"Eggless" chocolate cupcakes (and Happy Birthday Princess)

The Princess celebrated her 2nd birthday this past week. I wanted to do a fun "theme" party for her, so I decided on an Elmo birthday. I found some super cute ideas on Pinterest for an Elmo party - and since The Princess loves Elmo, I knew it would be a hit.

An even more fitting reason to throw an Elmo party... the first place The Princess learned about birthdays and parties was watching an episode of Elmo. She knew that she needed to have cake, ice cream, presents and... party hats. Seriously?! Party hats. For at least 2 weeks before her birthday, she kept telling me those 4 things. I thought finding Elmo party hats would be a breeze - but not so. Luckily, I was able to find some generic 'happy birthday' ones that matched my color scheme. Yes, this party is starting to sound like a wedding with color schemes and themes, but really, I didn't go too overboard.

The next step was the cake. Thanks again to Pinterest, I found the cutest idea for Elmo cupcakes. Very easy to duplicate if you have an egg-less cupcake recipe. I got this recipe from a neighborhood cookbook from years back (but I have also seen versions of it all over the internet). Who knew that it would come in so handy. I like to make a batch of these periodically and freeze them (unfrosted). I freeze mine in individual ziploc bags so I can use them separately. They are great when an impromptu treat is needed. Just leave them in the fridge for a few hours to defrost. They are best if eaten within a few months.

I made 2 different versions... a regular version and a "healthier" version. I wanted to see what, if any, were the differences. Yes, I did eat 2 cupcakes. To be honest, I didn't really find too much of a difference at all - only that the "healthier" version was a little lighter in color. Which was nice so I could remember which one I was eating. You can choose whichever version best suites you - or the ingredients you have in your house. The "healthier" version is in parentheses.

Chocolate Cupcakes

1 1/2 cups flour (2 cups wonder flour)

3 Tbsp. baking cocoa

1/2 tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. vinegar

1 cup cold water

1/2 cup sugar (1/2 cup raw sugar)

1 tsp. baking soda

6 Tbsp. oil (4 Tbsp. coconut oil + 2 Tbsp no-sugar added applesauce)

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Mix together all ingredients. Fill muffins tins (with cupcake liners) 3/4 way full. I filled mine a bit fuller because I wanted to make sure I had nice rounded tops. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes. When completely cooled, frost and eat!!

* If you are making a cake out of this, double the recipe, do not flour the pan and bake for 35-40 minutes. I generally cut down the sugar a bit if I am going to frost them - and serve with ice cream. If you find that they aren't sweet enough for your liking, add another 1/4 cup sugar.

For the Elmo version, make your favorite frosting and turn red. For the best red color, I recommend Wilton's food coloring. I used an icing bag and Wilton's star tip #21 to frost my cupcakes. This does take a bit more time, but it gives the appearance of "fur". Use oreos for the mouth, large marshmellows cut in half for the eyes (topped with some black icing - which can easily be made by mixing a bunch of colors together), and orange Dots candy for the nose (these are great because they are easy for The Princess to chew and are made in a peanut and egg free facility).

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