Chocolate Stout Cupcakes

The other day I had a craving for something chocolatey and delicious, so I started thumbing through my friend's cupcake book and came across these. And I knew it was meant to be because I had ALL the ingredients. This. Never. Happens. I'm always out of something or other, or am missing the secret ingredient, in this case stout. But I had it all! Including a homemade stout from a friend. Serendipitous indeed.

Ok, technically I did not have all the ingredients since it is a vegan recipe, so I substituted 1% milk for the soy milk. Hilarious? I think so. 
The recipe was easy and straight forward, mix your wet, your dry and then mix them together. What I really enjoyed is that it has a crumb topping that you sprinkle on before baking, so once they have baked and cooled, they are ready to eat. No icing required. 

Crumb topping, so easy! Just a 1/4 c of flour, cocoa, sugar combined with oil.

Ready for the oven

Chocolate Stout Cupcakes 
from vegan cupcakes take over the world by moskowitz & romero

Ingredients

Crumb Topping
1/4c all-purpose flour
1/4c cocoa powder
1/4c granulated sugar
2 tblsp canola oil

1. Sift together flour, cocoa and sugar. 

2. Slowly drizzle in oil, mixing with a fork, and crumbs will start  to form.

3. Once all oil has been added, toss and stir the crumbs with your fingers, to make as many as possible. (If the mixture is already clumpy before all the oil has been added, don't add it all).

4. Set aside. 

Cupcakes
3/4 cup milk
1 tsp   apple cider vinegar
1 cup plus
2 tblsp all-purpose flour

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 cup stout

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup canola oil

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Whisk together milk and vinegar in a large bowl. 
2. In a separate bowl sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix. 
3. Add stout, sugar, oil, and vanilla to milk misture and beat until foamy. 
4. Add dry ingredients to wet in batches and mix. 
5. Pour batter into liners, filling them 3/4 of the way. Sprinkle with crumb topping, so that they rest on top. 
6. Bake 20-22 mins at 350 C, or until a toothpick comes out clean. 
7. Once cooled you can sprinkle with confections sugar for extra pizazz, or eat as is.