chocolate chip cupcakes with vanilla buttercream

Original recipe and images: Diane Garvey, @thebeetdrop on Instagram

Chocolate Chip Cupcakes 

Recipe developed by The Beet Drop – Diane Garvey

Makes 12 cupcakes

Ingredients

• 1 ⅔ cups flour
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• scant ½ tsp salt
• 1 ¼ cup plant-based milk
• 2 tsp vinegar (apple cider vinegar or white vinegar)
• 3 tsp. vanilla
• ¼ cup canola oil
• ½ cup Endangered Species chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350° f. and line cupcake pan with liners.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together milk and vinegar. Set aside. (It will curdle and thicken)
3. In a large bowl, whisk or sift together dry ingredients. Set aside.
4. Add remaining wet ingredients into the milk mixture. Whisk well.
5. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir. Mix until combined. Be sure to not
   over mix the batter, some lumps are fine.
6. Stir in the chocolate chips.
7. Fill cupcake liners ¾ full of batter. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until done. Edges should be
   golden, and toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake should come out clean.
8. Let cool for 5 minutes in pan then transfer cupcakes to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
   Once completely cool you can frost the cupcakes.

Vanilla Buttercream 

Makes 2 1/2 cups frosting

Ingredients

• 1 cup room-temperature plant-based butter (or ½ cup of vegetable shortening and ½ cup
  butter)
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1 ½ T. vanilla extract
• 0-2 T. plant-based milk (as needed to achieve desired consistency)

Directions

1. In a large bowl, place room temperature butter, followed by ~1 cup of sifted powdered
   sugar.
2. Using a hand mixer, whip together the butter and sugar, adding sugar in batches to
   ensure it gets incorporated well and reduces the chance of a mess.
3. Add in vanilla extract and whip well.
4. If you want a lighter/fluffier frosting, add in 1 tsp. of milk and whip well. If you still desire a
   lighter frosting keep adding in milk, 1 tsp. at a time, until desired consistency is achieved
   (using up to 2 T.)
5. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use

Tips/Notes

• If your buttercream has been in the refrigerator for over a day, it will be stiff. Simply place
  in bowl and whip it for a couple of minutes with a hand mixer or stand mixture to get the
  creamy texture back.
• In a well-sealed container, buttercream will last 1 month in the fridge or 3 months in the
  freezer.
• Sifting your powdered sugar ensures the creamiest buttercream without any lumps.
• You can use a stand a mixer for the buttercream.
• Using a mixture of butter and vegetable shortening will make your frosting taste a bit less
  rich/buttery. It will also make it so your frosting will hold up (not melt) in warmer weather.
  If you are indoors, the all-butter version will hold up fine at room temperature for a few
  hours.

Enjoy! If you make this recipe, be sure to post it to your social media and tag us @eschocolate on IG and @EndangeredSpeciesChocolate on FB!