Cinnamon Maple Heaven

Three tries…that’s what it took to get these cupcakes working…three tries.

The first Saturday of the month is a great day in our house.  The local Home Depot does a kids building workshop on the first Saturday of the month, and Aaron, being the great husband and dad that he is, always takes the kids to build so that I can have a bit of quiet time to myself in the house.  It’s my one time a month that I’m guaranteed to a home…alone!!!  Really, the workshop only takes about 45 minutes, but Aaron will often take the kids to lunch or peruse the shelves of Home Depot (I’m sure they much rather prefer the lunch option).  While this has worked out to be part of my “quiet” time, it also works out to be my baking alone time.

Don’t get me wrong—I love to bake with the kids, teaching them how to measure and pour, how to mix and blend, how to watch with anticipation as their creation turns into something scrumptious.  But sometimes, it’s just nice to bake alone…sometimes.

So, that leads me to these cupcakes…and the three batches I went through.  I made my first batch, and they actually weren’t too bad.  In fact, Aaron and the kids walked in the door right as I was popping them out of the muffin tin.  Of course, I need someone(s) to be my tasters, so they all dove right in.  I think that they went through 10 cupcakes in no more than 5 minutes.  Either that first batch didn’t really need much tinkering afterall, or they were starved!  While the kids enjoyed them, I thought they had too much spice in them and there was this pesky little dip in the middle…no nice rounded tops.

So, on to batch number two.  I think that my picture speaks for itself (I say with chagrin).

I mean really…what?????  They started out promising…smelled right, pretty little mounds as they baked, and then SPLAT…like 12 mini freaking volcanoes in my oven!  (soooo glad we went with the double oven feature…and soooo glad that we made the deal a long time ago that if one of us cooks, the other one cleans…hee hee hee).

My third and final batch looked much like my first…pesky little dip in the middle…but Aaron said they far outweigh the first batch in taste.  He actually did a side by side comparison!  Now there’s a taste-tester!  We figured that in the end, the cupcakes would be covered in frosting, so no one would know about the dip.  🙂  I ended up taking the cupcakes to girls night, and I think they were a hit…or maybe it was the margaritas talking?  🙂

Cinnamon Maple Cupcake

1 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

6 tbsp unsalted vegan butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp maple syrup

2 Ener-G Egg replacer eggs (3 tsp mixed into 6 TBSP warm water)

1/2 cup almond milk

1 tsp vanilla

Brown Sugar Maple Syrup:

6 tsp water

3 tsp maple syrup

4 tsp light brown sugar

Cinnamon Maple Syrup Buttercream

2 sticks Earth Balance butter (vegan butter)

3 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

¼ cup maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla

2-4 TBSP almond milk

Heat the oven to 350 and position the racks toward the center. Line pans with cupcake papers.

Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a bowl and gently mix to combine. Set aside.

Cream the butter with the sugar, beating until light and fluffy.  Add the Ener-G eggs one at a time, mixing to combine, then add the vanilla.

Add the flour mix and the almond milk to the sugar mixt, alternating between adding the flour mix and the almond milk, beginning and ending with the flour mix.  Mix until combined.

Divide the batter between the 12 lined cupcake tins and bake for 20-24 minutes.

While the cupcakes are baking, make your Brown Sugar Maple Syrup.

Combine all of the ingredients for the syrup in a small saucepan and place over low heat. Heat the syrup gently just until the sugar melts so that no little grains remain and the syrup is clear.

Remove the cupcakes from the oven and immediately dip the top of each cupcake into the syrup. Place the cupcakes onto a wire rack and set aside to cool completely.

While the cupcakes are cooling, prepare the Cinnamon Maple Buttercream.  Place the butter in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth and lighter in color.

Add two cups of powder sugar, one cup at a time.  Add 1-2 TBSP of almond milk, the maple syrup and the vanilla and mix until all of the ingredients are fully combined.

Add the final third cup of powdered sugar and the cinnamon and beat for 3-5 minutes, until your frosting is lighter in color and smooth and creamy.  Add additional almond mild, a little at a time, to thin the frosting, if needed.

Frost away!