Recipe for vegan chocolate-orange cupcakes

This recipe is by Sara Semelka, city reporter for the Columbia Daily Tribune.

Orange Butter-cream Frosting

¼ cup shortening

¼ cup margarine

2 cups confectioners’ sugar

2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 capful orange extract, more if you want a stronger orange taste

Orange zest and pomegranate seeds as garnish

Cream together the shortening and margarine. Add the confectioners’ sugar in ½-cup additions, adding a splash of orange juice each time. Between additions, beat with a hand-held mixer on medium speed. Add extracts and beat for another three to five minutes, until frosting is creamy, light and smooth. Wrap tightly with plastic until ready to use. Store in refrigerator if not using immediately. Frost cooled cupcakes. Sprinkle orange zest over each frosted cupcake, and top each with 3 to 5 pomegranate seeds.

— Adapted from “Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World” by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero, Marlow, 2006.

Your Basic Chocolate Cupcake

1 cup soy milk

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

¾ cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup canola oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 to 1½ teaspoons orange extract, depending on how strong you like the orange flavor

1 cup all purpose flour

1/3 cup cocoa powder, Dutch-processed or regular

¾ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin pan with paper or foil liners. Whisk together the soy milk and vinegar in a large bowl. Set aside for a few minutes to curdle. Add the sugar, oil and extracts 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 the wet ingredients. Beat until no large lumps remain (small lumps are OK). Pour into liners, filling them three-quarters of the way. Bake 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely. While cupcakes are baking, make the frosting.

Note: This recipe can be doubled for office parties. Pomegranates are available now in local grocery stores.

Makes: 12 cupcakes