Easy Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes

Cupcakes are among the most beautiful treats on the planet. This vegan cupcake recipe is one of my favorites. You can’t get much better than soft, fluffy vanilla cupcakes topped with the most deliciously light frosting. I am using Russian piping tips to create the pretty flower decorations on top.

Looking for more cake recipes? Here are some of my favorites:

• Vegan Lemon Raspberry Cake
• Vegan Pavlova 
• Moist Carrot Cake with Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting
• Apple Almond Cake

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Do Vegan Cupcakes Taste Different from Regular Cupcakes?

Most people who try these vegan cupcakes are surprised when they discover they are entirely plant-based and vegan. I can’t stress the importance of starting with a good recipe. I have had some pretty dense and flavorless vegan cupcakes over the years, but with countless tries and much tweaking, we have come up with this vegan vanilla cupcake recipe. And in my opinion, it surpasses many regular cupcake recipes on the market.

What are Vegan Cupcakes Made of? 

Vegan cupcakes contain no eggs or dairy products. However, they do contain ingredients that are familiar to the cupcake baker such as flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, oil, and vanilla.

With this vegan version, we made a few substitutions to make the final product completely dairy-free, vegan, plant-based, and in my opinion, much better.

Plant-based milk: We use plant-based milk instead of regular milk. I prefer organic unsweetened almond or soy milk because they curdle when lemon juice is added, creating a lighter and fluffier cupcake.

Applesauce: There is hardly anything more disappointing than a dry cupcake, so I add a little applesauce to the batter to prevent this from happening. You will not be able to detect the taste of applesauce in the final product, but the difference in texture is tremendous.

Cardamom: Maybe it is my Norwegian roots, but a dash of cardamom takes the flavor of these vanilla cupcakes to the next level. It has a charming, comforting taste that will have people asking you for more.

Vanilla Extract or Vanilla Bean Paste: Most cupcake recipes have a splash of vanilla extract, but I like to add vanilla bean paste for a more robust, rounded vanilla flavor.

Why are Many Vegan Cakes and Cupcakes Dry and Dense?

Vegan cakes and cupcakes can become dry and dense for several reasons:

• Because vegan cupcakes do not include eggs, you must substitute eggs with something that will help the cake retain moisture. I prefer to use applesauce for this. It adds such wonderful moisture content to the final cake and helps the cake store better. Adding a couple of tablespoons of applesauce makes such a difference, and you will not taste the applesauce in the final product.
• Overmixing can also cause your cupcakes or cakes to become dry or dense. When mixing the wet and dry ingredients, be careful not to overmix. Only mix until no more dry flour patches are seen in the batter. Lumps are ok, do not mix until the batter is lump less, as this will result in a denser final cupcake.
• Taking the time to curdle the plant-based milk is an important step. Add fresh lemon juice to the milk and set aside until the milk is curdled before adding it to your batter. This step will create a lighter and fluffier cupcake.

How to Make Easy Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes

flour
all-natural cane sugar
baking powder
salt
cardamom
oil
plant-based milk
fresh lemon juice
vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
applesauce

Preheat oven to 350F. Line the cupcake tin with cupcake liners.

In a medium-size bowl, mix the plant-based milk and lemon juice. Let it sit for a couple of minutes until the milk is curdled. When curdled, add the oil, applesauce, and vanilla and gently stir to combine.

In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cardamom.

When the oven is ready, pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture, and stir to combine. Be careful not to overmix, as this will create a denser cupcake.

Transfer the batter to the cupcake tin. I like to use an ice cream scoop for this. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool on a cooling rack.

How to Make the Best Vegan Frosting:

Making light, fluffy, creamy frosting is an art. It has taken many years of practice and experimentation to land on a recipe that works well, and here it is.

So many of the vegan frostings are off in texture, color, and structure. We want to stay away from frostings that are too sweet, overpowering the cupcake. This recipe is creamy and extremely fluffy, easily spreadable, beautiful, and best of all, you can adjust the sweetness to your liking.

What is the base of my Vegan Frosting?

For the base of my frosting, I like to use a combination of vegan margarine and vegetable shortening. Earth Balance and Spectrum Organic Vegetable Shortening is an excellent combination. It is essential to whip the two together for 10 minutes to create the light and fluffy texture you associate with a great cupcake.

Let’s look at the ingredients:

vegan margarine and vegetable shortening
powdered sugar
vanilla powder
lemon extract

Whip the vegan margarine and vegetable shortening until light and fluffy. This normally takes about 10 minutes.
Add the lemon extract and mix again until incorporated.
Sift the powdered sugar and vanilla powder with a sieve.
Add sugar to the electric mixer and continue to whip for another couple of minutes.

Decorating:

The sky is the limit when it comes to decorating cupcakes. You can get so creative with the design and colors that you use. Countless piping bags, piping tips, and decorating techniques can be used to make beautiful cupcakes.

What Are Russian Piping Tips?

I am pretty new to Russian Piping tips, but they are large piping tips that have intricate designs to make beautiful flowers.

I am impressed by the sheer size of these piping tips! Amazon has an excellent selection, I purchased mine in a pack, so I have many different tips for various shapes. Click here to find the one I use.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

How long do vegan cupcakes last?

Cupcakes can last up to a week in the fridge in an airtight container and for several months in the freezer.

Can you freeze vegan cupcakes?

Yes, cupcakes freeze beautifully in freezer bags or containers. I like to freeze the unfrosted cupcakes and then make up a fresh batch of frosting when I want to serve them. Or you can experiment with freezing the whole frosted cupcake.

Can you make these cupcakes nut-free?

Yes, use nut-free milk.

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