failing in the kitchen....

I have been having the worst luck baking anything for over a month now. I had some peanut butter cookies turn out just fine and a couple tarts work, but the pie I made, a cake, and now a second batch of cupcakes.... Not work... The pie was fine, just needed to bake longer but it was so late I just decided to not care and take it out... The cake needed another 7min or so in the oven too, but I'm having a hard time getting used to this vegan baking thing and thought it was done. Tasted okay though...

These cupcakes though........ I am soooo full of fail!! I tried to recreate the epic mocha cupcakes but used different milk because I didn't have any of the coffee milk at the time an I don' know what happened but they did not turn out well.

Today trying to edit the mocha recipe just a bit to just make regular chocolate cupcakes instead... I used vanilla soymilk instead of the coffee and didn't add in the extra coffee.... Oh and I used all shortening instead of half butter, half shortening.... Should those small changes really make THAT big of a difference??? In regular baking, no it wouldn't matter and that should be fine, but for whatever reason you take out the egg factor and try and make a slight change and it just doesn't work as well.... WHY???

I have friends that make perfect vegan cupcakes every time, they try out new recipes and they work... I'm seriously feeling extremely discouraged when it comes to baking?!

I've been baking my entire life, I've always been really good at it... it's in my blood, but now.. After more then a month and a ton of wasted ingredients later... I'm about ready to throw in the towel and only make cookies and tarts forever....... Which is fail because cookies are my least favorite thing to bake, but people LOVE them....

On a brighter note... When it comes to cooking dinner and non dessert foods I seem to be doing just fine... So yay for that.... :)

I think it might be time to break down and find a cookbook to start using.... Not something I'm used to, but I can't keep wasting so much money on ingredients for things that don't turn out, and really I need to expand on dinner foods too........... *sigh*

Okay.... done for today.... cupcakes need to come out of the oven... Hopefully I can make them work so I don't have to make more tonight.

I just realized that I didn't post at all in May... I have been BUSY!! Moving, concerts, work and lots in between! That doesn't mean I haven't been cooking though!! So since I don't have a lot of time here are some pics of some super yummy things I've been eating lately!

Cherry Lime Cupcakes with Lime Cream Cheese frosting!
They even had a cherry baked inside!


Epic Lime Cheesecake for Logan's birthday!


A little apple tart w/a touch of raspberry in it


A Raspberry/Peach Pie w/Dinosaurs & a tart of the same flavor w/feet!




First time I've ever made stir fry! It was awesome! Broccoli, onions, mushrooms, pineapple and tofu! It was also my first time ever cooking my own tofu!


And last, but not least... My very first homemade vegan pizza! Garlic pizza dough from scratch, homemade sauce and Daiya cheese!! :D It was super yum!!

Epic Mocha Cupcakes!! (vegan!)

FINALLY a blog post from me! I've been moving and had a lot going on and my poor blog has been neglected! That doesn't mean I haven't been making some great food in the mean time!

For over month I just kept thinking and thinking about how I could turn my vegan white cake recipe in to a chocolate one.... Then a friend gave me the brilliant idea of mocha cupcakes! I thought and thought and finally one night at like 2am my brain worked out these cupcakes.... turns out they rock! As far as the coffee part goes, I'm not allowed to have it, so I don't often have it in my house, but was given some awesome coffee milk from a friend that I wanted to try and also had some instant coffee packets that I'd been given from my birthday!

The basic recipe is pretty much the same as the white cake, but I'll post it fresh here w/changes included



Epic Mocha Cupcakes

1 cup white sugarhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
1/4 cup vegan margarine
1/4c vegetable shortening(CRISCO)
2TBS flax + 4tbs water
1TBS vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder(slightly heaping)
1/2c chocolate fudge instant pudding mix
1 packet instant coffee mixed w/just enough water to dissolve it.
1c Pearl brand coffee soymilk


Beat together sugar, margarine and Crisco until smooth. Then add flax/water mixture and vanilla. Add your baking powder and flour, then pudding mix. Mix well then slowly add milk. Mix until smooth. Will be kind of thick, it's okay... they will fluff up and bake nicely.

Pour in to lined baking cups.
Bake 350 for 30-40min

For frosting I just used a basic frosting recipe... powdered sugar, shortening, and vanilla and milk....

I melted down some semi-sweet chocolate chips with a tiny bit of milk in them to keep it smooth and mixed it in to the already mixed frosting, added another packet of instant coffee and called it great! ;)