Vegan ginger cupcakes with nonvegan cream cheese icing

(Vegan) Ginger Cupcakes (makes 12)

wet:
*1 1/4 c soy milk
3 T candied ginger, chopped
1 t vanilla extract
1/3 c vegetable oil
*1 t distilled white or apple cider vinegar
2 T blackstrap molasses

dry:
1 2/3 c flour
1 c sugar
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/2 t each ground cinnamon and ground cardamom
2-3 t ground ginger

*if you don’t have or like soy milk, you can substitute regular milk. Buttermilk would be lovely, but thicker and more acidic, so add some water and omit the vinegar.

Soak the ginger in the soy milk to soften.
Grease/line cups in a muffin pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the dry ingredients. Add the soy milk to the rest of the wet ingredients in a separate bowl. Mix wet and dry until thoroughly combined. Fill muffin cups 3/4 full and bake till toothpick poked in center comes out clean. Cool completely before icing.

Icing (nonvegan)

8 oz cream cheese, softened
8 oz mascarpone cheese
1 c powdered sugar
1 t vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients and whip until fluffy. Chill until ready to use.

Optional: fold in 1 cup heavy cream, whipped, to make a lighter, fluffier icing