January 2, 2019
Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes!
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Delicious and tasty vegan vanilla cupcakes!
Veganuary!
So, it’s the new year, and I am starting it out with a VEGAN recipe. That’s right, vegan. Don’t freak out or anything, but January is famous for being ‘Veganuary’ so I thought this would be a better time to post this, and I’ve made so many vegan cupcakes to try and find one I like the best, it took a little time.
This beauty of a recipe is based off of Loving it Vegans recipe, and it’s just so good! I did change a few little bits here and there as I’m in the UK, so our ingredients are different, and just to suit what I preferred basically! Either way, you can do a lot of experimentation if you prefer, but baking without egg is difficult!
Egg replacement
I’ve always managed to do dairy free because you can buy really good dairy free spreads in the supermarket, which work well in cake! Such as with my gluten & dairy free chocolate cake, it can be utterly delicious. The thing I have always struggled with, is getting the egg replacement correct.
It took me a good while to research into it all, which is why it’s taken so long to post. I am not vegan myself, so it’s not something I know a lot about, but after some requests I thought I would post a couple of recipes here and there to help out! A lot of egg replacers consist of apple sauce, or banana etc which I find a bit too faffy, and personally I can’t eat banana anyway.
Try not to over mix!
There are so many different vegan variations of cupcakes out there that you will manage to find what suits you, but this is definitely my favourite so far. It’s the only one I have found, that is actually tasty enough and has a good texture! If you do over mix the mixture however, it can go a little rubbery so be careful about that!
Milk alternative
I often have almond milk hot chocolates at home, because I love them, which is why I used it for these as well. You can easily swap to soya milk for example, or even oat milk, but I would be wary of coconut milk as it often has thickening agents in so is less ‘milk’ like. The taste doesn’t come through that much, but I still use the 2tsp of vanilla extract so you get a lovely flavour.
Buttercream
For the buttercream, I used Vitalite spread, and it’s my favourite one to use! I used it on my gluten & dairy free chocolate cake as well, and it’s been a big hit amongst my readers. There are quite a few others available, so it’s whatever you want to use in reality, but I know people will ask for which I used!
Check your ingredients
For the rest of the ingredients, you have to do the standard thing and check yourself whether and ingredient contains dairy or not if you have an allergy, but I can’t do that for you. Trust me, people have asked, but as I have readers all over the world, I have to say to double check everything first before buying!
I hope you love this recipe, and happy Veganuary! x
Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes!
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 225 g self raising flour
- 200 g caster sugar
- 250 ml almond/soya/dairy free milk
- 2 tsps vanilla extract
- 75 ml vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
Buttercream
- 150 g dairy free spread
- 350 g icing sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Sprinkles
Instructions
For the Cupcakes
- Preheat your oven to 180C/160C Fan, and get 12 cupcake cases ready!
- In a large bowl, whisk together your flour and sugar.
- Pour in your milk, vanilla, oil and vinegar, and mix until smooth.
- Try not to over mix, but make sure the lumps are gone.
- Split between the 12 cases (it will be quite runny), but stick with the 12 cases!
- Bake in the oven for about 20-22 minutes, or until baked through.
- Leave to cool fully!
For the Buttercream
- Beat your dairy free butter until smooth (it won't take long at all due to it being dairy free)
- Add in your icing sugar and vanilla and beat again until fluffy and buttercream like!
- Pipe onto your cupcakes how you please, and sprinkle with your favourite sprinkles!
Notes
- This recipe is based on Loving It Vegans recipe with a few changes!
- The cupcakes don't brown much at all, so don't worry if they look a little anaemic!
- You can substitute the oil for extra virgin olive oil!
- The buttercream will still be quite slack due to it being dairy free, so it doesn't hold perfectly - don't add any extra liquid!
- These will last 2-3 days once made, at room temperature.
ENJOY!
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J x
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Hi Jane, Is white wine vinegar and Apple cider vinegar OK for young children?
Hiya! Yes, as it’s baked. Also, the quantity is so tiny! Hope this helps! x
Hi Jane. Is it possible to downsize this recipe to make 6 cakes? I’m struggling to find a small batch vegan cupcake recipe for a baby shower at the weekend. Thank you x
Just half each of the ingredients 🙂
I’ve used this recipe to make the cupcakes – really delicious and the icing turned out surprisingly good. I love the decorations of the top of the cupcakes and the Polka-dots liner – very suitable for birthday celebration. Thank you so much. I made the cupcakes for a birthday celebration and the cupcakes made the celebration a success.
If I keep the cupcakes in the refrigerator, how long can the cupcakes last?
So glad you love them! They will last for 3-4 days at room temp. Hope this helps! x
I really rate this Vegan cupcake recipe. Made them with gluten free flour and they were lovely and moist, without that gluten free ‘tang’. Best ones I’ve made/tasted.
Is is better to use sweetened soya milk or unsweetened please?
Hiya! I tend to use unsweetened personally! Hope this helps! x
If I wanted to make these strawberry with some added jam to the sponge and/or buttercream, how much would you add in?
Hiya! I would core out the middle after baking and add a heaped teaspoon of jam! Hope this helps! x
Which vegan icing sugar do you use?
Tate & Lyle.
Do these cupcake freeze if I want to make them in advance??
Yes absolutely you can freeze them for up to 3 months! Enjoy! x
Hi! I made these for my vegan friends and they loved them! I found them, as you said, that they were quite anaemic, and noticed that in your vegan Victoria sponge you use half caster sugar and half light brown to make it not so, can you do that with these cupcakes?
Hiya! Im so glad to hear they loved them, and yes you absolutely can. Hope this helps! x
Tried with Doves Farm GF SelfRaising flour and it worked! This is awesome!
Turned out well with a nice light texture but a bit too sweet for my taste. Could I reduce the sugar in the sponge mix without it turning into a disaster? I was thinking of reducing the sugar by a third. What do you think. Would I need to add more flour?
Making these for my little ones 1st birthday as she has FPIES to egg! Need them as fluffy as poss would you recommend using the actual whisk attachment of my Kenwood mixer? Or the paddle type one I would usually use?? Thank you!
You do NOT need a mixer for the sponge, it is best done by hand. Mixers can easily overmix and aren’t always the best decision!
Hi Jane,
Traditionally cupcakes contain butter, sugar, flour and eggs. I’ve noted your comments about the egg substitute and the replacements you’ve used for this.
Why is there no butter/baking spread in the sponge recipe? Just curious as to why it is left out and not replaced with a vegan substitute.
I’m going to have a go at making them tomorrow ☺️
The recipe is as it is because you don’t need the eggs/butter for this recipe. It works perfectly as it is!
Hi, I made these a few days ago and after a couple of days in a cake tin, loads of oil has started leaking out of the icing and the cakes have ended up sitting in a puddle of oil which isn’t very appetising. Is there a reason why this may have happened? I used the violite butter as recommended in the recipe. Thanks 😀
Hey! Looking to do this recipe for my friends wedding cupcakes. Do these freeze well? Planning on baking more than 3 days ahead of the wedding (got a 3 tier to make and 100 cupcakes!!)
Thanks!
Yes they do! x
Can I ask, do you think you could use rice flour in this recipe? 😀 <3 My friend is coeliacs
Hi Jane! I was just wondering if you could turn these into lemon cupcakes by replacing the vanilla extract with lemon extract? And maybe adding some lemon zest into the buttercream? Thanks!
Hi!
Would a spot of food colouring in the buttercream work or would it make it too slack?..
Thanks!
It would work as long as it was a super strong gel colouring so you don’t need to add much x
Hi Jane, I use your recipes a lot so thank you for them.
Quick question for you. I notice a lot of other vegan cake recipes say to mix the vinegar with the plant based milk and to set aside to curdle but you don’t mention this. Is there any difference in the two methods? Are results the same?
Thanks for your help. Mandy
Hey!! Ahh you are so welcome, my method just doesn’t require you to do this that’s all!xx
Absolutely love this recipe they come out amazingly, and everyone loves the finished bake!!
If I was use this recipe for a tiered cake, would you say the amount of ingredients would equate to one tier?
Thank you X
Have a look at the tiered version on my blog – https://www.janespatisserie.com/2020/01/18/vegan-victoria-sponge/
can you use balsamic vinegar
No, you need a white vinegar such as the white wine or apple cider x
Hi Jane, tried the recipe out, tastes yummy, is it common for them to be a bit doughy when they first come out of the oven x
Did they soften and become normal after cooling? It may be that they hadn’t finished baking quite so needed to cool first if so!
can you leave out the white wine vinegar in the vanilla cupcakes
No, you need a white vinegar or alternative for the recipe to work!!
Hi Jane,
I loved this recipe the cupcakes were perfect!
If I wanted to make chocolate vegan cupcakes how much cocoa powder would I need to add? Xx
Have a look at my chocolate orange ones, and remove the orange!
Could you make this recipe and replace the dairy free milk with normal dairy milk to just make egg free cupcakes? (Don’t have to be vegan just egg free)
Yes, but you would need to use whole milk x
Can I adapt this recipe to make Chocolate egg free cupcakes please? They don’t need to be vegan.
I would use the chocolate orange ones I have posted, but use whole milk in place of the almond milk (and leave out the orange!)
Hi I have a gas oven instead of electric, would I still be able to make these and would I need to change timing?
Thanks
I’m afraid I don’t bake with gas ovens but I would assume its just the equivalent temperature!
Hi, is there an alternative to white wine vinegar please? Is normal vinegar ok to use?
You need a form of white vinegar preferably. I have not tried it, but apparently lemon works as well but I can’t guarantee that x
I have tried apple cider vinegar and that works great
Been struggling with vegan baking but this was the first light sponge cake recipe I’ve done that’s worked! Cakes were beautiful and soft and delicious, thanks so much:)
I didn’t have any vegan milk to hand but just blitzed water, some oats and a drop of oil in a food processer, sieved it and used that, worked great and was really quick (and cheap!). Should have the viscosity of rich whole milk. Good trick if you don’t have any vegan milk to hand!
Think I had been overmixing similar recipes slightly and realised my ancient gas oven was running cool. Thanks again for the tips – off to crack your vegan Victoria sponge recipe next, then I’ll be unstoppable!!
Hi,
I tried these for the first time today along with your vegan choc chip cookies (they are amazing!) The cupcakes had a great rise and the icing is delicious. However the cake has a really weird oily after taste. I only put it 75ml as stated in the recipe. Just wondered if there was a substitute oil or if there is a reason you can’t use the dairy free spread?
Thank you
This recipe is just the same base as my other vegan cakes and I find the oil method works best by far – what type of oil did you use? It may be best to swap to a different type as some are more flavourful than others!
Hi, I have just made them for the first time and found they tasted very oily to, I used sunflower oil would this of made a difference?
Hiya, yes this can make a difference! Hope this helps x
What vegan spread would be best to use in these? thanks x
I use stork block now (the one in foil, not the tub) as it’s naturally vegan!
Flora Plant is amazing. It’s as stable as butter you would never know the difference
Hi Jane.
How do i convert this recipe to vegan chocolate cupcake recipe please?
Thanks
Have a look at my vegan chocolate orange cupcakes, but leave out the orange x
Hello! I am planning on making a vegan vanilla two tier cake this weekend instead of cupcakes. This recipe looks great; is there anything you would recommend I change so I can make a regular 8 / 9 inch cake instead of cupcakes? Thank you so much! X
Have a look at my vegan Victoria sponge which is a two layer 8″ x
Love using this recipe, I sometimes swapp the vanilla essence with lemon, with a vanilla buttercream with candied citrus. X
Hi Jane, I know you’ve said not to add any extra liquid to the buttercream, but would it have any effect if I added a drop of flavouring oil? Thanks
Flavouring oil is fine as it should be very very little x
Hi,
This is my preferred vegan recipe – best out of all i have tried. However i find after a little bit of chewing the texture becomes gummy/doughy no matter how long i cook them for. Is this normal/ expected as they are vegan or am i doing something wrong?
Any response will be appreciated x
Ah yay! Okay so genuinely I have never had the doughy texture, but I always use the same vegan ingredients if that makes sense. It could maybe be from different milk for example, or maybe over mixing if the baking doesn’t change it? xx
Hi,
I’ve been looking for a recipe to bake a birthday cake for my friends daughter who is allergic to egg – they aren’t vegan though, would I be able to use “normal” milk for the recipe or would this change the taste/consistency – should I go with a dairy free alternative regardless? Thank you!
Hey! So in theory it would work fine if you use full-fat milk, but it for sure works with the almond/soy milk, so if in doubt just stick to vegan! X
Once made this recipe many times and they always turn out perfect! No one would say they are vegan! Amazing 🥰
Hello, just made these, they taste great and we’re super easy but they are very doughy in the middle. I mixed by hand and didn’t mix much, any advice?
This could be a few things – what vegan milk did you use? It does typically happens because of over-mixing but potentially also the temperature in the oven was wrong? x
Ahh I see, I used regular semi skimmed milk, would that be why they were doughy? Xx
Yes, it could be – If swapping to dairy milk, you need to use full fat! But ideally, dairy-free milk is used! x
Hi Jane will this recipe work with GF flour thanks
I haven’t tried my vegan cakes GF yet, but theoretically it should!
These look delicious! Dying to try them out. Just wondered if you knew if the recipe would be affected if I sub the veg oil for coconut oil instead?
I haven’t tried this – but I don’t see why melted coconut oil wouldn’t work!
I love the recipe but am finding they are coming out very doughy- can you advise as to what over whisking would be?? I have been using an electric mixer and am starting to think I should have whisked by hand!!
Yeah you only need to do it by hand as mentioned in the post! Definitely over mixed!
Hi, I’ve tried these a couple of times & the cakes seem a little doughy/wet, I’ve made a couple of batches & tried them in the oven a bit longer thinking they may have been under baked but they just go hard on the top & still feel a little doughy inside. Is this normal for this recipe? Or anything you can suggest to improve?
The flavour is great though!
Genuinely I have never experienced that with these – I have with other vegan cakes though. They are an extremely soft cake, and don’t require much mixing, so maybe they’re over mixed? Alternatively – what oven do you use? It might be that your oven is too hot so it’s not baking correctly!
Made these today and finished with your chocolate frosting from one of your other recipes and topped with flakes. Delicious ….. love your recipes 💗
How much baking powder?
Sorry, that was an error – no Baking Powder!
could you use apple cider vinegar instead of white wine vinegar
I haven’t tried it personally, but I don’t see why not! x
Just made these using gluten free flour and they were perfect, I put some custard powder in like you do in your GF cupcakes.
Thanks for the recipe, amazing as usual like all your recipes. X
Thank you! Trying out Veganuary s a challenge, my mate is giving up smoking for 30 days and I had to find something to match how uncomfortable she will be, I am already so scared to fail as I am such a cheese and cake lover! Thank you again will make this at my first moment of weakness
Could you make them gluten free by using gluten free flour and xantham
I have never tried myself, but I would say give it a go!
I have just made 2 batches gluten free with xanthan gum and they turned out great!