Who Knew Cupcakes Could be "Kind"?

If you were born a child of the 80's like myself, chances are pretty good that the 1995 film Clueless served as the basis for the subsequent 10 years of your life. Not only did I wear thigh stocking socks with chunky Mary Janes and a pleated skirt (although I ended up looking more like this than this...ages 11-14 were not kind to me), but it was also the impetus of my furry pen obsession and penchant for judging people. All in all, I am who I am today thanks in no small part to Clueless. 

"Sex. Clothes. Popularity. Is there a problem here?"
These are truly the issues of our generation.

Much of the fanfare of this cult classic came from the instant likability of the movie's heroine, Cher Hororitz, played by relative newcomer, Alicia Silverstone. Her long, blond locks and crooked smile won over a generation of "Teen Bop" readers. She was the Carrie Bradshaw of our time, let's face it!!!

But then, as quickly as she appeared in our lives, she was gone, never to be heard from again (and no, Excess Baggage and Batman & Robin DON'T count).

That is, until she became a vegan. She started showing up on PETA billboards, Funny or Die videos, and even Oprah! It was like you couldn't get away from her or her belief system! Suddenly, what was once an honorable existence of self-involvement, overpriced designer jeans, and flip phones became one of veganism and worse...kindness.

I guess it should have come as no surprise that she would eventually come out with a cookbook. So what's Chef Alicia whipping up these days? How about a cauliflower bisque, braised daikon, and raspberry tiramisu cupcakes.

Wait, what was that last one?? Yeah, Alicia has found an even kinder way to make cupcakes, and frankly, they don't look half bad:

 

Photo via The Kind Life

She got the recipe from Chef Chloe, the first vegan chef to win the Food Network's shiteous show Cupcake Wars. Despite being completely free of any animal byproducts or curelty (you know, the good stuff), it does look pretty dang delicious.*

*I'm pretty sure you could sub out any vegan ingredients for the real thing btw.

Raspberry Tiramisu Cupcakes
Recipe via The Kind Life

Ingredients

Cupcakes
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup coconut milk, non-dairy milk, or water
1/2 cup canola oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbs apple cider vinegar

Soaking Liquid
1/3 cup amaretto
1 tbs instant espresso powder

Raspberry Sauce
1 cup raspberries (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup agave or sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon juice
1/8 tsp cinnamon
dash of salt

Frosting
1 tbs instant espresso powder (Chloe recommends Medaglia D'Oro brand)
2 tbs amaretto liquor
1 tbs pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup refined coconut oil (Chloe recommends Spectrum Organics brand)
4 cups organic confectioners sugar
2 tbs water

Garnish
12 raspberries
12 small mint leaves
1/2 cup raw cacao nibs or ground bittersweet chocolate

Steps

Cupcakes

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Sift or whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt into a bowl
3. In a separate bowl, mix the  coconut milk, oil, vanilla, and vinegar
4. Combine the wet and dry mixtures and whisk until thoroughly mixed
5. Distribute batter into lined cupcake baking pan, and bake for 15-20 minutes

Soaking Liquid
1. Combine amaretto and espresso powder and set aside

Raspberry Sauce
1. In a small saucepan, cook raspberries and agave on medium heat on raspberries wilt down.
2. Let simmer on low for 5 minutes until the mixture becomes a pourable consistency.
3. Remove pot from heat and mix in vanilla, lemon juice, cinnamon, and salt.
4. Taste and adjust sweetness by adding moe agave if necessary.
5. Let cool in refrigerator

Frosting
1. Combine espresso powder, amaretto, and vanilla in small bowl and mix or swirl bowl until espresso powder has dissolved (about 1 minute)
2. Beat coconut oil in large bowl with an electric mixer for about 1 minute
3. Add confectioner's sugar and espresso mixture
4. Add 1 tbs of water at a time until desired buttercream consistency is achieved.
5. Beat on high for about 5 minutes, scraping down the sides with a spatula often
6. Pipe or frost with a knife

Assembly
1. Using a spoon, cut out a small hole from the top of each cupcake (scoop out about 1 tbs of cake)
2. In the hole of the cupcake, layer approximately 1 tsp of soaking liquid, 1 tbs of raspberry sauce, 2 tsp of cacao, and piped frosting on top
3. Garnish with a raspberry and mint leaf