Okay, so today is Earth Day, and we’ve just gotten back from our big vegan cupcake giveaway.  It was quite a hit!

Vegan cookies-n-cream cupcakes on parade!

We were out at the art gallery last year for the same event, and I noticed a pretty definite change in the type of response we got.  EVERYONE liked the cupcakes–that certainly hasn’t changed.   But last year I felt like the general attitude of the crowd was, “Vegan, huh? That’s kind of weird.  But sure, free cupcakes!”

This year, though, the general atmosphere seemed a little different.  Not only did more people seem to instantly know what “vegan” meant, more people told us that they were trying to reduce their consumption of animal products, and that they were curious to try a vegan dessert.  More people were at least somewhat aware of the strong relationship between climate change and animal agriculture.  Things are changing!

If all Canadians went without meat…

…for 1 day a week: The same as taking 2.7 million vehicles off the roads of Canada

…for 2 days a week: Equivalent to reducing residential emissions by half (54%)

…for 3 days a week: Would make a bigger impact on the climate than replacing all vehicles in Canada that weigh 4.3 tonnes or less with Toyota Priuses

…for 4 days a week: The equivalent of removing all the heavy vehicles from the roads of Canada

…for 5 days a week: The equivalent of planting 1.57 million trees in our yards and leaving them to grow for 10 years.  That’s 46 trees per Canadian!

…for 6 days a week: This would correspond to saving the equivalent of more than all the fossil fuels burned by all of Canadian industry in one year.

…for 7 days per week: The equivalent of taking 94% of vehicles weighing less than 4.5 tonnes off the roads of Canada. (info from the Montreal Vegetarian Association, translation courtesy of Alison Cole)

Pretty amazing difference, huh?  And it all comes down to whether you choose a vegan cupcake or a dairy-based one!

Were you one of the approximately 1000 lunchtime commuters who picked up a free cupcake for dessert?

A lot of people requested a recipe, so here it is.  It’s from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World:

Icing:

1/2 cup nonhydrogenated shortening

1/2 cup nonhydrogenated margarine

3 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 cup plain soy or rice milk

1/2 cup finely mashed sandwich cookie crumbs (Oreos are usually vegan, just check!  We used Whole Foods 365 Brand sandwich cookies because they’re less expensive.)

Beat the shortening and margarine together until well-combined and fluffy.  Add sugar and beat for about 3 more minutes.  Add vanilla and non-dairy milk, beat for another 5 to 7 minutes until fluffy.  Stir into frosting the mashed cookie crumbs.

Cupcakes:

1 cup soy or rice milk

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup canola oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract, chocolate extract, or more vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour (works fine with a gluten-free all-purpose flour as long as you add xanthan gum)

1/3 cup cocoa powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, line muffin pan with paper or foil liners.

2. Whisk together the non-dairy milk and vinegar in a large bowl, and set aside for a few minutes to curdle.  Add sugar, oil, and vanilla extract, or other extract, if using, to the non-dairy milk mixture and beat till foamy.  In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  Add in two batches to wet ingredients and beat until no large lumps remain.

3. Pour into liners, filling 3/4 of the way.  Bake 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes clean.  Transfer to cooling rack and let cool completely before frosting.

Vegan Cupcakes Over the World has 75–yes, 75!!–delicious recipes for dairy- and egg-free cupcakes.  Well, I haven’t worked my way through all of them, but they haven’t disappointed me yet…definitely a wise purchase, and the cookbook I personally use the most.

Happy Earth Day!