french toast cupcake

have i told you before how much i love cupcakes?  maybe you might have guessed given that cupcake makes up one half of my blog namesake.  but yes, it's true.  i love cupcakes.  vegan cupcakes, that is.

a few weeks back i had  enjoyed  devoured savoured an incredible cupcake.  it was one that caught my eye with it's sparkling cinnamon sugar dusting and was one that was recommended by the lovely gal working the festival booth.  it was the bunner's french toast cupcake and it was incredible.

{the original}

when i returned home i dove into the kitchen and tried to recreate it.  just to make sure i got it right i made a few dozen.  and though all i had to go on was the memory and the lingering hint of maple on my palette, i think i've done it justice.

my cupcake is a little different from the original in that it's not gluten-free.  neither m nor i have any problems digesting gluten so i didn't try to replicate that part {bunner's is a gf vegan bakery}.  but what's the same is a moist cinnamon-vanilla cupcake with a nice crumble and a fluffy maple buttercream topped with cinnamon sugar.  it really is french toast born again as a cupcake!

{the inspired}

french toast cupcakes
makes one dozen
1 cup non-dairy milk {i used unsweetened almond}
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup sunflower oil
3/4 cup organic cane sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/3 cup organic all purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 heaping tsp cinnamon

preheat your oven to 350f.  mix together the almond milk and cider vinegar in a large bowl and set aside to curdle a few minutes{this curdling gives the cake a nice crumb}.  add in the oil, sugar and vanilla and mix until well combined.  into a separate bowl sift and combine the dry ingredients.  add the dry to the wet and mix until just smooth. {be mindful not to overmix!}

spoon the batter into a muffin tin filled with liners and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.  allow the cupcakes to cool completely before icing with vegan maple buttercream.

vegan maple buttercream
1/2 cup earth balance vegan margerine
3-4  cups icing sugar
1/2 tsp maple extract
1-2 tbsp non-dairy milk (more or less as required) 
and about a teaspoon of cinnamon sugar for dusting

whip the earth balance and incorporate the maple extract.  add in the sugar and almond milk a bit at a time, mixing as you go along until you reach a consistency and flavour you're happy with.  {lucky you, that means tasting as you go!}  you can use electric beaters or a stand mixer here, but you can also do it by hand - i always make my buttercreams with a fork!

ice your cupcakes and top them off with a light dusting of cinnamon sugar.  then dig in.

{ready to dig in...}

{dug}

i don't like to play favourites.... but i think i have a new favourite.
and her name is french toast.

{shhh, just don't tell miss mocha}