Introduction: Vegan St. Patrick's Day Cupcakes

By pauladupont.com
About: I knit and make cute things. I was featured in the Best of Instructables, Vol. 1 book for Wild Things stuffed animal headphones. I was hoping that would bring more fame than it did.

We’ve been in our new house almost 6 months, and as we’re getting settled, we’re starting to entertain more. Our neighborhood has a festival right around St. Patrick’s Day every year, and I wanted to make something special for our friends dropping by on their way out to the festival. I found a recipe for Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes that looked AMAZING, and this is my go at veganizing this masterpiece.

Vegan St. Patrick’s Day cupcakes

Guinness Cupcakes
1 vegan chocolate cake recipe (I love the Joy of Vegan Baking chocolate cake recipe, but you can use any or a vegan boxed cake mix)
1 3.9 oz. package chocolate instant pudding
½ c. Guinness Extra Stout (the other Guinness varieties aren’t vegan)
½ c. oil
½ c. water
Ener-G Egg Replacer prepared, equal to 4 eggs

Mix the dry ingredients for the chocolate cake recipe. (Do not add the recipe’s moist/liquid ingredients!) Set aside.

Separately prepare the Ener-G Egg Replacer, equivalent to 4 eggs. I use a mini food processor/blender to get it good and frothy, but a smaller whisk will work, too.

Beat together the pudding mix, Guinness Extra Stout, oil, water, and Ener-G. Slowly add the dry ingredients until incorporated. (If you’d like a Stoutier flavor, substitute the ½ c. of water with an additional ½ c. of Guinness Extra Stout.) Don’t over mix.

Pour into cupcake tins and bake your vegan St. Patrick’s Day cupcakes according to recipe or package instructions.

Bailey’s Irish Cream Filling
1½ cups vegan heavy cream
½ cup vegan Bailey’s Irish Cream
Sugar to taste

You’ll need to prepare a couple of vegan substitutes for the filling:

Vegan Bailey’s Irish Cream
¾ c. (Irish) whiskey
1 pint hazelnut vegan creamer (or plain vegan creamer with 1 teaspoon almond or hazelnut extract)
3 Tbsp. Hershey’s canned chocolate syrup

Combine all ingredients. (Shaking is recommended.)

Vegan Heavy Cream
¾ block silken tofu (extra firm)
¾ c. soy milk

Blend in food processor or blender until fully combined and there are no lumps.

Once you’ve finished all that, whip the vegan heavy cream, the vegan Bailey’s Irish cream, and sugar together. (If they don't seem to be coming together, try adding butter substitute to thicken.)

When the vegan St. Patrick’s Day cupcakes have cooled, prepare them using the cone method described here and fill with Bailey’s filling.

Whiskey Frosting
8 Tbsp. vegan butter substitute, softened
3 c. powdered sugar
¼ c. whiskey

Beat the butter substitute until smooth. Slowly incorporate the powdered sugar. Mix in whiskey. Do not over beat.

Top off the filled vegan St. Patrick’s Day cupcakes with the whiskey frosting!