Spring is finally upon us! Birds are singing, flowers are in bloom and the temperature is climbing past jacket stage and heading into shorts and flip flops territory. As for me, I’ve got one thing on my mind. Ice cream! Everything is better when you’re holding an ice cream cone in your hand. Having a picnic in the park? Sounds nice. Having a picnic in the park while serving cones filled to the brim with sugary goodness? Sounds perfect! The only problem is that ice cream isn’t really a picnic-friendly food. It’s a pain to transport from one location to another and it begins to melt before you’ve even cracked open the potato salad. Don’t worry, though, I have a solution to this delicious dilemma. Here is a sweet treat that gives you the satisfaction of enjoying something portable, lickable and irresistible without leaving your hands, face and everything else in the vicinity an ooey gooey mess.

These ice cream cones are filled with rich, chocolate cake and topped with a swirly cream cheese frosting. Best of all, they are 100% vegan.

This recipe makes 12 cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup vegan refined sugar
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
• 1/2 cup coffee, brewed and cooled
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup vegan cream cheese, softened (I used Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese)
• 1 cup Earth Balance Organic Buttery Spread, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 6 cups vegan confectioners’ sugar

Preparation:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, refined sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.
3. In a separate bowl, stir together the vegetable oil, almond extract, distilled white vinegar, coffee and water.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix on low-medium speed for 1 minute.
5. Spoon the batter into the ice cream cones, filling each cone 3/4 of the way full.
6. Stand each cone upright in a cupcake tin and carefully place in the oven, making sure not to knock over any of the cones.
7. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick can be inserted and removed cleanly. Allow the cake cones to cool completely before adding on the frosting.
8. To make the frosting, combine the vegan cream cheese, Earth Balance, vanilla extract and confectioners’ sugar in a large bowl and mix on low-medium speed until well combined.
9. Use a spatula or piping bag to frost the cakes.

This recipe makes a large amount of frosting so you can pile it high on the cakes, giving it the appearance of soft serve ice cream.