I believe in letting things line up as they will with minimal force or interference. Organic growth. I don’t like to push anything too much and sometimes this tendency accelerates the pace of life more than expected, and sometimes it forces certain elements to lie still. Never too eager to push things forward persistently, but not laid back enough to watch any shred of a plan go to pieces without intervening either. Often enough, I find that these subtly strong undercurrents bring a cluster of life events all to a head at once.
I don’t know how else to say it. I’m making a cookbook! I’ve been keeping it secret from you for so long. I almost slipped a handful of times too. Over a hundred new recipes to suit any season, time of day, or movement in life. All vegan of course with simple, natural ingredients. My aim was to offer a physical companion to this site that would carry on those familiar themes of nourishment, seasonality, and celebration.
Recipes that feel just as right to make for a Tuesday night with your partner as they do for a proper holiday feast with the neighbours and friends. Things to make that are simple enough, but elegant and feel-good at the same time. There will be tons of photos and anecdotes to encourage. It’s going to be published by Avery in the US and Penguin Books in Canada.
So now that I’ve got that out in the open, I can tell you that I’m beginning the work of testing the recipes and ideas to make sure everything lines up with tasty/beautiful results. My goal is to be photographing this thing all summer so that the pages are full of dreamy, golden light. My posts here might be a touch more infrequent in the next year or so, and I hope you don’t mind.
Publishing a personal collection of stories from my kitchen only entered the realm of possibility because of your kind attention over the years. I’m overcome with a constant and gentle appreciation for this chance at a fulfilling career that feels just right for this moment in my life. Like a warm lightbulb glow that touches everything and never goes away. The timing is right, and I’m glad that we get to enjoy it together.
I made a simple enough, but sort of unusual treat to celebrate. A one-bowl chocolate cupcake with an airy coconut whip frosting and some tangy and tart dollops of fragrant passionfruit for a little interest. I love chocolate and passionfruit together. I think it’s the stuff of winter dessert dreams–fresh and rich at the same time. It evokes that whole unlikely-but-delicious chocolate and lemon combo. There’s a lot of flavour and texture contrast with this one and I think that’s why it’s such an appealing combo for me.
To birthdays, cakes, books, projects, life! :)
Vegan Chocolate Passion Fruit Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 1 ½ cups light spelt flour
- 1 cup coconut palm or cane sugar
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup brewed coffee
- ½ cup filtered water
Coconut Frosting & Assembly
- 2 cans full fat coconut milk, chilled overnight
- 2-3 tablespoons maple syrup
- pinch vanilla powder or splash of vanilla extract
- 3-4 ripe passion fruits
Notes
- Most grocery stores are cool enough that you can test the setting properties of coconut milk for the icing right in the aisle (at least I find this to be true in my part of the world). Give the can a shake and if you feel liquid sloshing around, move on to the next one. It might look silly, but it’s worth the time.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a muffin pan with paper cups and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the light spelt flour, coconut palm sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and sea salt. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour in the sunflower oil, apple cider vinegar, vanilla, coffee, and water. As quickly as you can, stir the batter with a spatula until smooth and fully combined. Quickly divide batter evenly among paper cups in the muffin pan. (you want to act fast because the vinegar and acidic components start working together as soon as they’re combined.
- Slide the tray into the oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until cakes spring back when lightly touched or a toothpick inserted into the center of a cake emerges clean. Cool cupcakes completely.
- Open the cans of coconut milk and scoop out the top layer of solid cream, leaving the residual water in the can for another use. Place coconut cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. To the bowl, add the maple syrup and vanilla powder. Whisk on high until you have an airy and smooth cream.
- Divide coconut cream icing among the 12 cooled cupcakes, smoothing it out and leaving little pockets at the top for the passionfruit.
- Cut passionfruits in half and scoop out about one teaspoon of pulp per cupcake. Serve immediately.
Gorgeous images and those cupcakes look delicious!
Love coconut cream frosting!! Passionfruit cupcakes sound amazing :)
CONGRATS!!! and these cupcakes look so freakin’ amazing..gah…looking forward to new book darlin!
My my, I’ll be looking forward to you new book Laura. This whole magnificent collection in print. This is what you’ve been doing with your spare time. Anyway how timely of this recipe to fall in my care. Just as the passion fruit tree is in bloom in my front yard. I’ve got my baking mittens on for this one. Thank you Laura.
Eeeek! Happy (belated) birthday and congratulations!!! As a non-vegan or vegetarian who leans toward a plant-based diet, you are my go-to in the food blog world. I love your creativity and humility, it is going to be so awesome to have a compilation of your ingenuity in the flesh (ahem, well, paper). Also, cannot wait to see your photos for the book. It’s gonna be gorgeous and delicious!
SUPER congrats and HAPPY birthday!
yeah lady! So excited for you!! I know the book is going to be a stunner. Happy belated birthday as well.
Congratulations!! I’m SO VERY EXCITED to hear the news. I’m trying to keep my cookbook collection very small, but since discovering your blog about a year ago I have been wondering why on earth my favourite food blogger does not have a cookbook to showcase her sumptuous cooking and beautiful writing and photos…I need wonder no more! I hope it will be easy enough to get my hands on it here in Australia, I will be ordering a few copies!
I am so so excited to hear this news, yay! I know already that it will be my favourite cookbook on my shelf. I actually already have a cookbook of yours as well…I spent a whole afternoon at work printing off every recipe of yours from the blog and filing into a little folder!! Haha. Congratulations, you must be just bursting with excitement. xx
it’s going to be beautiful! i have to say, i love the style of photographs you have on this post, and those you’ve been showing us lately. they are JUST stunning, and so different. i love that you dare to be so different and yet, everything is delicious, healthy and satisfying. carry on!!
Excellent. Another cookbook to look forward, I’m so happy it’s vegan. My hands are up to help test your recipes! Happy birthday!!!
yaaaaaaayyyy!!!! i’ve been waiting and hoping and wishing for this great news!!! so exciting!
happy birthday girlfriend!!!!
so so thrilled.
just, thrilled.
Hooray! I was wondering when this announcement will come. I’m confident your cookbook will quickly become a favorite of mine :) xo
WHOA I’m so excited about this!! Congratulations!!
Your blog has been a go-to for me for a loong time. This is the place where I find most of my favorite everyday recipes that go for both parties and simple weekday lunches. I SO look forward to dirty up and make dog ears in your cookbook once it’s out! Good luck with the work and big hugs <3 Oh and happy birthday! :)
Agnes
Happy Birthday, Laura, and warmest congratulations to you. This is very exciting! You’ll love working with Penguin and the team there. Yay!
Congratulations, Laura!
Happy belated birthday! You will like your 30s and will make the most of them.:)
I am so happy that you have arrived to this “Laura is working on her book” place. SO excited for you (and for all of us, your little happy fans)!
If you ever need just one more tester, I hope, oh I so hope that maybe I can be of any help to you. :)
Thinking happy thoughts and wishing best of wishes and sending all of them your way!
Many congrats and happy (belated) birthday, you!
YES! so excited
Yes! Here’s to a year of beautiful light, bountiful produce and good vibes for the making of your book. So excited to see more Canadian bloggers writing cookbooks!
Congratulations Laura! That’s fantastic news. I had a sneaky feeling it might be in the pipeline for you! I can only imagine what beautiful stories, photos and recipes it will be full of! Everything you write, make and capture is beautiful. I can’t wait! Hopefully I’ll be able to get my hands on one over here in the UK. Wishing you all the best for the process! And yum.. cupcakes : ) xxx
I love passion fruit. These look so delicious!
Kari
http://www.sweetteasweetie.com
YAY SUCH great news! I LOVE your recipes! Good luck and can’t wait to get my paws on the final result! You are inspirational :)
This is so exciting. I would love to see what you come up with for some delicious summertime foods. Happy birthday, and I hope that this next decade brings you more happiness than you ever thought possible.
First things first–Happy 30!
Secondly, I am so happy to hear you are creating a book that I will be able to have in my home. I always prefer a book to a computer but have leaned in to the blogs for some time–when in Rome, right? Of all the blogs I’ve subscribed (and unsubscribed) to, however, yours stands alone for me in quality and ease. I love the humanity you bring to your narrative and recipes. Thank you for gracing my home.
Congratulations and a very happy birthday! It’s about time you have your cookbook out there, I’m sure it will be inspiring and I’m soo looking forward to it!
All the best to you and cheers to a year full of beauty, excitement and creativity! **silvia
Congratulations and happy birthday! What an exciting time :)
can’t freaking wait! so incredibly proud of you. I know it’s a big job and I’ll be sending you all the good juju for a smooth and inspired process. Big hugs!!!
Ohhhhh happy dance + heart explosions and all of the above. Happy Birthday to you, Laura! You are so right, sometimes the best things in life need to happen on their own time, without rushing or fussing – so thank you for all the inspiration you have been bringing here every week, can’t wait to see what goodness the pages of your book will hold! So, SO deserving, a million congratulations xo
*does freak out happy jig in excitement* HEEEEEELL YEEEEES!!!! You completely deserve this. Penguin! Avery! *geeks out* I’m so happy for you and so ABSOLUTELY excited for your cookbook to come out so that I can devour every recipe with passionate gusto. This is such a dream. Can we all make cupcakes in your honor to celebrate?! Also, count me in for recipe testing when the time comes!
They look like pieces of art!
Happy Birthday Lady! And a huge congrats on the book — such an incredibly exciting endeavour. Can’t wait to get my hands on a copy!
Happy Birthday Laura! I can’t wait for your cookbook! All of your recipes are super inspiring so I can only imagine what a sunshine-filled delight those printed pages are going to be :)
All the best with this project, and put my copy aside now!
Big big congrats!!! Sending you the best vibes. I’ve been through the process of making a cookbook (not my own) and it’s trying, but remember to connect with why you love what you do in the moments you hit the wall.
Can’t wait see what you create! <3
Congrats lady!!!!! Super happy for you and cannot wait to purchase that thang. Also, happy bird day!
Laura! Do you know how long I’ve been wishing for you to make a cookbook?! Since like forever. I’m gonna pre-pre-pre order that beautiful piece of art with yummiest recipes ever! So excited and so happy for you! And these cupcakes! And your birthday! Gah, it’s just all so good!
Congratulations! Such great news for you and us. I can’t wait for the book! How exciting :)
A very happy birthday to you, dear! Congrats on the cookbook – I will be buying one, and I couldn’t be more excited. I know it will be beautiful and full of excellent recipes and content.
Any suggestions on what to do with the leftover coconut milk/watery residue? I have several recipes that incorporate the cream, and I always feel bad throwing the rest down the sink. I usually add it to a smoothie, but I don’t always want a smoothie.
Oh, I knew you must be working on some secret book. I’m so excited for you! And, these photos are so so beautiful. And, happy birthday! Much love. xx
Happy birthday! Hope you’ve had an amazing day and these cupcakes look amazing, I especially love the simple coconut icing! ALSO, YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE A COOKBOOK OUT?! I nearly stopped breathing, that is so exciting and I can’t wait to get my hands on it!!
Laura! Happy birthday! How exciting. The big 3-0. AND a cookbook announcement?! I feel like you are giving us a gift on your b-day. Hope you super crazy enjoy the day, you deserve it, and I’m so stoked to see all you create in the next year! – xo
Been hoping for a cookbook from you for AGES. So exciting! Well deserved and congrats!!! I can’t wait.
Happy birthday and congratulations :) And enjoy your project!
oh for joy!!!!!! happy birthday and congratulations!!! this is wonderful news and your book is going to kick major ass. just like the cupcakes :)
Congrats on the cookbook (and the birthday! I’m just two weeks behind you on that one:) ! I’m certain it will be beautiful and filled with your inspiring passion for food. Also – I love the passionfruit topping on these cupcakes!
Happy Birthday and congratulations on your book deal! Very well deserved! Looking forward to holding it in my hands some day! And I’m feeling with you, it’s so hard not to shout out loud about a cool project such as writing your own cookbook! I myself told my readers that I have a cookbook coming out in two month (very niche though, on fructose malabsorption and all things sugarfree and wheatfree ;)
Enjoy the process of writing this cookbook! You will be surprised, how much work and fun it is at the same time! Cheers from Istanbul!
Such thrilling news, Laura! I cannot wait to follow the journey and see this come to fruition. You have a true gift for storytelling that has always resonated with me (and I’m sure many more) in a very impactful way. Best of luck to you in the process + warmest wishes on your birthday :) keep on killin’ the game. <3
Oh my goodness, this is the absolute BEST news, Laura!! I could not be happier or more thrilled for you (or for us, to have such a lovely cookbook coming into the book world soon!) Like Kathryn said, you’re an absolute inspiration. As these lovely words in this and these insane cupcakes just go to show. So, so excited for you. Happiest of birthdays and hugest of congratulations to you, friend!!!
Oh, Laura!!
What wonderful news! This post truly made my day. I cannot. wait. to get my hands on your lovely cookbook!
And the photos in this post… perfection. Seriously.
xx
Big congratulations! And happy birthday! I’ve just started digging into your archives and finding such inspiration. You have a great writing voice and a lovely perspective on food and cooking. Can’t wait for the book.