Wednesday, May 21, 2008

disaster cupcakes made with love

*Update* Jared actually liked the "frosting." I believe him since he ate 3, one right after the other!

Jared and I are celebrating our 3rd wedding anniversary today! Well, we are at least acknowledging it because Jared is working tonight and won't be home until late. I still wanted to make today extra special, so I made chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter “frosting.”
I got both the cupcake recipe (pg. 37) and frosting recipe (pg. 151) out of Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. The cupcake part turned out perfectly moist, rich and chocolaty, much like a Devil's Food cake. The peanut butter frosting on the other hand was just plain awful.
I'm not sure how people make a perfectly "fluffy" frosting, but I have never had any luck, vegan or not. I know it can be done, as I have eaten my fair share of homemade cupcakes, including way too many at my first vegan potluck I attended. I know it can be light and airy with the perfect balance of fat, sugar and flavor, but whatever disaster I whipped up today wasn't it. Mine turned out greasy, way too sweet and a thick and somewhat separated goo. Even though I was expecting a pillow of whipped peanut butter atop the perfect chocolate cupcake, I wouldn't have minded the texture of the frosting so much if the taste wasn't so bland. Really, it just tasted like oily powdered sugar with little evidence of peanut butter flavor. For some reason though I was hopeful that the peanut butter goo would match up all right with the chocolate cupcake but that was just wishful thinking. Oh well.
Since the cupcake part did turn out so well, I think I may just scrape the frosting off and save the bottoms to eat with a cold glass of soymilk when Jared gets home tonight.
Photobucket
While it would have been nice to make the perfect cupcake to surprise Jared with, today isn't about that. Today is about making something with all my love for someone I am so lucky to be married to. Disaster or not, I know Jared will appreciate the effort!

20 comments:

LizNoVeggieGirl said...

Ahh, happy anniversary!! So exciting that it's been 3 years already for the two of you!! I wish you many more years together :0)

As you saw on my blog, I definitely can't make fluffy frosting, haha - but hey, I LOVE how your cupcakes turned out, so be proud!! :0)

Sam said...

The cupcakes (despite the less than stellar frosting) still look great! Happy anniversary!!! May many more happy days come your way!

Anonymous said...

Yay! Happiest wishes to you and Jared! Your cupcakes look really pretty even if the frosting didn't turn out the way you wanted it to.

Glue and Glitter said...

Aw, yay! Happy anniversary! That's a bummer about the frosting....mine always comes out a little lumpy, but I've had good luck with the almond frosting recipe from that book for the green tea cupcakes.

Animal-Friendly said...

Happy anniversary! Such a shame that the frosting didn't turn out..... but I'm sure the cupcakes can be saved and that you will make an excellent, fluffy frosting one day!

Anonymous said...

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!! =)

Those cupcakes look delicious, and it's the thought that counts, right??

Meghan said...

love is the most important ingredient anyway.

Leigh said...

Aw, Happy Anniversary to both of you!!

Kumudha said...

Happy anniversary!

The cupcakes look so delicious!

Alicia said...

Happy anniversary! I think it's all about the good intentions :-), and I'm sure they were tastier than you think!

Anonymous said...

happy anniversary to the two of you!!

J said...

Happy Anniversary!

I'm sure Jared will appreciate the thought! And at the cupcakes themselves turned out well, I think your plan of salvaging them with a glass of soy milk sounds perfect.

Unknown said...

happy happy anniversary!

Those cupcakes look good! I know what you mean about frosting, I never seem to have any luck making it 'fluffy'. Jared will mos def appreciate the love and effort that went into making them!

<3

Calimaryn said...

Happy anniversary!!

The cupcakes look great! I think you and I have opposite problems. My frostings typically turn out fluffy, light and airy, with the ability to form into froufrou clouds. Unfortunately every time I make chocolate cupcakes, they rise up out of the pan and then sink horribly. I think its my oven. *sigh*

If you send me cuppers, I promise to send you frosting! :)

Veggie said...

Happy Anniversary!!!

I wish you both a fabulous day.

Rural Vegan said...

Happy anniversary to you both!

Melisser; the Urban Housewife said...

I've had the same problem with that same recipe a few times now! It's worked for me in the past as well, I'm not sure what the hell is up!

Anonymous said...

Sorry the frosting didn't come out so well, but happy anniversary all the same- I sure hope you were able to salvage those cupcakes! Peanut butter frosting can be harder to "whip" and make fluffy, so don't be too hard on yourself. The type/brand of peanut butter you use makes a difference too, so it was probably some nit-picky detail like that.

Vegan_Noodle said...

Happy anniversary (belated) to you and Jared!!

Cupcakes look delicious. About the frosting... what kind of powdered sugar are you using? It is best to use at least 10X or higher. Are you using a hand beater or stand mixer. It is possible to make fluffy frosting, I promise!

aTxVegn said...

Happy Anniversary! I have a hard time with that frosting too, but I don't even like frosting, so I don't care.