Babycakes Vanilla Cupcakes

So I checked out the Babycakes cookbook at the library last year when I started eating this way. I read through the recipes and was intrigued but there were too many ingredients that I would have to go out and buy specifically for vegan, gluten-free baking. I am not GF, but since the cookbook is and I wanted to follow the recipes exactly, that's what I was for this recipe.

Anyway, too many special ingredients it was overwhelming to me so I returned it without making anything. Fast forward to one year later, and most of the the ingredients are all normal stuff to me now.  If you are just starting out on your plant-food journey, I wouldn't recommend attempting these yet. But I wanted to post this so you know you don't have to give up things like cupcakes! Of course you shouldn't be eating them every day or anything, but hey, one's sweet tooth must still be satisfied, right? I didn't make the frosting because I didn't have all the ingredients but they were delish on their own.

My kids ate what they used to eat of SAD (standard American diet) cupcakes--about half the cupcake. Had I made the frosting, they would have probably licked it all off, nibbled at the cupcake, and left the table. We ate a few and froze the rest for a future party or get-together for which I can thaw and make the frosting and experience the whole effect.

Oh just so you know, this bakery's cupcakes won New York Magazine's Best Cupcake award. And that's including ALL NYC cupcakes, not just vegan and GF. Cool huh?

I did a quick google search and couldn't find this exact recipe to be able to post here, but I did find the Chocolate cupcakes. The vanilla is very similar. I used my wheat grinder to grind garbanzo beans for the flour.

The finished cupcake was moist and springy, with a lovely vanilla-lemon flavor. My husband didn't know there was lemon zest in it and was surprised at the flavor, expecting more of a vanilla flavor. I thought the lemon lent a more sophisticated flavor. The recipe made more batter than what fit into my 24 muffin tins, so I made 3 or 4 extra.

Try this one out when you feel ready to take on some not so traditional non-SAD ingredients. You can totally do it!