Vegan Vanilla & Strawberry Cupcakes
If the idea of a fluffy, moist vegan vanilla cupcake with vegan strawberry frosting sounds like a good time, then buckle up! ‘Cause we are going to whip up an easy batch of delicious vegan cupcakes that you will want to make over and over again.
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Vegan Baking
I am not vegan, but I get frequent requests for vegan or dairy free recipes. Honestly, alternative baking really intimidated me at first, so I took a class about it at my local community college. Since then, I’ve actually come to enjoy my vegan bakes!
You can find a list of common baking substitutions for gluten free, sugar free, and vegan baking in the Bakes & Blunders Resource Library.
My vegan chocolate cupcakes have become my go-to easy chocolate cupcake recipe. They are so soft and fluffy! I even used the batter to make this fun dinosaur cake. But, until now, I hadn’t found a vegan vanilla cupcake recipe that I enjoyed.
Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes
Just a warning, these cupcakes are almost too easy to make. You just need two bowls and a whisk. This is great news, but it also means that you might find yourself making cupcakes at the drop of a hat. So be warned!
I still love my butter based cakes and cupcakes, but they tend to be a bit firm. These vegan vanilla cupcakes are so soft and fluffy! If they didn’t taste so good, I’d be tempted to turn them into a pillow.
But, also, who wouldn’t want to wake up on top of a tasty cupcake?
Tops Tips for Cupcakes
- Make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature. This will help everything blend nicely and give your cupcakes a nice texture.
- Scrape down your bowl to get any hidden pockets of dry ingredients.
- Do NOT over mix. Once you add the wet and dry ingredients, mix gently just to combine.
- Place some dried rice (½ – 1 teaspoon) in the bottom of each cupcake cavity before adding your paper cases.
- Use a large cookie scoop to perfectly portion your cupcake batter.
Vegan Strawberry Frosting
Freeze dried fruit is my favorite secret ingredient. It’s a great way to add a punch of fresh flavor without also adding a ton of moisture. In this vegan strawberry frosting recipe, we’re adding powdered strawberries and just a dash of strawberry emulsion. And this is the natural color! I haven’t added any food gel, but you can for a more intense shade.
I’ve found that freeze dried raspberries add more flavor and color than strawberries. Using just a tiny bit of strawberry emulsion boosts the flavor without adding a chemical taste.
If you don’t want to use the emulsion, you could probably get away with using another bag of the freeze dried strawberries. And vice versa. If you don’t want to use the strawberry powder, just increase the emulsion.
Related Reading: Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes
Let’s Talk Piping
Huge shout out to my buddy Chelsea from @jonesinforatreat for introducing me to tip 888. This beauty is a big ole piping tip, but it pipes the perfect amount of frosting onto each cupcake. Plus, it’s gorgeous!
To get this look, just pipe one swirl or rosette (make an e). When you get to the point where you started, release your pressure and pull off. There will be a little mark where you pull off. I like to cover this up with buttercream flowers, sprinkles, or freeze dried strawberries like I did here.
Hand Mixer vs. Stand Mixer
I used my hand mixer for this frosting, but it was almost too much for my little guy to handle. This frosting makes enough to cover about 18 cupcakes. If you needed to cover a full sized cake, I would do a double batch.
A stand mixer is absolutely necessary if you are making a double batch. Heck, if it’s not a pain in the butt, you may want to pull it out just for this single batch. It’ll make the process just a bit easier.
Enjoy!
Whether you are a lifelong vegan, dabbling, or have food sensitivities, you are sure to love how delicious and easy these vegan vanilla and strawberry cupcakes are. You can whip them up in a flash to satisfy any sudden sweet cravings.
And if you enjoyed this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Drop a comment and tell me what you thought. Don’t forget to let me know if there are any other vegan recipes you’d like me to tackle.
Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes with Vegan Strawberry Frosting
Ingredients
Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes
- 4.5 oz all- purpose flour
- 2.25 oz cake flour
- 5.5 oz sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 8 fl oz non- dairy milk (I used almond milk)
- 1 Tbsp white vinegar
- 2 fl oz canola oil
- 1 tsp vanilla
Vegan Strawberry Frosting
- 1 oz freeze dried strawberries
- 8 oz plant based butter softened
- 15 oz powdered sugar sifted
- 1/4 tsp strawberry emulsion
- 1- 2 Tbsps non- dairy milk (I used almond milk)
Instructions
Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a cupcake tin with paper cases, set aside.
- Sift the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl. Whisk to combine, then set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine non-dairy milk, vinegar, oil, and vanilla. Whisk until thoroughly combined.
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and whisk until the batter is well combined and smooth, but do not over mix.
- Use a large cookie scoop to evenly divide the batter among the 12 paper cases. Bake for 18- 20 minutes. They are done when the tops spring back when poked and a skewer comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then remove to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
Vegan Strawberry Frosting
- Place the freeze dried strawberries in a small food processor and pulse until fine. If you will be piping the frosting, sift out the larger chunks. You can use these as sprinkles on the finished cupcakes.
- Beat the butter until smooth and creamy, about 3- 5 minutes. Add the strawberry powder and a third of the powdered sugar. Beat to combine, then scrape down the bowl. Repeat with two more additions of powdered sugar, scraping the bowl down after each.
- Add the strawberry emulsion and beat to combine. Add the non- dairy milk a bit at a time until you reach the desired consistency. Taste and adjust flavors as necessary.
Notes
- To make mini cupcakes, use 1 tablespoon of batter in each mini cupcakes cavity. Bake for 12- 15 minutes.
- Recipe makes enough frosting for about 18 cupcakes.
Colleen
Hi there! I’m Colleen, a novice baker with a passion for learning and improving my bakes… and blunders. On Bakes and Blunders, you can find all sorts of tasty recipes that range in difficulty, but most importantly, I’ll try to explain the reason behind important steps. If you know why a recipe works, you can tweak and adapt it to suit your unique tastes, and you’ll be able to reliably produce some very delicious treats. If you love baking and want to expand and grow your skills, or if you are a casual baker and just need some pointers, my blog is right up your alley! Join me on my baking journey and we’ll learn how to make more impressive recipes together.
2 Comments
Kelly Lynn Cassady
Such beautiful piping! Love your blog, such great resources!
Colleen
Thanks! That piping tip makes beautiful cupcakes crazy easy. I’m in love 😀