aside for a few minutes.
3. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg into a separate bowl and mix. Whisk the maple syrup, oil, brown sugar, vanilla and maple extracts into the soy mixture.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until lumps dissolve. Fold in the sugared walnuts.
5. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full. Bake for 20-22 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting:

• 1/4 cup non-hydrogenated shortening
  
• 1/4 cup room temp. margarine (Earth Balance is the best!)
• 1 3/4 cups powdered sugar (sift it for silky smooth results)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons maple extract
• 1/4 cup soy milk

1. Beat the shortening and margarine until well combined and fluffy. Add the sugar and beat for 3 minutes. Add the maple extract and soy milk. Beat until fluffy--5-7 minutes.
2. Frost cupcakes and top with the remaining sugared walnut pieces.