Thursday, July 22, 2010

Vegan Chai Latte Cupcakes

Expectation: That it's impossible to bake anything that tastes good without butter...or eggs...or milk.

Winner: Vegan Chai Latte Cupcakes


I had never intended to attempt a vegan baked good, but my mom called with a challenge: she needed something to bring to a bridal shower for a vegan, so why not try something that would also work for the blog? My initial research turned up a bunch of recipes using margarine instead of butter, or weird egg substitutes, which, as you know from my food ideals, is not acceptable for this blog. And then I found The Post Punk Kitchen, a vegan cooking show and website, with some great information and recipes that use whole, natural ingredients.

The recipe that caught my eye was for Chai Latte Cupcakes. Although the original recipe has no whole grains, it had gotten great reviews and sounded perfect for the shower. I decided to substitute half of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat pastry flour, which works well in cakes.

These cupcakes are amazing! The whole wheat pastry flour fits right in, and any hint of whole wheat is completely masked by the strong spicy flavor. The texture is moist and chewier than most cupcakes (due to the yogurt replacing the eggs), which I actually like better, but they are still light, with a sugary crunch on top. I wish the recipe made more (it only makes 12), as I only got to taste half of one cupcake! I will definitely make a whole batch for myself sometime.

Nutrition facts for one cupcake:
165 calories
5g fat
27g carbohydrate
1.5g fiber
GI 66
GL 18

About the grain:

Whole Wheat Pastry Flour comes from the same grain as regular whole wheat flour, but is made from a softer variety and milled to a finer texture. It has a higher starch content, but is lower in gluten and protein. The end product is lighter and more tender than that of regular whole wheat flour. Whole wheat pastry flour can be found at most health food grocery stores (I found it at Whole Foods).

No comments:

Post a Comment