you can see the un-frosted pieces, the making of the board, and the wonderful little markers for distinguishing which piece is which. you cannot, however, see the finished set since i forgot the board at home.
the cupcakes were a huge hit anyway - Vegan Chocolate Cherry Almond Cupcakes w/Cherry Almond Frosting and Strawberry Lime Cupcakes w/Strawberry Frosting. next time, the bear & flower armies will totally face off! (though maybe i will learn to play chess before then...)
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup soy milk
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup canola oil
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder, Dutch-processed or regular
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 can Bing cherries, diced (make sure to find a brand that does not contain added sugar)
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line a muffin pan with paper or foil 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, vanilla extract, and other extract, if using, to the soy milk mixture and beat until 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 OK).
- Fold in cherries.
- Pour into liners, filling 3/4 of the way. Bake 17 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely.
INGREDIENTS
- 1/2 cup Earth Balance
- 1/2 cup almond butter
- 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted if clumpy
- 2 teaspoons cherry juice, from canned cherries
- 2 teaspoons kirsch
- 2 spoons chopped cherries
- Beat the margarine and almond butter together until well combined and fluffy. Add the sugar and beat for about 3 more minutes. Note: start with a smaller amount of sugar and add more as necessary to get the consistency you desire. Once sufficiently firm, add in another 1/4 cup or so of sugar, to offset the liquid you will add in.
- Add the cherry juice and kirsch, and beat for another 5 to 7 minutes until fluffy. Fold in cherries.
This recipe should make about 24 cupcakes
Ingredients
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp limeade concentrate
- 3 eggs
- 3/4 cup plain yogurt
- 1/4 cup frozen strawberries, thawed, tossed with a bit of sugar to juice, then chopped
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line a muffin pan with paper or foil liners.
- Mix together the flour, salt, baking soda and powder and set aside.
- In a medium sized bowl, cream the butter until smooth then add the sugar and cream together.
- Once the butter and sugar are creamed add in the limeade concentrate.
- Mix in one egg at a time
- Add in flour mixture 1/3 at a time. When flour is thoroughly mixed, mix in the yogurt.
- Fold in strawberries and a smidge of their juice.
Strawberry Buttercream
Ingredients
- 1 pound box (about 3-3/4 cups) powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1/4 cup frozen strawberries, thawed, tossed with a bit of sugar to juice, then chopped
Instructions
Cream butter until light and fluffy. Add in sugar and mix until combined. Add strawberries and juice until well combined.it was over 90 degrees out, so i opted to keep the frosting on ice until folks were ready to eat the cupcakes. bonus - less effort for me, more choice in whether folks wanted a lot or a little frosting!
