American Cupcakes

Happy 4th! I can think of no better way to express my patriotism than with vegan blueberry cupcakes. The recipe template comes from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World.

Red-White-and-Blueberry Cupcakes

For the cupcakes
1 cup blueberries
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup canola oil
2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/4 cups flour
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt

For the frosting
1/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup margarine
1 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
2 Tbsp. milk
3/4 tsp. vanilla
6 strawberries, halved
12 blueberries

Preheat oven to 350F and prepare a cupcake tin with liners. In a blender, puree the blueberries, sugar, milk, canola oil, and vanilla. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Fill cupcake liners almost to the top. Bake for 22 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool on a wire rack.

While the cupcakes are baking, prepare frosting. With an electric mixer, whip the frosting ingredients until fluffy. After the cupcakes have cooled completely (stick them in the freezer to speed cooling if you just can't wait!), frost them and top each cupcake with a strawberry half and a blueberry.