Cupcake Kitteh - vegan, gluten free, soy free: Candy Cane Cupcakes

12:13 PM | Posted by Mandee | | Edit Post

Today is our Christmas Vegan Picnic in the Royal Botanic Gardens only I'm not there :( It's probably too much info, but once a month I am in a lotta pain and it happened to start today.

I baked cupcakes anyway, hoping it would ease off but it didn't. So we have a dozen cupcakes that need eatin'!

I wanted to make something Christmas-y and when I saw a box of mini candy canes in the supermarket last week I decided on candy cane cupcakes.

I baked half a batch of gluten free vanilla and half gluten free chocolate cupcakes and I made vanilla and chocolate buttercream. My idea was to crush the candy canes and add them to the icing like the other candy cane cupcakes I've seen. I tried this with the vanilla first and found the bits of candy cane block the nozzle of the piping bag, d'oh! I had enough icing left to re-do the icing, this time with no additions. I did the same with the chocolate, piped it on and then sprinkled on some of the crushed up candy canes.

Maybe next week when I make these for a vegan Christmas lunch I am going to, I will crush the candy canes finer or just do what I did today and add them last. I might try and find some peppermint essence to add to the icing too so it's more minty and candy cane-like.

I hope everyone else enjoys the picnic today, it's a beautiful day for it :)

26 comments:

wantingkneading said...: Oh no! I get the same kind of crippling pain- it's a real shame when it interferes with your life, especially when your life includes picnics :(
Your cupcakes look gorgeous though, I hope they made you feel a little bit better!; December 14, 2008 at 4:05 PM
lisa said...: Totally cute cupcakes! Shame you missed the picnic though :(; December 14, 2008 at 10:46 PM
Kiersten said...: Sorry you missed the picnic. If it makes you feel any better, your cupcakes came out really cute!; December 15, 2008 at 3:38 AM
Bex said...: Sorry about the pains but the cupcakes look fantastic. Really delicious pretty.; December 15, 2008 at 4:13 AM
Jenn said...: Those cupcakes look fantastic! I need to do some holiday baking and I think I'll go out and get some candy canes. Great idea!; December 15, 2008 at 5:11 AM
River said...: I'm so sorry you had to miss your Christmas Vegan Picnic, that sucks and I feel your pain. Stupid cramps!

On a happier note, your cupcakes are so beautiful and Christmassy! I love them!

I hope you feel better soon!; December 15, 2008 at 5:32 AM
Tami (Vegan Appetite) said...: Those are so pretty and Christmasy...sorry you aren't feeling well.; December 15, 2008 at 5:34 AM
I ♥ puggies said...: They are soooo beautiful! You have a real talent with decorating pastries. There's just the right amount of crushed peppermint on top. Mmmm... peppermint and chocolate go together so well too.; December 15, 2008 at 8:10 AM
Kate said...: Sorry we didn't see you at the picnic, and those cupcakes look absoultely gorgeous!

You should deffo bring them to the lunch next week!!!!

Hope you are starting to feel better now :); December 15, 2008 at 10:14 AM
CeciLiA said...: Woah!!! Those cupcakes LOOKS amazing and not to mention TASTY (I don't even like candy canes so that's saying A LOT!!). By the way, did you use you kitchen aid mixer to make all your baked goods now ... I have one but I'm having trouble getting use to its 'power and speed' (even if it is on its LOWEST setting), i.e.: I get freak out that it will overmixed the dough :( haha; December 15, 2008 at 12:57 PM
Miss T said...: Oh but so gorgeous! And lovely photos. What a shame, but at least you should be unpained for Xmas and NYE...; December 15, 2008 at 1:12 PM
Vegetation said...: I empathise on the pain and my pains due to start too :( (sorry, tmi for you :P)

Your cupcakes are wonderful! If you need any help eating them all....feel free to send them this way ;); December 15, 2008 at 6:13 PM
Melisser; the Urban Housewife said...: Oh, how pretty & fun! I hope you feel better soon.; December 15, 2008 at 8:14 PM
Becks - Not a Rabbit. said...: Shame you missed the picnic.
Awesomely festive cuppers! I have been avoiding candy canes (as most red food in the UK is coloured with cochineal) but now me wants! I will have to investigate further to find vegan candy canes! Thanks for the inspiration! >:o); December 15, 2008 at 8:35 PM
Cody said...: Yummy! I'm going to have to do this soon, as part of my project to veganize the Cake of the Month at work... chocolate cake with peppermint icing and crushed candy canes.; December 16, 2008 at 4:52 AM
jessy said...: these cupcakes looks splendid, Mandee! i love the idea and think they're just beautiful! sorry you missed the picnic, but i hope you enjoyed the tasty cupcakes! :); December 17, 2008 at 7:05 AM
Mandee said...: Thanks everyone, I feel muchos better now!

Cecilia - yup I use my kitchenaid all the time now, for cupcakes, icing, biscuit dough, bread dough etc

Becks - the colours in the candy canes I have are:

E129 http://www.food-info.net/uk/e/e129.htm
E171 http://www.food-info.net/uk/e/e171.htm

Both safe for vegans. I hope you can find some that do not contain beeeetles!; December 17, 2008 at 7:08 AM
Joanna said...: these are beautiful!! it's a bummer that other people couldn't taste their deliciousness. i'm sure you enjoyed them a lot and that they made your pain a little better:); December 18, 2008 at 12:01 AM
veganf said...: You read my mind--I just made vegan peppermint bark with the kiddos and I though to myself how well that would translate into a cupcake topping! Yours look beautiful!; December 18, 2008 at 8:40 AM
Lovliebutterfly said...: Amazing cupcakes! And gorgeous photos!; December 18, 2008 at 10:08 AM
Sal said...: I know how you feel - that pain often confines me to the couch - usually for the good of anyone with a Y chromosome!! haha

Your cupcakes are adorable! Love them. I've been trying to find candy canes to smash up and decorate things with as I love how they look, but this town sucks!!; December 19, 2008 at 12:49 AM
Jeni Treehugger said...: Oh these are just AWESOME!!!
So sorry to hear you missed your picnic but Cupcakes to scoff as a consolation's not bad. Hope your pain has gone.
xx; December 19, 2008 at 1:06 AM
Susan said...: They are adorably cute!
Glad to hear you are feeling better now. Cramps suck.; December 20, 2008 at 3:49 PM
Kelly said...: Mmmm. Those look stellar. I'm drooling over here.; December 22, 2008 at 4:11 AM
:: imaginary states :: said...: These look marvelous! I'm going to make a batch for Christmas...

I haven't made any gluten/wheat-free cupcakes yet, and looking to experiment with it for this occasion (after self-diagnosing myself with a wheat allergy).

My question is, what sort of gluten-free flour do you use for cupcakes? I heard barley was good?; December 22, 2008 at 11:40 PM
Mandee said...: Hi Imaginary States,

Barley is NOT a gluten-free flour. The book Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World suggests a mixture of rice flour, quinoa flour and tapioca flour. You can find the book here

http://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Cupcakes-Take-Over-World/dp/1569242739/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

or google other vegan, gluten free cupcake recipes! Good luck :); December 24, 2008 at 7:58 AM