Halloween Chocolate Cupcakes

Happy "Almost" Halloween! Today I baked with the kids that I babysit. It's one of their favorite activities :) We made chocolate cupcakes with orange icing. They are vegan and gluten free because the one year old I babysit is allergic to almost everything (wheat, dairy, eggs, peanuts...). But I love that she can eat these because it is much more fun when everyone can enjoy!

Yield: 12 cupcakes

Ingredients 

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter (Earth Balance buttery sticks if you would like it to be vegan)
• 1.25 cups sugar 
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce 
• 3/4 cup flour (Gluten-free works as well!)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup soy milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla 
• 2/3 cup mini unsweetened chocolate chips

Directions 

1) Beat butter until softened (microwaving for about 15-20 seconds does the trick as well)

2) Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy

3) Add applesauce, 1/4 of a cup at a time

4) Mix all dry ingredients together in a separate bowl

5) Mix milk and vanilla together in a separate bowl

6) Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the butter/sugar combination, then 1/3 of the milk/vanilla mixture.  

Continue this pattern until all is gone (ending with dry).

7) Stir in chocolate chips

8) Scoop batter into paper liners until 2/3 full

9) Bake for 27 minutes, rotating 180 degrees halfway through

Adapted from Cupcake Project