Depending on your willpower perspective, it's either the first day of Lent or national Margarita Day. Or who knows, it could be both if you make the vegan strawberry margarita cake — or sure, Happy Hour cupcakes — from the new baking book Sticky Fingers' Sweets: 100 Super-Secret Vegan Recipes by Doron Petersan, owner of Sticky Fingers Bakery & Café in Washington, D.C.

Not quite sold on the idea of a vegan margarita cake/cupcakes? The book has plenty of classic tiramisu, peanut butter cookie and chocolate mocha cake recipes, too. Well, not exactly classic, as there are those “The No'Stess With the Mostess Cupcake” recipe headers to get past first. Yeah, a real margarita is probably a wise countertop sipping accessory when you make that strawberry margarita cake. Get the recipe after the jump.

Strawberry Margarita Cake or Cupcakes

From: Sticky Fingers' Sweets by Doron Petersan.

Makes: One 9-inch 2-layer cake or 18 cupcakes.

Note: If you make cupcakes, Petersan says you can salt the rim of your cupcakes if desired by rolling the edge of the “frosted cutie” on a plate lined with sea salt. For the cake, sprinkle salt directly along the edges.

To make homemade strawberry puree, heat 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen berries in a medium heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until they break down, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and blend with an electric hand blender, then return to the heat and cook down until most of the liquid is evaporated, about 15 minutes. Cool completely.

2 ¾ plus 1 ½ tablespoons (14 ounces) AP flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 ¼ cups plus 3 tablespoons (10 ounces) sugar

2/3 cup non-hydrogenated vegan margarine (recommended: Earth Balance)

1 ½ teaspoons egg replacer (recommended: Ener-G)

¼ cup water

½ cup finely chopped strawberries

¼ cup unsweetened strawberry puree, store-bought or homemade

¾ cup soy milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Margarita Frosting (recipe follows)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

2. Line two 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper, or lightly oil and dust with flour.

3. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl. Set the bowl aside.

4. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, combine the sugar and margarine, and cream together with the whisk attachment, about 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to insure the ingredients are incorporated.

5. In a small bowl or cup, combine the egg replacer and water and stir to dissolve the egg replacer. Add the egg replacer mixture to the sugar mixture and mix until combined. Scrape the bottom of the bowl to insure the ingredients are incorporated.

6. Add the strawberries and strawberry puree and mix until well combined. Scrape the bottom of the bowl.

7. In a small bowl, combine the soy milk and vanilla and set aside.

8. Turn the mixer speed to low and slowly add the dry ingredients and the soy milk mixture, alternating between the two and ending with the soy milk.

9. Distribute the batter evenly between the two pans. Bake for 18 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or the cakes springs back to the touch.

10. Place the pans on a cooling rack to cool completely, then run a knife or plastic dough scraper around the edges of the pans to loosen the cakes from the sides. Turn the pans upside down to remove the cakes.

11. If you are making cupcakes, fill 18 lined cupcake cups three-quarters full and bake for 16 to 19 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Place the cupcake tins on a cooling rack to cool completely, then turn the tins upside down to remove the cupcakes.

12. Frost with the margarita frosting.

Margarita Frosting

¾ cup non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening (recommended: Earth Balance)

7 ½ cups (2 pounds, 2 ounces) powdered sugar

¾ teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons tequila

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon lime juice

Yellow and green food coloring (optional)

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip the shortening with the paddle attachment until completely softened. Scrape the bottom of the bowl.

2. On low speed, slowly add the powdered sugar a little at a time, then add the salt.

3. Once the sugar and salt are incorporated, add the tequila and lime juice and mix on low speed until the liquids are incorporated.

4. Scrape the bottom of the bowl and mix on medium-high speed until all the ingredients are combined and the frosting is fluffy, about 2 minutes.

5. Add one or two drops each of yellow and green food coloring, if using, and mix until incorporated.

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