Vegan Funfetti Cupcakes

These vegan funfetti cupcakes are sweet, fluffy, moist and colourful. They’re made with just a few ingredients and topped with creamy vanilla buttercream.

Confetti, funfetti- whatever you call it, these colourful strands of sugar really do add a special touch to any sweet treat.

You can turn an average cupcake into a beautiful one just by adding a little sprinkle or two, am I right?

I’ve been meaning to make these cupcakes for a while but only recently managed to get my hands on some more vegan-friendly sprinkles.

It’s been especially hard to find cake decorations with the way the stores have been lately. All the baking supplies have been WIPED OUT whenever I go.

Aside from toilet roll (why?) and pasta, the shelves have also been stripped of flour, sugar and baking powder!

Want more vegan cupcake recipes? Try these:

• Biscoff cupcakes
• Red velvet cupcakes
• Oreo cupcakes
• Chocolate orange cupcakes
• Chocolate cupcakes
• Vanilla cupcakes

It all feels a bit like the world’s gone mad. But I guess everyone’s had the same idea to start baking while they’re stuck at home, which can only be a good thing!

I did eventually manage to find what I was looking for and soon got to work baking these cute funfetti cupcakes!

I added some into the cupcake batter then sprinkled some more on top after piping my vanilla buttercream frosting. The result?

A super cute set of cupcakes that would make a great addition to any party or afternoon tea! These cakes are light, fluffy, moist, sweet and full of flavour. You’d never know they’re vegan!

How to make vegan funfetti cupcakes

Step 1:

Before you begin, preheat your oven to 180C/ 350F and line a cupcake tin with 12 paper cases.

Step 2:

In a small bowl or mug, mix together 280ml of soy milk (1 cup + 2 tablespoons) and 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to make vegan buttermilk.

Set it aside for 5 minutes. It should look slightly curdled and will be a little thicker.

If you don’t have apple cider vinegar, you can use white vinegar instead.

Any plant-based milk will work for this but may not “curdle” as well as soy milk. Regardless, it will do the same job when combined with the rest of the ingredients so don’t worry.

Step 3:

In a large bowl, mix together 230g (1 + 3/4 cups) of self-raising flour, 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda and 180g (3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons) of caster / superfine sugar.

Make sure there are no lumps of flour or sugar in the dry mixture before moving onto the next step.

Step 4:

Add the buttermilk that you made earlier into the bowl along with 6 tablespoons of vegetable oil and 3 teaspoons of vanilla.

If you don’t have oil to hand, you can substitute it for equal amounts of melted vegan butter. The butter should be measured after melting for best results.

Mix everything together in a figure-of-eight motion until smooth and creamy, ensuring that there are no lumps left at the bottom.

Step 5:

Add your vegan sprinkles into the cake batter. I used 200g of Unicorn Confetti which is equal to around 1 cup.

Mix the sprinkles in very gently and be careful that you don’t over-mix.

The colours from the sprinkles can bleed quite easily and taint the colour of your cake batter. And although that won’t affect the taste at all, green or blue cake batter isn’t always the most visually appealing!

Step 6:

Divide the mixture between your 12 cupcake cases and bake for around 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick through the centre comes out clean.

Transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack and leave them to cool completely.

Step 7:

While the cupcakes are cooling, prepare your vanilla buttercream frosting. You can also add food colouring to the frosting if you wish but I liked the simple, classic look of pale buttercream.

Step 8:

Pipe the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes and top with a few more sprinkles to finish.

Top Tips

• Make sure that the sprinkles you use are vegan-friendly

Watch out out for animal-derived ingredients such as carmine (also known as e120), beeswax, shellac, confectioner’s glaze, honey and milk powder.

• Fold the sprinkles into the cake batter very gently

If you mix too roughly or too quickly, you run the risk of turning your cake batter blue or green! The colours added to the sprinkles can bleed quite easily so make sure to take your time!

• Use vegan butter if you don’t have oil to hand

Vegetable oil can be substituted in equal amounts for vegan butter. Make sure to measure it out after it’s melted.

FAQ:

I hope you enjoy this recipe! If you make it at home, please leave a rating or comment below to let me know what you think.

Happy baking!xo

5 from 1 vote

Print

Vegan Funfetti Cupcakes

Light and fluffy vanilla cupcakes with funfetti sprinkles baked inside.

Course Dessert

Cuisine vegan

Keyword vegan funfetti cupcakes

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 18 minutes

Servings 12 cupcakes

Calories 478 kcal

Ingredients

• 280 ml Soy milk (1 cup + 2 tablespoons)
• 1 Teaspoon Apple cider vinegar (sub white vinegar or lemon juice)
• 230 g Self-raising flour (1+ ¾ cups)
• ½ Teaspoon Baking soda
• 180 g Caster / superfine sugar (¾ cup + 2 tablespoons)
• 6 Tablespoons Vegetable oil
• 3 Teaspoons Vanilla extract
• 200 g Vegan-friendly sprinkles 1 cup)

To top:

• 240 g Vegan butter (1 cup)
• 1 Teaspoons Vanilla extract
• 600 g Icing/powdered sugar (500g)
• 2-3 Tablespoons Vegan-friendly sprinkles

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C/325°F if using a fan or convection oven) and line a 12-hole cupcake tin with paper cases.

2. Mix together the soy milk and vinegar to make vegan buttermilk. Set it aside for 5 minutes to thicken slightly.

3. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda and caster sugar. Make sure there are no lumps left in the bowl.

4. Add in the buttermilk from earlier along with the oil and vanilla. Mix until smooth and make sure there's no dry mixture left at the bottom of the bowl.

5. Gently fold the sprinkles into the cake batter.

6. Divide the mixture between your cupcake cases and bake for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick through the centre comes out clean.

7. Transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack and leave them to cool completely.

For the buttercream frosting:

1. Add the vegan butter and vanilla into a large bowl. Beat with an electric whisk or wooden spoon until pale and fluffy.

2. Slowly add the icing sugar, a little at a time and keep mixing it together until combined.*

3. Pipe some buttercream frosting onto each cupcake and decorate with a few more sprinkles.

Recipe Notes

• Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 4 days.
• *The consistency of the frosting will depend on which type of butter you use. If it’s too thick, add a splash of plant-based milk and if it’s too runny, add more icing sugar.

Nutrition Facts

Vegan Funfetti Cupcakes

Amount Per Serving (1 cupcake with buttercream)

Calories 478 Calories from Fat 126

% Daily Value*

Fat 14g22%

Sodium 94mg4%

Carbohydrates 86g29%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 57g63%

Protein 3g6%

* All values are an estimate only and will vary depending on the food brands used.