Vegan/ gluten free red velvet cupcakes

It's Rose's birthday today and even though she doesn't usually want anyone to make a fuss, we are having a bday party at work for her. My contributation will be vegan red velvet cupcakes. 

Rose is a vegetarian, not a vegan, but I hope she enjoys these cupcakes. :-)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup Non Dairy Milk (I used almond milk)
• 1 teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 1/4 cups All Purpose Flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons Cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1/3 cup Oil
• 2 tablespoons Red Food Coloring (make sure that it's vegan)
• 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• 1/4 teaspoon Almond Extract

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven at 350F/180C for 15 minutes. Line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners and grease it lightly.
2. In a medium size bowl, mix together the milk and vinegar allowing it to curdle. This will take about 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile in a large bowl sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir in the sugar too.
4. Once the milk has curdled, stir in the oil, food color and the extracts. Whisk it well to combine.
5. Make a well in the dry ingredients and slowly add the wet ingredients to it, stirring it until all the ingredients come together. Small lumps are okay. Take care to see that you do not over mix it otherwise you will not get fluffy cupcakes.
6. Fill each muffin tin 3/4ths full of the batter.
7. Bake it for about 16-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cupcake comes out clean or with very little crumbs is okay too. Mine were done after 17 minutes.
8. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let it remain there for 5 minutes. After that remove the cupcakes from the pan and let it cool completely before you can frost it.

For icing I had used the cream cheese frosting from my last recipe, but if you want a nice vegan icing here's one to whip up:

• 1 cup Vegetable Shortening
• 1 teaspoon Wilton's Clear Vanilla Extract
• 1 teaspoon Wilton's No Color Butter Flavor (Optional)
• 4 cups Confectioner's Icing Sugar
• a pinch Salt (optional)
• Approx 2 tablespoons Milk/Water (As Required

Combine wet ingredients until fluffy and then slowly add sugar one cup at a time. Beat after each addition. Blend until creamy.

This recipe us from my fav eggless recipe site, on egglescooking.com

I didn't add the food coloring, because I didn't have vegan food coloring....not because I forgot.... Right, that's why.

It's almost time to leave for work and I don't really have time to make a from scratch icing, so I looked and I found I have left over cream cheese frosting. The great thing about baking so much is that I usually have left over frosting. I know it spoils the whole vegan effect, but I'm in a hurry and if knew any vegans at work.... I'd leave a cupcake unfrosted for them.

:-)