Vegan Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes

Vegan Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes

Comfort foods come down to two parts, triggering childhood memories and cravings that reemerge after the dish is gone...basically leave you wanting more. I grew up with my mom making this for my brother and I all the time but until I went vegan, I didn't really appreciate it. I guess when you think your childhood dish will be gone, you really appreciate them. I took my mothers recipe and now my own, this is the DELISH version that I turned into a cupcake. Cupcakes are huge right now and I think its because they make us feel like a kid. And when it comes down to it, comfort is like feeling like a kid again. Enjoy!


Vegan Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes  
Ingredients

-1/3 cup + 2 teaspoons vegan butter or margarine, melted
-1/4 cup brown sugar
-1 1/2 to 2 cups cups can crushed pineapple, (more or less pineapple depending on how much like in your cupcake)
-2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
-1 1/2 cups sugar
-3 teaspoons baking powder
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-1/2 cup vegetable oil
-1 cup soymilk
-1 teaspoon vanilla extract
-1 teaspoon butter flavored extract
-1/3 cup The Vegg, prepare as directed on Vegg package
(You could also use 1/2 cup Applesauce if you don't have The Vegg OR 3 eggs using egg replacer, plus the 6 Tbsps warm water) 

(Optional)
-Maraschino cherries, (for decoration)
-A sprinkle of cinnamon on top of each cupcake before going in the oven.

Directions

Heat the oven to 350 Degrees

Pineapple Topping: 
Drain the pineapple well. Melt the margarine. Put the melted margarine, 1 tsp in each cupcake pan lined with wrappers. (I prefer aluminum foil ones)

Sprinkle the 1 tsp brown sugar over the melted vegan butter/margarine surface. Place 1 Maraschino cherry on each cupcake as well as 1 Tbsp of the crushed pineapple (couple tsp more if you like). Carefully on top scatter around the edges and on top to cover and make sure the cherry is in the centers. Put the cupcake pan aside and continue to you batter.

Cake Batter: 
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Use a fork or your paddle attachment to mix them together well. In a separate bowl or measuring cup Add the soy milk, oil, vanilla, and
egg substitute, whisk to blend mixture. Then slowly add it to your flour mixture, beat and scrape down the bowl once or twice until you have a thick, fairly smooth batter, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Carefully pour or scoop the batter over the pineapple arranged in the cupcake pan and use a spoon to spread it evenly to the edges of the pan and over pineapple mixture.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the cake is golden brown, springs back when touched and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes on a wire rack and no longer, otherwise when you turn over the pan the pineapples will stick to the cupcake wrapper. With oven mitts, carefully turn out the warm cupcakes onto aluminum foil. Carefully remove each wrapper and serve with pineapple side facing up. Serve warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!

-Amy