Tuxedo Cupcakes with Sprinkles on Top

 
Tuxedo Cupcakes with Sprinkles on Top
vegan, makes 12 frosted cupcakes

dry:
1 cup all purpose flour***
1/2 cup sugar + 1 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 Tbsp vital wheat gluten*
3 Tbsp cocoa powder

wet:
12 ounces silken tofu
2 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
3 Tbsp canned pumpkin puree**

Frosting:
4 Tbsp coconut oil, softened
1/2 real vanilla bean, seeds scooped (or 1/4 tsp extract) (room temperature)
8 ounces vegan cream cheese
1/2 cup organic powdered sugar, sifted

* You could substitute the vital wheat gluten with ground flax seeds
** You could substitute the pumpkin puree with mashed banana or applesauce
*** White flour will make the fluffiest, lightest cupcake, however any flour could be used for a denser texture. GF flour is also an option too.
(Substitutions have not been tested and will alter the outcome a bit)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 and add liner to muffin tin or grease well.
2. Combine all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Stir and set aside.
3. Add all wet ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth and whipped. This helps smooth out the silken tofu.
4. Pour the wet into the dry and using a beater, whip the batter until silky and chocolate-y.
5. Fill tins with batter and place in oven. Bake at 400 for ten minutes and reduce heat to 350 for another 8-10 minutes.
6. Pull cupcakes from oven and set aside to fully cool.
7. When the cupcakes are fully cooled and ready to frost, you can start your frosting. Using a hand beater, blend the cream cheese with the vanilla and coconut oil. You want to make sure that the cream cheese is at room temperature and not chilled otherwise it will harden the coconut oil upon blending. Last, bend in the powdered sugar until smooth and fluffy. You will probably want to place your frosting in the freezer for a few minutes to help it firm up a bit for frosting.
8. Spoon frosting into a pastry bag and apply frosting using a decorating tip. Or you could apply using a spoon if needed too. Add sprinkles on top. Serve cupcakes right after frosting for best flavor and texture. They will lose some fluffiness if you place them in the fridge too long. Cupcakes are usually best same day. leftover can be stored in the fridge for 1-2 days.