Chocolate Glazed Cupcakes

This is a classic recipe I used on my old website and I just thought I'd share it here, too, because it's too good to miss out on.  It is absolutely amazing, especially when you get a chocolate craving (ladies, I'm talking to you).  I know how it is.  These are some moist, rich, wonderful chocolate cupcakes.  And I just can't believe how delectable these cupcakes are. I never ever thought a sweet recipe would have vinegar and still taste amazing.

Who needs loads of frosting when you have a killer chocolate glaze?  Not me.  As much as I love frosting (which is a lot) I wasn't sure that I would really like the glaze. I do like it. A lot. Like, crazy amounts of love.  Don't get me wrong, I typically find cupcakes to be merely a frosting delivery tool.  But, these cuppies are so amazing that you won't miss the fluffy sweet frosting.  These are really some of the best cupcakes I've ever had.

This recipe is adapted from this recipe at the Radishes & Rhubarb blog. I had to change a few ingredients to fit what I had on-hand. I'm thinking that there is one little thing I am going to change next time. And that is to add some espresso powder to the glaze to kick up the flavor just a bit more. But, they are fabulous as-is. 

The recipe makes 12 cuppies.

Cupcake Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup warm water
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup light canola oil
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar

Glaze Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup plus 1 tsp sugar
• 4 TB Earth Balance Spread
• 2 TB reduced fat almond milk
• 1 TB warm water
• 2 TB unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp vanilla

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a cupcake tin with 12 cupcake liners (or lightly oil cups and go liner-free).
2. In a medium/large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Whisk until very well combined and homogenous in appearance.
3. Then whisk the warm water, vanilla, oil and vinegar into the dry mix. Stir only until you see no more dry powder.
4. Carefully pour batter into the liners until 2/3 full. Place in center of oven. Bake 15-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into cupcakes comes out clean. Mine took right about 18 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan to a wire rack to cool thoroughly.
5. When the cupcakes have cooled, start the glaze.
6. In a small saucepan, combine sugar, Earth Balance, almond milk, warm water and cocoa powder. Place pan over a medium heat and stir continually. Bring the mixture to a light boil, stirring and scraping the pan bottom constantly. This took me about 4-5 minutes.
7. Remove pan from heat and add vanilla. Stir non-stop for 5 minutes. Glaze will thicken somewhat and also get a bit darker.
8. Use a spoon to drizzle the glaze over the cupcakes and dig in! They are super tasty!