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Delicious and Tasty Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes!
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!
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.
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!
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.
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!
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/Soy/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 till 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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58 Comments
J
May 5, 2021 at 5:21 pmHi!
Would a spot of food colouring in the buttercream work or would it make it too slack?..
Thanks!
Jane's Patisserie
May 5, 2021 at 7:43 pmIt would work as long as it was a super strong gel colouring so you don’t need to add much x
Mandy
April 27, 2021 at 11:58 amHi 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
Jane's Patisserie
May 6, 2021 at 1:27 pmHey!! Ahh you are so welcome, my method just doesn’t require you to do this that’s all!xx
Katie
March 5, 2021 at 9:40 pmAbsolutely 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
Jane's Patisserie
March 6, 2021 at 7:04 pmHave a look at the tiered version on my blog – https://www.janespatisserie.com/2020/01/18/vegan-victoria-sponge/
Efrah
February 6, 2021 at 12:56 pmcan you use balsamic vinegar
Jane's Patisserie
February 6, 2021 at 3:50 pmNo, you need a white vinegar such as the white wine or apple cider x
Rebecca
February 4, 2021 at 1:38 pmHi 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
Jane's Patisserie
February 4, 2021 at 6:25 pmDid they soften and become normal after cooling? It may be that they hadn’t finished baking quite so needed to cool first if so!
Efrah Hassan
February 2, 2021 at 2:40 pmcan you leave out the white wine vinegar in the vanilla cupcakes
Jane's Patisserie
February 2, 2021 at 6:53 pmNo, you need a white vinegar or alternative for the recipe to work!!
Rebecca
February 2, 2021 at 10:45 amCould 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)
Jane's Patisserie
February 2, 2021 at 1:49 pmYes, but you would need to use whole milk x
Jo
December 15, 2020 at 1:28 amHi I have a gas oven instead of electric, would I still be able to make these and would I need to change timing?
Thanks
Jane's Patisserie
December 15, 2020 at 9:42 amI’m afraid I don’t bake with gas ovens but I would assume its just the equivalent temperature!
Yumna
November 20, 2020 at 11:11 pmHi, is there an alternative to white wine vinegar please? Is normal vinegar ok to use?
Jane's Patisserie
November 21, 2020 at 10:51 amYou 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
Lauren
November 11, 2020 at 4:53 pmBeen 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!!
SS
October 25, 2020 at 9:18 pmHi,
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
Jane's Patisserie
October 26, 2020 at 9:34 amThis 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!
Eva
October 14, 2020 at 6:45 pmWhat vegan spread would be best to use in these? thanks x
Jane's Patisserie
October 14, 2020 at 6:56 pmI use stork block now (the one in foil, not the tub) as it’s naturally vegan!
Georgia
November 28, 2020 at 10:49 amFlora Plant is amazing. It’s as stable as butter you would never know the difference
Fatema
October 2, 2020 at 11:43 amHi Jane.
How do i convert this recipe to vegan chocolate cupcake recipe please?
Thanks
Jane's Patisserie
October 2, 2020 at 12:12 pmHave a look at my vegan chocolate orange cupcakes, but leave out the orange x
Raji Dattani
September 24, 2020 at 11:50 pmHello! 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
Jane's Patisserie
September 25, 2020 at 5:27 pmHave a look at my vegan Victoria sponge which is a two layer 8″ x
Susan Lawless
October 15, 2020 at 10:56 pmLove using this recipe, I sometimes swapp the vanilla essence with lemon, with a vanilla buttercream with candied citrus. X
Amara
September 12, 2020 at 12:35 amHi 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
Jane's Patisserie
September 12, 2020 at 10:50 amFlavouring oil is fine as it should be very very little x
Kay
September 4, 2020 at 10:46 amHi,
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
Jane's Patisserie
September 4, 2020 at 2:41 pmAh 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
Katie
August 14, 2020 at 7:01 pmHi,
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!
Jane's Patisserie
August 14, 2020 at 8:49 pmHey! 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
Marta
July 8, 2020 at 3:25 pmOnce made this recipe many times and they always turn out perfect! No one would say they are vegan! Amazing 🥰
Sanchez
July 6, 2020 at 12:52 pmHello, 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?
Jane's Patisserie
July 6, 2020 at 1:37 pmThis 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
Sanchez Patel
July 6, 2020 at 2:51 pmAhh I see, I used regular semi skimmed milk, would that be why they were doughy? Xx
Jane's Patisserie
July 6, 2020 at 2:56 pmYes, it could be – If swapping to dairy milk, you need to use full fat! But ideally, dairy-free milk is used! x
Samantha
June 19, 2020 at 6:28 pmHi Jane will this recipe work with GF flour thanks
Jane's Patisserie
June 19, 2020 at 7:25 pmI haven’t tried my vegan cakes GF yet, but theoretically it should!
Kayleigh
April 22, 2020 at 2:55 pmThese 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?
Jane's Patisserie
April 22, 2020 at 4:24 pmI haven’t tried this – but I don’t see why melted coconut oil wouldn’t work!
Laura Teagle
February 1, 2020 at 3:13 pmI 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!!
Jane's Patisserie
February 1, 2020 at 9:56 pmYeah you only need to do it by hand as mentioned in the post! Definitely over mixed!
Andy
November 5, 2019 at 8:15 amHi, 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!
Jane's Patisserie
November 5, 2019 at 9:42 amGenuinely 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!
Jean
January 20, 2019 at 3:22 pmMade these today and finished with your chocolate frosting from one of your other recipes and topped with flakes. Delicious ….. love your recipes 💗
Mrs Revell
January 5, 2019 at 7:24 pmHow much baking powder?
Jane's Patisserie
January 5, 2019 at 7:47 pmSorry, that was an error – no Baking Powder!
Tasnim
January 4, 2019 at 7:30 pmcould you use apple cider vinegar instead of white wine vinegar
Jane's Patisserie
January 4, 2019 at 8:58 pmI haven’t tried it personally, but I don’t see why not! x
Debbie Scott
May 1, 2021 at 7:12 pmJust 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
Sara
January 2, 2019 at 1:23 pmThank 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
Liz Bradley
January 2, 2019 at 9:15 amCould you make them gluten free by using gluten free flour and xantham
Jane's Patisserie
January 2, 2019 at 10:59 amI have never tried myself, but I would say give it a go!
Em
November 14, 2019 at 11:04 pmI have just made 2 batches gluten free with xanthan gum and they turned out great!