UPDATE: I want to thank everyone who came out for the Cupcakes & Beer party on Saturday!  You guys were so awesome, and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the support.  It was such a fun night, even with all the drama that went down outside…  Looks like Hollywood’s craziness is moving West!

When I found out I was going to be on Cupcake Wars, I decided that regardless of the outcome I wanted to have a big cupcake-laden celebration so that all my friends (vegan and non) would have a chance to try the cupcakes from the show.

I’ve been working with vegan blogger extraordinaire Quarrygirl to plan the event, and we figured that you can’t have really a party without some libations on hand.  So we teamed up with Los Angeles Vegan Drinks to bring you guys a Vegan Cupcakes and Beer Party at the Surly Goat!

The party will be Saturday April 16th from 6:00-9:30 (or until we run out!).  The Surly Goat is located at 7929 Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood.  I’ll have the following flavors on hand for sale…

Coconut Kiwi with Lemon Curd Filling and Fluffy Coconut Frosting

Midnight Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup

Jelly Donut and Coffee Cupcake

Grasshopper Cupcake with Creme de Menthe Frosting and Creme de Cacao Whip

I’m really excited to hang out and enjoy some drinks while sharing these new cupcakes flavors with you guys.  If you plan to attend, please make sure to rsvp so I’ll have an idea of how many cupcakes to bring with me.  I hope to see you there!

Here it is guys, the final cupcake I would have made had I advanced to Round 2 of Cupcake Wars – a Grasshopper Cupcake!  This one is a light cocoa mint cake topped with Creme de Menthe frosting, Creme de Cacao whip and a maraschino cherry on top.

When Michelle and I were waiting to hear the outcome of Round 1 we starting brainstorming everything we might do for Round 2, and going off the idea of a two drink minimum (with coffee being the first drink), we started trying to think of other drink ideas that would make for a tasty cupcake.

Since the episode centered around the 50th anniversary of the Ice House comedy club, we wanted to use a retro drink that might have been popular around the time the club openend, and the grasshopper seemed like a nice throw-back.  Grasshopper pie was also one of my favorites when I was little, so I’m particularly partial to this flavor.

With St. Patrick’s Day right around this corner, you could easily make this into a Shamrock Cupcake.  Just use the Creme de Cacao frosting as a filling (or omit it), and only top this with the Creme de Menthe frosting.  You could even get crazy and pipe shamrocks on top!

Just a reminder that you can order this and all the other cupcakes I’ve show  you from C’est la V Bakeshop, and these flavors are also available as full-sized cakes!

Grasshopper Cupcake
Yield: 12 cupcakes

1 cup non-dairy milk
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup organic evaporated cane juice
1/3 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 peppermint extract
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons organic unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Crème de Menthe Frosting, recipe follows
Crème de Cacao Frosting, recipe follows
Mint leaves, for garnish
Maraschino Cherries, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cupcake pan with 12 liners.

In a medium sized non-reactive bowl, whisk the vinegar into the non-dairy milk, and set the mixture aside to curdle.

In a small bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set the mixture aside.

Whisk the sugar, oil, and vanilla and mint extracts into the non-dairy milk mixture. Add the flour mixture, and stir just until combined.

Divide the batter into 12 muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 full.

Bake the cupcakes for 15 to 18 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cupcakes completely.

Crème de Menthe / Crème de Cacao Frosting:

5 ounces vegan shortening, room temperature (recommended: Earth Balance)
5 ounces vegan margarine (recommended: Earth Balance)
12 ounces powdered sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon non-dairy milk
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Crème de Menthe
1 tablespoon Crème de Cacao

In an electric stand mixer or with a had mixer, beat the shortening until it’s creamy. Add the margarine, and whip it into the shortening. Stop the machine, and scrape the sides of the bowl.

With the mixer on low, slowly add the powdered sugar and the non-dairy milk. Once it’s incorporated, stop the machine and scrape the sides of the bowl again. Whip the frosting on high for several minutes until it’s very fluffy.

Remove a third of the frosting and add the Crème de Cacao. Mix to incorporate the liquor.

Add the Crème de Menthe to the remaining two-thirds of the frosting.  (If you want a darker frosting you could add some green food coloring.)

To assemble the cupcakes, fill a pasty bag fitted with a small star shaped tip with the Crème de Cacao frosting. Spread the Crème de Menthe frosting on the cupcake, and then pipe a small star of the Crème de Cacao frosting on top of that to mimic a whipped cream garnish. Top each with a maraschino cherry.

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 18 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: N/A
Ease of Preparation: Intermediate

Moving right along through the cupcakes I didn’t get a chance to show you on Cupcake Wars, here’s the next Round 2 flavor I would have made – a Jelly Donut and Coffee Cupcake.  I revamped my Sugar Donut Muffin into a cupcake, filled it with an organic mixed berry conserve, and topped it off with espresso frosting, a berry conserve drizzle and some coffee beans.

The inspiration for this one came from the idea that comics need coffee (or other aids… ahem) to stay awake and bring the funny.  And what goes better with coffee than donuts?  I thought I’d bring the two together in one tasty cupcake that I think would satisfy the many comedians in my life.

It was actually kind of ironic that the cupcakes for the episode were to inspired by the comedy world as I’ve been performing improv comedy for about twelve years or so.  I trained in Chicago at Improv Olympic, Second City and The Annoyance theatres, and I perform here in L.A. with my beloved team, King Ten.

While improv is very different from stand-up comedy, they both share a similar “comedy club culture” that I’m very familiar with.  Isn’t irony fun?  If you’re in the LA area you can come by to see King Ten perform Wednesday nights at 10:30.  Just be sure to have one of these cupcakes first so you’ll be wide awake for the show!

Jelly Donut and Coffee Cupcake
Yield: 12 cupcakes

1 cup non-dairy milk
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup organic evaporated cane juice
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups organic unbleached all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking power
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup berry flavored jam, for filling and garnish
Espresso Frosting, recipe follows
Whole Coffee Beans, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cupcake pan with 12 liners.

In a medium sized non-reactive bowl, whisk the vinegar into the non-dairy milk, and set
the mixture aside to curdle.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
Set the mixture aside.

Whisk the sugar, oil, and vanilla into the non-dairy milk mixture. Add the flour mixture,
and stir just until combined.

Divide the batter into 12 muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 full.

Bake the cupcakes for 15 to 18 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center comes
out clean. Cool the cupcakes completely.

Espresso Frosting:

5 ounces vegan shortening, room temperature (recommended: Earth Balance)
5 ounces vegan margarine (recommended: Earth Balance)
12 ounces powdered sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon non-dairy milk
1 1/2 teaspoons instant espresso powder (recommended: Medaglia D’Oro)

In an electric stand mixer or with a had mixer, beat the shortening until it’s creamy. Add
the margarine, and whip it into the shortening. Stop the machine, and scrape the sides of
the bowl.

With the mixer on low, slowly add the powdered sugar. Once it’s incorporated, stop
the machine. Warm the non-dairy milk in the microwave for 10 seconds, and dissolve

the espresso powder into the warm milk. Scrape the sides of the mixer again, and add
the espresso mixture. Slowly mix it into the frosting. Once it’s incorporated, turn the
machine on high and whip the frosting until it’s light and fluffy.

To assemble the cupcakes, scoop about 1 1/2 teaspoons of cake out of the center of each
cupcake with a melon-baller. Fill each hole with about 1 teaspoon of the jam.

Fill a pasty bag fitted with a star shaped tip with the espresso frosting. Pipe onto the
filled cupcakes. Garnish each cake with a thin drizzle of jam and several coffee beans.

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 18 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: N/A
Ease of Preparation: Intermediate

I know what you’re thinking – Another Cupcake Wars cupcake?  How?  What?  Um… Kim, you didn’t make it to Round 2…  How could you have another cupcake from the show?

Just because I got eliminated after the first round doesn’t mean I didn’t plan for Round 2!  And you can bet your sweet little cupcake lovin’ selves that I’ll be showing you guys everything I would have made had I been given the chance.  You can knock this vegan out, but you can’t keep her down!

So the inspiration for this flavor came from the idea that comedy shows are on late (hence the “midnight”), and that as a comedian you have to cater to the peanut gallery.  Ah, puns…  Black as night dark chocolate cake is filled with a dab of creamy, all-natural peanut butter and some peanut butter frosting, then topped with some cake, more pb frosting, shaved chocolate and some whole peanuts.

I have to give a shout out to Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero for their “super top secret patented Isa and Terry Cupcake Excavation Method” from their book “Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World”.  I’m not really one for crazy decorations on my cupcakes (hmmm… that probably didn’t help me on the show), and this method was the perfect way to dress this guy up without making something that doesn’t feel like my baking.

Stay tuned for the other two flavors I would have made for the show – with recipes!

Midnight Chocolate Peanut Butter “Cup”-Cake
Yield: 12 cupcakes

1 cup non-dairy milk
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup organic evaporated cane juice
1/3 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon chocolate extract
1 cup organic unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder
2 tablespoons black cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup all-natural peanut butter, for filling
Peanut Butter Frosting, recipe follows
2 ounces non-dairy dark chocolate, for garnish
2 tablespoons peanuts, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cupcake pan with 12 liners.

In a medium sized non-reactive bowl, whisk the vinegar into the non-dairy milk, and set the mixture aside to curdle.

In a small bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powders, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  Set the mixture aside.

Whisk the sugar, oil, and vanilla and chocolate extracts into the non-dairy milk mixture.  Add the flour mixture, and stir just until combined.

Divide the batter into 12 muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 full.

Bake the cupcakes for 15 to 18 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean.  Cool the cupcakes completely.

Peanut Butter Frosting:

5 ounces vegan shortening, room temperature (recommended: Earth Balance)
5 ounces vegan margarine (recommended: Earth Balance)
12 ounces powdered sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon non-dairy milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup all-natural peanut butter

In an electric stand mixer or with a had mixer, beat the shortening until it’s creamy.  Add the margarine, and whip it into the shortening.  Stop the machine, and scrape the sides of the bowl.

With the mixer on low, slowly add the powdered sugar.  Once it’s incorporated, stop the machine and add the non-dairy milk and vanilla extract.  Mix to incorporate.  Scrape the sides of the bowl again, and add the peanut butter.  Whip the frosting on high for several minutes until it’s very fluffy.

To assemble the cupcakes, fill a pasty bag fitted with a round shaped tip with the peanut butter frosting.  Cut a triangle-shaped cone out of the center of each cupcake, and set it aside to top the cupcake later. Fill the hole with 1/2 to 1 teaspoon peanut butter, and then fill the rest of the way with the peanut butter frosting.  Frost the top of the cake so that about 1/2 inch of the edge of the cake shows.  Top the center of the cake with the piece you cut out, and garnish with shaved dark chocolate and a couple of the peanuts.

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 18 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: N/A
Ease of Preparation: Intermediate

Finally, my Cupcake Wars episode has aired and I don’t have to keep any more secrets!  Well, I guess there’s actually a lot I can’t say about the actual production of the show due to the many, many confidentiality forms I had to sign, but you know what I mean… I can tell you guys that it was an amazing learning experience, and I’m so happy to have had the opportunity to represents vegans on the national stage.

But more importantly, I have to thank all of you for the amazing love and support that you’ve given me.  I’m so, so touched by all your kind words and encouragement.  Reading all your comments, tweets, texts and emails was really fantastic.  From the bottom of my heart – thank you.

And, of course, a HUGE congratulations to Sticky Fingers on their vegan win!  How awesome that yet another vegan has taken the top prize on a Food Network show!  More vegan power to the masses!

Well, here it is guys – my recipe for the Coconut Kiwi Cupcake with Vegan Lemon Curd filling and Fluffy Coconut Frosting that you saw lead me down the path to my ultimate demise last night.  It’s been really hard for me to keep this cupcake under wraps, and I’m so glad that I can finally share it with my customers.

This is one of the most delicious concoctions that’s ever graced my lips (and lived on my hips), and everyone I’ve made it for since the show has loved it too.  Ryan’s not much of a cake guy, ironically, and he told me that this is his favorite cake I’ve ever made.  High praise indeed!  Too bad he’s not a judge on Cupcake Wars!

If you’re in the LA area you can order up this bad boy from C’est La V Bakeshop, in either cupcake or full cake form.  But if you’re not in Los Angeles, you can still enjoy it – you’ll just have to make it yourself!

I can honestly tell you that I wouldn’t have changed a thing in how I approached the show.  I feel really proud of what I accomplished, and I’m so excited to be able to finally share this recipe with all of you.  Now I dare you to make all of this in 45 minutes…

Coconut Kiwi Cupcake with Vegan Lemon Curd and Fluffy Coconut Frosting
Yield: 16 cupcakes

1 cup coconut milk
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 cup organic evaporated cane juice
1/3 cup canola oil
1 1/2 teaspoons egg replacer (recommended: EnerG)
2 tablespoons warm water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
2 cups organic unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups kiwi, diced plus 6 slices for garnish
Vegan Lemon Curd, recipe follows
Fluffy Coconut Frosting, recipe follows
Shredded Coconut, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cupcake pan with 12 liners.

In a large non-reactive bowl, whisk the vinegar into the non-dairy milk, and set the mixture aside to curdle.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside.

In a very small bowl, whisk the egg-replacer with the warm water.  Add to the coconut milk along with the sugar, oil, and vanilla and coconut extracts.  Whisk to combine.  Add the dry ingredients, and mix until just combined.  Fold the diced kiwi into the batter.

Fill the cupcake liners about 2/3 full.  Bake the cupcakes for 15 to 18 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean.  Cool the cupcakes completely.

Vegan Lemon Curd

3/4 cups coconut milk
1/2 cup lemon juice
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the coconut milk, lemon juice, cornstarch, sugar, vanilla, and turmeric for about 2 minutes, or until the mixture is warm and starting to get steamy.

Reduce the heat to low and stir for 5 minutes, until the mixture thickens.  Once the mixture is thick, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the lemon zest.

Transfer the mixture to a bowl, and allow it to cool for about 10 minutes.  Cover the curd, and refrigerate until chilled and set.

Fluffy Coconut Frosting:

5 ounces vegan shortening, room temperature (recommended: Earth Balance)
5 ounces vegan margarine (recommended: Earth Balance)
12 ounces powdered sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon non-dairy milk
1 teaspoon coconut extract

In an electric stand mixer or with a had mixer, beat the shortening until it’s creamy.  Add the margarine, and whip it into the shortening.  Stop the machine, and scrape the sides of the bowl.

With the mixer on low, slowly add the powdered sugar.  Once it’s incorporated, stop the machine and add the non-dairy milk and coconut extract.  Mix to incorporate.  Scrape the sides of the bowl again, and whip the frosting on high for several minutes until it’s very fluffy.

To assemble the cupcakes, scoop about 1 1/2 teaspoons of cake out of the center of each cupcake with a melon-baller.  Fill each hole with about 1 – 1 1/2 teaspoons of the lemon curd filling.

Fill a pasty bag fitted with a star shaped tip with the coconut frosting.  Pipe onto the filled cupcakes.  Garnish each cake with a a half slice of kiwi and a sprinkling of shredded coconut.

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 18 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: N/A
Ease of Preparation: Intermediate