Vegan Basil Chocolate Cupcakes

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

-Bring rice milk to boil, turn off heat. Stir in basil, let steep. When cool, strain out basil, reserve liquid.

-In stand mixer with whisk attachment, on lowest setting, stir together flour, sugars, cocoa, baking powder, and baking soda.

-In large measuring cup mix basil infused rice milk, oil, and zucchini (or carrot). Pour into flour mixture, stir to incorporate then increase speed to medium and let whisk for 5-8 mins.

-Line cupcake pans and fill each cup half way with batter. Hint: use a measuring cup to pour batter into cupcake liners. (makes about 40-50 mini cupcakes)

-Bake about 15-20 mins, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.


Frosting:

-In saucepan whisk together basil, rice milk, sugar, and flour. Turn heat to med-low and stir constantly until thick and paste-like to fully cook off raw flour taste. This will take awhile of stirring and become so thick that it is difficult to stir, if it gets too thick for a metal whisk it helps to switch to a wooden spoon. Cool paste in fridge.

-In stand mixer with whisk attachment, cream margarine. Add paste and agar. Increase speed to high, whisk until fluffy. It will look clumpy at first but will smooth out after more whisking.

- Scrap into piping bag with number 32 tip and pipe onto cooled cupcakes.