Vegan "buttermilk" Brownies

My grandma's to-die-for recipe gets updated to accommodate the vegan. These moist, cake-like brownies are topped with a stiff, buttercream-like frosting and are absolutely irresistible!

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Yields: 25 brownies

Ingredients

• BROWNIES

• 1  cup all-purpose flour
• 1  cup sugar
• 2 1⁄2 teaspoons  unsweetened cocoa
• 1⁄2 cup water
• 1 1⁄4 cups applesauce
• 1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄4 cup soymilk, with
• 3⁄4 teaspoon vinegar, added to soy milk

• FROSTING

• 1⁄8 cup  cocoa
• 1⁄4 cup soymilk, with
• 1⁄2 teaspoon vinegar, added
• 1⁄2 cup  earth balance  butter substitute
• 2 1⁄4 cups powdered sugar
• 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375. Grease a 9x13" baking pan.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar and cocoa and mix well. In small saucepan, combine water and applesauce and bring to a boil. Add to flour mixture and beat at low speed just until blended; continue beating at high speed until smooth.
3. Add baking soda and soy milk-vinegar to flour mixture and blend well. Pour into greased pan and bake at 375 for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Be careful not to overbake.
4. To make frosting: In large saucepan, combine cocoa, milk-vinegar, and butter substitute. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then remove from heat and add powdered sugar and vanilla. Mix well, and spread over warm brownies. Allow to cool before cutting into bars and serving.