Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes and Frosting

When my sister Janice called to ask me if I would bake my nephew two dozen cupcakes for his birthday party, how could I refuse?  

"Sure, no problem," I told her.  

Before hanging up she mentions, "Oh, by the way... I need the cupcakes to be dairy, soy, and nut-free."  

I knew right away that I would use my go-to vegan chocolate cake recipe which is simply fabulous. But for the frosting, I had to give this some thought. My older daughter Abigail has a dairy sensitivity so I'm familiar with using alternative butter-like vegan spreads when making frosting.  However, when I saw a perfectly ripe avocado resting in a fruit basket on the counter, I instantly knew I would use it to make frosting. 

Inspired by a recent tweet by Alton Brown for his natural-colored frosting, his recipe for avocado frosting intrigued me. For the past year, I've seen many recipes calling for avocado for its creaminess in sweet desserts.  Typically used as an element in salads, dips, and other savory dishes, I had no idea how versatile avocados could be when used as an ingredient in puddings, cakes, and frostings.

Using Alton Brown's recipe as a guide, I made an avocado-based vegan frosting. The gorgeous natural green color reminded me of green tea. But I wondered how it would taste. Sweetened with confectioner sugar with a hint of lemon juice, I was pleasantly surprised by how amazing this frosting was. It was creamy, not too sweet, and the little hit of lemon juice brightened the frosting just enough to counterbalance the avocado flavor. In fact, if I hadn't made this frosting myself, I would never have guessed the frosting was made from avocado.  Gosh, avocado who knew?! Unable to attend the party, I'm told the cupcakes were a big hit with everyone with many people asking Janice for the recipe the ultimate compliment. I'm also including some photos of the budget-friendly decorating ideas from Isaiah's party to inspire you.

Using her computer and printer she printed off mini-colored banners, cut them out and taped them to ribbon to make a fun birthday-themed garland.

Want a festive party setting? Inexpensive colored tissue paper is great for making and hanging colored pom poms. Glue hand cut letters unto large paper circles to create a custom birthday message.