Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Cream Frosting

Basic Chocolate Cake Cupcake
1 cup soy milk
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line muffin pan with paper liners.

Whisk together the soy milk and vinegar in a large bowl, and set aside for a few minutes to curdle. Add the sugar, oil, and vanilla extract. If using soy milk the mixture will be foamy. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add in two batches to wet ingredients and beat until no large lumps remain (a few tiny lumps are okay).

Pour into liners, filling three-quarters of the way. Bake 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack and let coo completely.

Peanut Butter Cream Frosting
1/4 cup non dairy margarine, softened
2 Tablespoons shortening
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 to 2 Tablespoons soy milk

With electric handheld mixer, cream the butter and shortening together at medium speed until smooth. Add peanut butter and vanilla, and beat until very smooth, 2-3 minutes. Beat in the sugar; mixture will be very stiff. Dribble in the soy milk a little at a time, beating continuously till frosting is pale tan and very fluffy. Adjust toe thickness of the frosting by adding the soy milk or more confectioners' sugar in small increments if necessary. Pipe or spread the frosting onto cooled cupcakes. Sprinkle with chocolate sprinkles and top with a miniature peanut butter cup.

The above recipes came from Vegan Cup Cakes Take Over the World by Isa chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hopoe Romero, with the exception of the chocolate sprinkles and miniature peanut butter cup.