Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World: 75 Dairy-Free Recipes for Cupcakes That Rule

I LOVE this cookbook! I use it for everything, my copy is literally falling apart because I use it so much. The recipes are easy to understand and the cupcakes come out perfect every single time, not to mention, there is almost a picture for every cupcake, so it's easy to copy her decorating ideas (and you will look like a pro). I get rave reviews everytime I bring these somewhere. I have also made many of these cupcakes into cakes, a two-layer 8" round cake or a 9x13 one-layer cake, I just double the recipe and lengthen the baking time. The cupcakes are so creative and the flavor combinations are out-of-this-world. As with all of Isa's cookbooks, you won't be disappointed. (A note to non-vegans: I know this isn't very "vegan" of me, but when I was a vegetarian and ate dairy, I would just substitute cow's milk and milk chocolate chips, and non-vegan margarine for the vegan ones it calls for and they still turned out great, so this dessert cookbook really is for everyone.) If you are looking to impress the masses with ultra-flavorful and beautifully decorated cupcakes, this cookbook is for you!

I love love LOVE this book. The recipes are simple and perfect, every time; I have had VCTOtW for about a month and a half now, and despite at least weekly bakings, haven't had a single recipe fail yet. Not one. Since I bought it I seriously can't stop baking and am beginning to fear for my waistline! I would like to second another reviewer who pointed out that the recipes don't ask you to use egg replacers or other "substitutions" common in vegan baking (usually because someone is trying to veganize a non-vegan recipe); instead, the recipes are just designed vegan from the ground up, and call for simple ingredients that anyone would have (oil, baking powder, etc.). Also, there are tons of beautiful color pictures of finished cupcakes throughout, which is one of the most important things about a cookbook, to me. Then, too, they suggest enough variations on each cupcake recipe (there's 6 suggested ways to dramatically alter the chocolate cupcake recipe alone) that this book will keep you occupied for quite a long time. Since every baker likes a little external validation, here's mine: I have gotten absolute raves on every cupcake I have made so far, and most of these raves were from non-vegans who were comparing my vegan cupcakes with regular [non-vegan] cupcakes. For example, last night I fed a chocolate cupcake with cookies 'n cream frosting (vegan buttercream frosting with Newman's O's mixed in... this is a recipe from the book, obviously) to a friend who didn't just enjoy it, but was absolutely WOWED. "Geeze, it's amazing what they're doing without dairy or eggs these days; these are better than regular cupcakes" was one comment that I particularly appreciated because most vegan desserts can taste good, but in my experience it's the rare vegan dessert that can taste identical or even BETTER than the regular omni thing. I would recommend this book to anyone, vegans and omni's alike, because even if you're not vegan (or lactose intolerant), the cupcakes taste fabulous. The recipes are so simple they're basically idiot-proof, and I have seriously never in my life had better chocolate cupcakes than the ones I made from this book: moist and fluffy and ooh... just perfect. And I'm not even a chocolate person. Anyway, do yourself (and everyone in your life who will be eating your baked goods) a favor and buy this wonderful book! I'd give it 10 stars if they'd let me...

The moment I pledged my devout allegiance to this book was when my husband's entire family (including my mother-in-law, who used to work at a bakery) fell in love with the gingerbread cupcakes w/ lemon buttercream icing I made from "Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World." Baking does not come naturally to me - thankfully, this cupcake book provides really good details and pictures that help any novice make beautiful, tasty cupcakes. TRUE SELLING POINT: Instead of "replacing" ingredients (i.e. substituting eggs with applesauce) the authors clearly took a lot of time and effort to concoct a perfect balance of ingredients to make these taste amazing, rather than like a "veganized' version of the "real thing." I cannot wait to try out some of the "fancy" cupcake recipes, like pistachio rosewater or the boston cream pie cupcakes. Brownie cupcakes look amazing, too, since I have not yet been able to create a good vegan brownie. "Vegan Cupcakes" is consistent with what I had expected from Isa's other book, "Vegan with a Vengeance." Along with the recipes, there is fun, cheeky commentary that makes the book so unique. In short, this book is great for vegans and non-vegans alike. You do not need dairy or eggs to enjoy these sweet & adorable treats!

I am not a vegan, but I loved Vegan with a Vengeance...and I couldn't wait for VCTOTW -- this book is awesome. So far I've only made the basic vanilla cupcakes but the frosting alone (vegan buttercream and the chocolate buttercream -- couldn't resist making both) was worth the price of the cookbook and MORE! And, to top it all off, I made the first batch in honor of my son's birthday and neither of my kids even blinked an eye to notice that these cupcakes were anything other than YUMMY! P.S. I have always been intimidated by cupcakes (and especially frosting) -- but these recipes made it all seem easier, somehow.

Isa is ruining my number one excuse for declining dessert, and most vegans know exactly what I'm talking about. Picture this scenario that all vegans have experienced countless times: you're at the office potluck/halloween party/family gathering. Post-meal, the desserts come flying to the table. As everyone lifts their forks grabbing their favorite decadent dessert, they stare at you. The strange vegan. Those who don't know you approach, and with a warm smile, offer you a slice of NY cheesecake. You decline politely, saying, "sorry, it has dairy so I don't eat cheesecake." Well, based on Isa's doing, I can no longer sit out from the dessert scene. I don't know if I should salute her or throw my bathroom scale at her since I no longer want to use it after baking from her new book. Similar to the reasons I raved about her cookbook, Isa's charming book of cupcake recipes is stellar. First of all, I challenge all omnivores out there to think of 75 possible cupcake combinations. Now take away the milk. And eggs. Oh, and one can't use any butter, so nix that too. Ah... that's better. Now one is introduced to the vegan-style baking that Isa makes so effortless for the rest of us who are ingredient-challenged. Before I learned how to bake vegan cupcakes from this book, I would trudge down to Sticky Fingers bakery in DC and cough up $4 for a product reminiscent of a 25-cent Hostess cupcake. While at the bakery I would hand over my money, gritting my teeth and reminding myself how lucky I am to live in a vegan-accepting city. Then, I would take a bite back to the 4th grade, pre-Vegan era. Not only does this book make baking a lot more economical and bring back those childhood memories, but these things are really frickin good. In the mood for fruity cupcakes? No problem. Craving rich chocolate buttercream? Simple. And delicious. And awesome. For all you closet vegans living in the heart of the south (and I'm sure you're out there), bake some of these cupcakes for the most die-hard fans of banana fosters and it will truly rock their world. I baked a variety of the cupcakes for a dinner party and when people saw them they asked when I stopped being vegan. What I'm trying to say: baking these delicious cupcakes are easy and the end result is phenominal. Not only is this cookbook revolutionary in that I can't think of another dedicated to the undiscovered art of cupcakes, but it's also one step closer to saving vegans from being known as the strange eater at the dinner table. Thank you, Isa Moskowitz, even if my growing thighs do not. How about for your next cookbook you introduce a low-fat vegan cookbook for those getting out of their cupcake-induced sugar comas?