Dessert: Chloe's Vegan Chocolate Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes Recipe | Myrecipes

Recipe by Chloe Coscarelli This little vegan chocolate strawberry cupcake helped then 22-year-old baker Chloe Coscarelli win first place on Food Network's "Cupcake Wars" in 2010. She was the first vegan to win a Food Network competition.

Ingredients

Cupcakes
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Frosting & finishing
2/3 cup nonhydrogenated vegetable shortening
2 2/3 cups plus 1 tbsp. sifted powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
About 4 tbsp. nondairy milk, such as soy, almond, or rice
1 1/2 cups sliced strawberries

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 °. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners.
Make cupcakes: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together 1 cup water, the oil, vinegar, and vanilla. Pour wet mixture into dry mixture and whisk until just combined.
Divide batter among cupcake cups. Bake until a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cupcakes cool completely in pan.
Make frosting: Using an electric mixer, beat shortening, 2 2/3 cups powdered sugar, and the vanilla together to mix. Beat in nondairy milk 1 tbsp. at a time and beat until frosting is smooth and fluffy.
Cut tops off cupcakes and set aside. Smooth about 1 tbsp. frosting onto each cupcake and cover with a few strawberries. Replace top, then add a dollop of frosting and a few tiny slices of strawberry. Put remaining 1 tbsp. powdered sugar in a fine-mesh strainer and dust cupcakes with sugar.
Note: Nutritional analysis is per cupcake.