Floral scents, floral prints, floral flavors, floral flowers!....
I looove anything floral and hope you do too so that you'll love these cupcakes!
These cupcakes have lovely taste of lavender paired with the yummy texture of coconut to make for an interesting and tasty cupcake.
These cupcakes are wonderful without any toppings but I think they taste divine with a little bit of whipped cream (coconut whipped cream if you're vegan!). I've also included a simple frosting recipe that pairs perfectly with them!

Lavender Coconut Cupcakes

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 cup almond milk
1 cup applesauce
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp lavender extract
1/2 cup shredded coconut

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl
3. In another bowl, combine milk, applesauce, apple cider vinegar, and lavender extract
4. Next stir in shredded coconut
5. Line or oil a muffin tin. Scoop batter into tin. Bake mini muffins for about 15 minutes and regular sized for 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in comes out clean.

For frosting:
1/3 cup coconut oil (softened)
1 cup icing sugar
1/2 tsp lavender extract

1. Blend everything until creamy

If you're anything like me then you love Rosé wine. Personally it is my favorite wine so when Amanda from The Glorious Grape asked me to join her Say Yes to Rosé collaboration, I was down! (pro tip: click the link for some great info on Rosé)
With grad ceremonies coming up I think this would be the perfect treat to serve for your friends or family graduating from high school or post-secondary. 
They would also be lovely for a bridal shower, special get together, or spring party!
These light and sweet cupcakes are accompanied by a delicious and perfectly creamy frosting. 
You can use a couple drops of food coloring in the frosting and/or batter to add a fun color.
These cupcakes have a subtle wine flavor which makes the perfect treat for a special occasion. 
If you wish to have more Rosé flavor then you can add in more Rosé instead of orange juice.
Graduation Rosé Cupcakes
Makes 12

Ingredients

Cupcake
1/4 Rose wine
1/4 orange juice
1 cup almond milk
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
3/4 cup coconut sugar
1 1/3 cup flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt

Frosting
1/2 cup vegan or regular cream cheese, softened
3 tbsp coconut oil, softened
1 cup icing sugar
2-3 tbsp Rosé wine
couple drops of red and/or pink food coloring

Directions
1. For cupcakes, preheat oven to 350F and line or grease a 12 cup muffin tin
2. Beat together Rosé wine, orange juice, almond milk, coconut oil, and coconut sugar until well combined
3. Sift in flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix batter until smooth
4. Fill tins about 3/4 full. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting
5. For frosting, beat together cream cheese and coconut oil until combined
6. Add in icing sugar, Rosé, and food coloring and beat until smooth and creamy
7. Frost cupcakes and serve! Cupcakes should be stored in a fridge
This recipe is part of a collaboration with The Glorious Grape. A wine and food pairings blog. Amanda has a whole series dedicated to rosé

A few years ago I went to New York and while I was there I had to go to the Baby Cakes bakery. I had bought their recipe book a while before even thinking about going to New York city and knew that I had to go! So I journeyed through the other side of China Town to find the small bakery. The treats I had were good and the company I had that day even better! We then took a metro line we weren't very familiar with to get back to our hostel in Brooklyn which turned out to have a confusing detour on it so it was in fact quite the adventure! 



But at least  got my delicious and healthy treats. 

Baby Cakes has since changed it's name to Erin McKenna's Bakery. Named after the owner and author of the original book. 



I've been making the Baby Cakes frosting recipe ever since I got the recipe book but hadn't made it in a while since I do not regularly stock up on soy milk powder. However, I knew that I had to try an earl grey tea version for this recipe! It turned out delicious, as expected. 

Here's to more adventures and even more cupcakes

Earl Grey Tea Cupcakes

Makes 12

Cupcake Ingredients 

4 earl grey tea bags (or 4 tsp loose tea leaves)
1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup almond milk
1/3 cup canola oil
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Frosting Ingredients

1 earl grey tea bag
3/4 cup almond milk, heated
1/2 tbsp coconut flour
6 tbsp soy milk powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp maple syrup
3/4 cup coconut oil
1 tbsp lemon juice

1. Make the frosting first. First steep the earl grey tea bag in a cup of warm almond milk for 5 minutes. In a food processor or blender (you could also do this by hand or with a hang blender but it will be more difficult). Combine the earl grey tea almond milk, soy milk powder, coconut flour, maple syrup, and vanilla. Blend for 2 minutes. With the food processor running, slowly add the coconut oil and lemon juice, alternating between the two until both are fully incorporated. Your mixture should look creamy. Pour the mixture into an airtight container and refrigerate (the Babycakes recipe book says to do this for 6 hours but you can get away with less)
2. As your frosting refrigerates, get started on the cupcakes. Preheat your oven to 350F and line a cupcake tin.  
3. Cut 4 teabags open and empty the leaves into a large bowl. If you have full leaf tea you may have to grind up the leaves to make them smaller. Add the flour, sugars, baking soda, and salt.
4. In a separate bowl, mix together the almond milk, coconut oil, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla.
5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until just combine. Do not over mix
6. Divide the batter into your cupcake tin and bake for 18-20 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean
7. After your frosting has set, take it out of the fridge. The frosting should be hardened and creamy. If your frosting broke or separated simply reheat the mixture and whip it up again then place it back in the fridge to set again. This should fix it. 
8. Apply frosting on to cooled cupcakes as desired. I spread it on using an icing spatula but you should be able to pipe it as well.

I know what you're thinking... millet flour, honey, and olive oil? How is this even a cupcake? 
But I assure you not only does this taste just like a cupcake, they taste phenomenal!




These cupcakes are really different from the traditional kind but that's what makes them so great! The texture of the millet and taste of the olive oil makes this the perfect summer time treat that just so happens to be a little better for you too. 



Top with a creamy honey cream cheese frosting to blend all the flavors together and call it a day!

Millet Cupcakes with Honey Cream Cheese Frosting

Makes 12

ingredients:

I swear these are a lighter purple IRL but isn't this color pretty too!

Lilac Velvet Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

Makes 12

Ingredients 

For Cupcakes:
1 tbsp cocoa powder

Hey guys!

My birthday was this week and of course I created myself some extra delicious cupcakes to celebrate!

I turned the big 2-0 this week!
I know oh my gosh, I'm so old
I feel sad to leave 19 behind as 9 and 19 are my favorite numbers.





I can't believe I have been on this planet for two whole decades. I certainly don't feel that old and I'm blessed to have had a good life for the most part.



This year has been full of so many exciting things for me. I have made many new friends, joined and became an exec for a couple uni clubs, worked at an amazing part-time job, learned new and exciting things in my classes, and have grown to be a better and more confident person.

Of course this year did have its downsides. Due to all of the exciting things I've been involved in, I found myself extremely busy and stressed. Sleep was neglected, I was eating poorly, gained weight, my stress levels were through the roof, and at one point I was a very unhappy person.

Sorry about the bad photos. I was too eager to eat my cupcakes to care about lighting!

Thankfully, since my classes have ended I came to realize this and have been working to fix it. So far I feel that I have been doing a good job but I still have a way to go. My goal for this year is to make sure this doesn't happen again which may require letting go of some things.

I have a lot to look forward this year, including a trip I will be leaving for tomorrow! I promise to let you know about it when I come back.

Until then I hope you enjoy these delicious cupcakes.
I modified the cupcakes from Vegan Cupcakes take over the World and the frosting was largely adapted from the recipe here.
I found an almond cashew butter at my local grocer and decided to try that in the frosting but you can of course use any nut butter.
Hope you enjoy this recipe and that you are having a very merry un-birthday if it isn't you aren't celebrating your own birthday today!


Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes with Almond Butter Frosting
12

I have noticed that there seems to be a lack of cupcake recipes on Cupcake Kat. This is something I hope to correct because I do love cupcakes. I think I just make muffins more as they are like cupcakes but for breakfast.

I can't believe that I have already had this blog for a year!
My real blogiversary was on November 7 but I decided that today being 11/11/11 was an extra special occasion to celebrate. I hope all of you are enjoying it too!

Now I know that Christmas is over and you probably don't want to see another dessert or Christmas recipe for some time but I need to share this because its delicious. Its also a great way to use up the last of your cranberry sauce and eggnog!



When I saw this I just knew I had to make something like it. However I was not satisfied with the recipe as I found it a little too indulgent so instead I modified this recipe. The cupcakes have no eggs or butter so they're easy to half or double.

I always choose natural alternatives when I sweeten something. My favorite is agave followed by maple syrup and then delicious honey. I also like to tell myself that I am baking something slightly healthier when I use these.

Natural sweeteners are still like sugar because they are essentially empty calories. However, they are less harsh on your blood glucose levels than refined sugar and also may offer some healthful properties such as antibotics (specifically in honey) and zinc (specifically in maple syrup). You can also take into account that typically natural sweeteners are sweeter than sugar so you can use less. This helps save in calories!
My reason for choosing natural sweeteners is simply because I think they taste better.

This recipe was inspired from a cook book that  commemorated a similar cupcake to a region in France. The base is a super moist honey cupcake with a creamy blueberry goat cheese frosting.
If you don't have blueberry goat cheese you can substitute plain goat cheese or even cream cheese if you like then add some fresh or dried blueberries in (my goat cheese had dried blueberries).