Gingerbread Cupcakes

While I am sure I will be sited for lying, I must say that I think these new cupcakes would be something I would morph into a wedding cake, not that that is happening anytime soon... but I do admit to some "Monica" like tendencies...

I also must note that it's not like I make cupcakes all the time, although in some respect I do - it's most often the food I make for dinner is normal food, so it's not super attractive - like I made a bean chili/goulash this week to eat over a baked potato - I had a Wendy's moment... And well these things were spawned out of my coveting of my dad's gingersnaps from Capers... so there hah, even better, all the gingersnap goodness with outrageous frosting to boot.
Courtesy of the Post Punk Kitchen = http://www.theppk.com/

Cupcakes
1 1/4cups all purpose flour 3 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda 1/4tsp cloves
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger - buy fresh soft stuff! And maybe even add more....
1/2 cup vegetable oil - reading through the other suggestions - I think that this would be a good recipe to do the whole adding of applesauce - there are strong enough flavors to make up for it
1/3 cup molasses
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup soy milk
2 T soy yogurt (I used vanilla)
1 1/2 tsp lemon zest - I just realized I didn't add it - I'm sure it would only make them better anyways
Frosting
1/4 c vegan margarine 1/4 c shortening
1/3 cup + extra confectioners sugar- just in case
1/4 cup soy milk
juice and zest of one lemon

Oven 350

Standard cupcake instructions - sift dry ingredients, and then combine the wet ingredients
separately and then mix together until smooth - add the ginger and zest and put in the muffin tins, which you have lined with cupcake liners - you all should be pros at this by now...

Frosting - I beat the "wet ingredients" together first until smooth, then added the confectioners sugar and beat it for 3 minutes on high - makes it really fluffy... oh so good - I would be tempted to just eat the frosting.