Vegan with a Vengeance

shall not be mentioned. They take a long time, there are many steps, but they are so worth it. Black cocoa powder is hard to find, but you need it to get the exact right flavor and color. If you can’t find it, you can sub Dutch-processed cocoa, or don’t sweat it, the cupcakes are still damn good. Don’t skip the sifting step; the cocoa tends to clump up, and no one likes clumps. The recipe doubles really well, so go ahead and make a double batch.
    1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
    Â¼ cup cocoa powder
    3 tablespoons black cocoa powder
    1 teaspoon baking powder
    Â½ teaspoon baking soda
    Â¼ teaspoon salt
    1 cup plain rice or soy milk
    Â¼ cup canola oil
    Â½ cup pure maple syrup
    Â¼ cup sugar
    1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
    1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a twelve-muffin tin with paper liners, spray the liners with canola cooking spray.
    In a medium-size mixing bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powders, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a large mixing bowl combine the rice milk, oil, maple syrup, sugar, vinegar, and vanilla, and beat at medium speed with an electric handheld mixer for a good 2 minutes. Add the dry ingredients to the wet in two batches, mixing as you go. Beat for about a minute more.
    Use a wet ice-cream scoop to fill the cupcake liner three-quarters full. Bake for about 28 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack. Time to make the Fluffy White Icing.

Fluffy White Icing
    Â¼ cup nonhydrogenated margarine
    Â½ cup nonhydrogenated shortening
    Â¾ cup superfine (or caster) sugar
    Â¼ cup plain soy milk powder (don’t use low-fat, it has a “taste”)
    2 teaspoons vanilla extract (get the highest quality you can; the kind that’s thick and syrupy tastes best)
    Pinch salt
    In a medium-size mixing bowl, beat together the margarine and shortening with an electric handheld mixer on medium speed until well combined. Add the sugar and soy milk powder and beat for a good 10 minutes until very fluffy. Add vanilla extract and a pinch of salt, and beat for another minute. You may want to do a little taste test and add a little more sugar if needed. On to the Ganache:
Chocolate Ganache Icing
    â…“ cup soy milk
    4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
    2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
    In a small saucepan, scorch the soy milk (bring it to a boil), then lower the heat to a simmer and add the chocolate and maple syrup. Mix with a heatproof spatula for about 30 seconds. Turn the heat off, and continue stirring until the chocolate is fully melted and the icing is smooth. Next, make the icing for the squigglies:
Royal Icing for the Squigglies
    2 cups confectioners’ sugar
    2 tablespoons soy milk powder
    2 tablespoons water
    Sift the sugar into a mixing bowl. Add the soy milk powder. Add 1 tablespoon of the water and stir, then add the rest of the water a little bit at a time until you reach a consistency slightly more solid than toothpaste. The icing should not be drippy at all; if it is add a little more confectioners’ sugar.

    Assemble the cupcakes:
    You will need two cake decorators’ bags, one fitted with a small round tip (the kind you use for writing) and one fitted with a large star-shaped or round tip.
    Fill the large-tipped one with Fluffy White Icing; fill the writing one with Royal Icing.
    Poke a hole in the center of each cupcake, using your pinkie. Cram the tip of the bag with the Fluffy White Icing into the hole and squeeze to get as much icing into the center as you can, slowly drawing out the bag, until the icing fills to the top of the hole.
    Wipe the excess icing off the top of the cupcake with a napkin or (if you’re me) your finger.
    Dip the top of each cupcake into the Chocolate Ganache Icing. Tilt the pan to add more depth to the icing for easier cupcake coating. Place all the cupcakes on a cutting board, make some room in your fridge, and put the cupcakes in there to set the ganache, about 10 minutes.
    Use these 10 minutes to practice your squigglies for the tops. I use my left hand to steady my writing hand by holding onto my right wrist. Practice a bit and see what works for you.
    Remove the cupcakes from the fridge and make your squiggles on the top of the ganache. Return to the fridge to set. I like to keep the cupcakes in there till I’m ready to serve them.

No-Bake Black Bottom-Peanut Butter Silk Pie
    SERVES 8
    Â 
    Peanut butter and