Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes

These vegan vanilla cupcakes are light, fluffy and topped with creamy vanilla buttercream frosting. Basic cupcakes are a staple that everyone should know how to make, and I want to show you how to do it without eggs or dairy!

In honour of my dear ole’ mum getting married this week, I wanted to create a wedding-inspired dessert.

Nothing too fancy, but something plain, white and beautiful. Just like these vanilla cupcakes!

I have a few other cupcake recipes on the blog but I wanted to bring it back to basics! No fancy flavourings or decorations.

I think every baker should know how to bake simple vanilla cupcakes. It’s one of the first things I learned to bake as a child.

Of course, making vanilla cupcakes vegan can be a bit of a challenge if you’ve never played around with dairy-free or egg-free baking.

First, you need to find a way to make them fluffy without using eggs. But not too fluffy- because you don’t want them to collapse in on themselves as they bake. And then there’s the other problem of how to keep the cupcakes moist.

But don’t worry, this recipe tastes just as good as any non-vegan cupcake I’ve made before!

How To Make Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes

Step 1

The first step is to preheat your oven  to 180C / 350F and line a cupcake tray with 12 cases.

Step 2:

Mix together 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar and 280ml (1 cup + 2 tablespoons) of soy milk. Set it aside for now.

I almost always bake with soy milk because it is closest in consistency to dairy milk in my opinion. But feel free to use whichever kind of plant-based milk you like.

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

Step 3

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

If you’re unable to find self-raising (also known as self-rising) flour where you live, you can use plain flour instead and add 2 teaspoons of baking powder to the recipe.

Using a combination of plain flour and baking powder seems to work well. The cupcakes will rise nicely and give a delicious, crumby texture.

Want more vegan cupcake recipes?

• Carrot cupcakes
• Oreo cupcakes
• Biscoff cupcakes
• Red velvet cupcakes
• Funfetti cupcakes

Step 4

Now add the milk mixture into the dry mixture along with 6 tablespoons of sunflower oil (or melted vegan butter) and 3 teaspoons of vanilla extract. Mix well until you have a smooth cake batter.

Your cake batter should be “dropping consistency”. This means that when you put some on a spoon and tip the spoon upside down, the batter should “drop” off. It shouldn’t be too runny nor too thick- just somewhere in between.

Step 5

Divide the cake mix between 12 cupcake cases and bake them for 18-20 minutes. A toothpick through the middle should come out clean.

When they’re done baking, transfer them onto a wire rack until they are completely cool.

Buttercream frosting to top

No vanilla cupcakes would be complete without buttercream frosting!

You can totally use a store-bought version if there’s one available where you live. Just be sure to check the ingredients for things like milk, eggs or gelatine.

But I always think that homemade frosting is the best kind of frosting. It only takes 5 minutes to make, pipes really well and will hold tall when the cupcake is left at room temperature. No more puddles of vegan frosting… yay!

All you need to do is put 240g (1 cup) of vegan butter into a bowl along with 600g (5 cups) of icing/powdered sugar. Gently mix it together using a wooden spoon until well combined.

Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and mix it in well. The result should be a smooth and creamy vegan frosting!

If it’s too thick, you can add a splash of milk until you get your desired consistency. Or if it’s too thin, just add more icing sugar.

You can spoon the frosting onto the cupcakes if you like but this recipe will give you enough to pipe beautiful swirls onto each cupcake. Of course, this step is totally optional but if you don’t currently own a piping bag and nozzle, I urge to you to check your local pound or dollar store. There’s something about piped frosting that adds an extra special touch to cupcakes.

FAQ:

If you make these cupcakes yourself, I’d love to know what you think. Please leave a comment or rating below and share your thoughts!

Happy baking.

xo

5 from 4 votes

Print

Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes

A simple, elegant cupcake made without eggs or dairy!

Course Dessert

Cuisine vegan

Keyword vegan vanilla cupcakes

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 18 minutes

Servings 12 cupcakes

Calories 393 kcal

Ingredients

• 280 ml Plant-based milk of choice (1 cup + 2 Tablespoons)
• 1 Teaspoon Apple cider vinegar (or white vinegar)
• 230 g Self-raising flour (1 + ¾ cups)
• ½ Teaspoon Baking soda
• 180 g Caster/superfine sugar (¾ cup + 2 tablespoons)
• 6 Tablespoons Sunflower oil (or melted vegan butter)
• 3 Teaspoons Vanilla extract

For the vanilla frosting:

• 240 g Vegan butter (1 cup)
• 600 g Icing / powdered sugar (5 cups)
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla extract
• 1-2 Tablespoons Plant-based milk (depending on desired consistency)

Instructions

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

2. Mix the apple cider vinegar and plant-based milk together. Set aside for 5 minutes.

3. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda and sugar.

4. Add in the milk mixture, the oil and the vanilla extract. Mix well until you have a smooth cake batter.

5. Divide the mix between the cupcake liners and bake for 18-20 minutes. Check the cakes are baked all the way through by inserting a toothpick through the middle.

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

For the vanilla frosting:

1. Gently mix the vegan butter and icing sugar together with a wooden spoon until smooth.

2. Add the vanilla and mix again. If your frosting is too thick, add a splash of plant-based milk until you get your desired consistency. If it's too runny, add more icing sugar.

3. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag and pipe a swirl onto the middle of each cupcake.

4. Decorate with vegan sprinkles if desired, and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

• Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days

Nutrition Facts

Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes

Amount Per Serving (1 cupcake with buttercream)

Calories 393 Calories from Fat 117

% Daily Value*

Fat 13g20%

Sodium 94mg4%

Carbohydrates 66g22%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 53g59%

Protein 3g6%

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