Raw Cupcakes

As I mentioned yesterday, I attempted my first batch of raw cupcakes from the recently released Rawdorable cupcake ebook. It wasn't my first experience making raw desserts, but as a die-hard cake lover, I was wondered if I would love them like I do cake.

Luckily for me, I have years of veganism to keep me from acting like a child about analogues. I don't eat a lot of fake meats or cheeses, but when I do, I know better than to expect it to be exactly the same as its animal-based counterpart. It is, afterall, a different substance. One time I did have Vegan General Tso's Chicken from Whole Foods and it was so chicken-like that it freaked me out.

But people often smugly tell me, through mouthfuls of food, that the vegan dish is delicious, but that they can tell the difference. So you're telling me after however many years eating a Standard American Diet, you can actually tell the difference between ricotta cheese and cashew ricotta? You don't get a medal for that.

Again, it's a different substance - different and better. It is better for you, better for the animals, and better for the planet. See, I can also tell the difference. And you love it. And I have learned to love things for what they are, not for what they're supposed to be similar to or what they replace.

And I love raw cupcakes. I wasn't dissapointed b/c I knew they weren't going to taste like flour, sugar, and fats baked in an oven. The texture of the cake portion was different but sweet and satisfying and frosting is frosting. Even after halving the recipe, I have way more than I needed, so it's happily waiting in the freezer for the next batch.

I don't have a lot to say about the actual making process. My food processor got a work out. But I do have some terrible pictures taken on my phone!



Here is the "batter." It was pretty delicious on its own and I would have had no problem eating all of it sans frosting, but then when is that ever actually a good idea?






Here are my cupcakes pressed into ramekins, awaiting frosting. I need to get some of those cute silicone cups for future endeavors.









And here is the frosting that's so worth waiting for. I wish I could tell you why I didn't think to take pictures of it chilling, beautifully smooth, in pyrex.



And finally here are my finished cupcakes! I was blown away by how well they turned out. The frosting is decadent and the cakes are sweet with a dliehgtful texture. I'm already looking forward to making more.