Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes

I made Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World for a coworker's farewell party yesterday. The process was a bit involved, and it's the first time I had to buy something special--agar powder--to make vegan cupcakes.

First I made the Vegan Vanilla Pastry Creme. I cooked the agar powder in soy milk for a few minutes then added a mixture of arrowroot powder and soy milk. The result was an extremely thick pudding-like mixture that, after it set in the refrigerator, turned to something like a very thick jelly. Then I blended it with silken tofu, superfine sugar, and vanilla extract. The result was more like a pudding than a custard, so I was a little disappointed.

Next I made the Golden Vanilla Cupcakes, which continue to be my favorite from the book. They turn out moist, delicious, and perfect every time.
I had a new decorating tip to fill cupcakes, but it didn't work out great, so I did it the old-school way: poking my finger in to create holes and filling them up as much as I could--which wasn't a lot because I had a lot of the pastry creme left over (that immediately went into my belly).
Last I made the Rich Chocolate Ganache Topping, which is quick and easy to make by adding vegan chocolate chips and maple syrup to hot soy milk. I gave the cupcakes a double topping for a really thick, fudgy top.

When I first tried one, I wasn't totally happy with it. My husband reported that they were "just OK" and said he didn't like the creme. But the next day when I had another, after they'd sat for a day, they were fabulous. The cupcakes were super moist from the creme inside, and the combination of the moist cupcakes, vanilla creme, and rich, thick, chocolately topping was really great. Everyone at the party really liked them too.