Chocolate Stout Cupcakes (Cupcakes for Lou)

I never met Lou. But if I did, I'm sure I would have liked him. At his service only the warmest things were said. Genuine tears were shed. As a funeral director also obsessed with food, I liked Lou because the things that were said about him were remarks like, "nobody made pancakes like Grandpa." It was said that Lou also made the best chili around. Lou said that he didn't want tears, he just wanted everyone to go to a pub and raise a glass in his honor. If I have never said it before, it is my hope that when I die, the people that knew me, wherever they may be, will do the same. As an observer and facilitator I was unable to raise a glass to celebrate a life well lived, so I made these cupcakes, with a little bit of stout for the cupcakes, and a little bit of stout for me, and some mindfulness on what it means to be a constant observer of death and how I choose to use that gift and reminder in my own life.

The recipe originates from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. Do yourself a favor and purchase it immediately! I have not made a bad cupcake yet from it and the recipes are so solid that I feel confident that at this point I can venture out and begin making my own creations, be prepared for some variations on this recipe soon!

Ingredients

For the Crumb Topping:

• 1/4 cup dutch cocoa powder

• 1/4 cup all purpose flour

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

• 2 tablespoons canola oil

For the cupcakes:

• 3/4 cup soy milk

• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour

• 1/3 cup Dutch cocoa powder

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 cup stout

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar

• 1/3 cup canola oil

• 1. 5 teaspoon vanilla extract

• Powder sugar for dusting

Directions

Preheat oven to 350° F and line a cupcake tin with cupcake liners.

For Crumble:

In a small bowl sift flour, sugar and cocoa. Slowly drizzle in the canola oil and use a fork to mix constantly tossing the mixture until incorporated. You may need to use your fingers to get the crumbles all mixed. Try to keep the pieces small, about 1/4 inch in diameter. You are going to top your cupcakes with these before baked so you want them small enough that they don’t weigh the mix down, but big enough to give a good mouth feel to the finished product.

For the Cupcakes:

Whisk soy milk and vinegar in a small bowl and let it sit for at least 5 minutes so the milk “curdles”.

In a separate bowl sift flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, salt and mix.

Cream sugar, vanilla and stout with your milk mixture until nice and foamy.

Add your dry ingredients to your wet ingredients in two batches. Trust me on this. Add the dry to wet, and don’t do it all at once!

Pour batter into your liners about 1/3 full.

Gently add your crumbs to the top of the cupcake batter. You want to do your best to not let them sink so don’t toss them on.

Bake for 20-22 minutes.

Let cupcakes cool on a wire rack.

Once cool you can dust them with powdered sugar if you would like.

Enjoy!