The rain against the window in 2016 sounded like static. My oven had died the night before Thanksgiving—of course—and I was attempting to bake in my neighbor’s cramped galley kitchen that smelled vaguely of fish oil and good intentions. Vegan Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes were not on the original menu, but desperation breeds innovation, and I had three cans of pumpkin and a crowd of damp, hungry relatives arriving in two hours. I remember the way the cloves burned my nostrils when I leaned too close to the mixing bowl, and how the batter splattered across her too-small counter because her … Find out more