I had purchased a bottle of agave nectar from a local organic bulk store but never used it… until late last night at around 10pm when I decided to bake (this happens often). So I dug up my copy of Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World and made these (I de-Veganized them though). The flavour is familiar but I can’t place it: it’s very light and subtle but mingles perfectly with the frosting (also adopted from the same book).

The agave also makes the texture of the cake more moist (sorry for using that word). Also note, that these were baked at 325°F and not your usual 350°F.

Simple Vanilla Cupcakes with Agave Nectar (Makes 1 dozen)

Ingredients:

2/3 cup soy milk (I used 1% milk)
½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
2/3 cup organic light agave nectar
1/3 cup canola oil
1 ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt

• Line muffin pan with cupcake liners and preheat oven to 325°F.
  Mix the soy milk and apple cider vinegar in a large bowl; allow to sit for a few minutes to curdle. Beat in agave, oil, vanilla, and almond extract.
• Sift in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and mix until smooth.
• Fill the liners two-thirds full. Bake 20-22 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. I usually knock off 2 minutes with almost every recipe.
• Remove cupcakes from the oven and let them cool in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes. Then transfer them to a cooling rack to prevent sogginess.