Kirstie’s fundraiser cupcakes

My lovely, fun-loving, beautiful friend Kirstie died earlier this year – cancer is a bitch. She was defiant to the end, planning a holiday apparently! An extraordinary woman who led a varied life that was full of colourful experiences. She left behind two amazing children who have shown such dignity over the last year – they both clearly miss their mum terribly.

To help out, Kirstie’s friends rallied and put on a fundraiser gig/party. There were three bands, a DJ, a raffle (great prizes) and or course I made cupcakes… Both types were based on recipes from the brilliant from book Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World.

Margarita cupcakes

• ¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 ½ tsp freshly grate lime zest
• 1 cup soya milk
• ¼ cup rapeseed oil
• 2 tbsp tequila
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 1 ⅓ cups plain flour
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ pack fondant icing and colouring

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and put 12 muffin cases into your cake tins.
2. In a large bowl whisk together the lime juice, zest, soya milk, oil, tequila, vanilla and sugar.
3. Sift in the flour, baking soda and powder, and add the salt.
4. Whisk until smooth then dived into the cupcake cases – they should be just over two-thirds full.
5. Bake for 18-20 mins until a toothpick inserted comes out dry.
6. Transfer to a cooling rack.

To ice, roll out fondant icing and cut skull shapes. Use a fork to indent teeth marks and paint with brush and black icing. Cut little circles in a different coloured icing (I used a pen lid as a cutter) and decorate with piped coloured icing as you like and use little silver balls for the eyes.

Mexican Hot Chocolate Cakes

• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 tbsp ground flax seed
• ¾ cup plain flour
• 2 tbsp cornflour
• ½ cup cocoa
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ¾ tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 pinch chilli powder (be bold!)
• ¼ cup ground almonds
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ⅓ cup rapeseed oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Chocolate frosting or ganache as desired!

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and put 12 muffin cases into your cake tins.
2. In a large bowl whisk together the coconut milk and flaxseeds and let sit for 10 mins.
3. In another bowl, sift together the flour, cornflour, cocoa, baking powder and soda, and add the salt, cinnamon, chilli powder and ground almonds.
4. Into the coconut milk, whisk the sugar, oil and vanilla.
5. Add in the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth then dived into the cupcake cases – they should be just over two-thirds full.
6. Bake for 18-20 mins until a toothpick inserted comes out dry.
7. Transfer to a cooling rack.
8. Top with chocolate frosting or ganache. I made two-tone purple roses using a Wilton 2D piping tip and little green leaves dusted with green glitter.

Poster of Kirstie by Jacknife

Idiot Stregth

Caterina!