I am a hopeless procrastinator. This can prove to be a problem when baking, since I rarely plan my recipes in advance. I never seem to have butter or eggs and room temperature when I need them.
Have you ever tried to bring butter to room temperature in the microwave? I never seem to be very successful at it. I always end up with a big gloopy mess on my hands, no matter how careful I am. I’m convinced that microwaves hate me.
Fortunately for me, there are vegan cupcake recipes that require no butter or eggs. In fact, I didn’t even need a mixer for this recipe. Just a mixing bowl and a whisk will do. Cupcakes in the oven in 5 minutes flat? Yes, please. And they’re delicious, too. I’ve won plenty of friends with these bad boys. And not just vegan friends.
Maybe one day I’ll stop procrastinating, but I’ll worry about that later. For now, I’ll eat this cupcake.
Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World
makes 12 cupcakes
For the Cupcakes:
1 cup soymilk (or your favorite non-dairy milk)
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup vegetable or canola oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
For the frosting:
1/2 cup nonhydrogenated shortening (I used Spectrum Organic)
1/2 cup nonhydrogenated margerine (I used Earth Balance)
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup soymilk or soy creamer
To make the cupcakes:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line the cupcake pan with liners.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the soymilk and vinegar. Set aside for a few minutes to curdle.
3. Add the sugar, oil and vanilla. Whisk together until foamy.
4. Sift in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cornstarch, and salt. Whisk together until no lumps remain.
5. Divide the mixture evenly between the 12 cupcake liners. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until done in the center. Cool completely before frosting.
Note: If you’re not vegan and only have regular milk on hand, you can sub regular milk for soymilk.
To make the frosting:
1. Beat the shortening and margerine together on medium speed until fluffy.
2. Add the powdered sugar and beat for another 3 minutes. Start your mixer on low until the powdered sugar is just combined, otherwise you’ll be wearing it. Then increase the speed to medium.
3. Add the vanilla and soymilk. Beat for another 5-7 minutes on medium high, or until fluffy.
4. Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes and top with sprinkles of you wish.
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{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
When I soften butter i hit the “30 seconds” button on my microwave, but I’ll do 7 seconds, pause and turn the stick(s) over, then 6, turn, until they’re perfect.
That used to work for me, but my new microwave is just freakishly powerful. Even the low settings seem too high. : (
No butter in vegan cupcakes, and it feels to me like the margarine gets to room temp faster. So i usually just glop however much i need onto a bowl or plate and let it sit on the countertop while i do other stuff. Right there with ya on the procrastination
And these look great! I keep hearing complaints and whining about that buttercream, but yours looks pretty perfect. Did you use all of the soymilk?
Yes, I agree. Vegan margarine comes to room temperature much faster. I have even used it to make frosting straight from the fridge and not had any problems. I did use the full 1/4 cup of soymilk. It makes the frosting less stiff, and I like the fluffy texture when the soy milk is whipped in.
Powdered sugar is not vegan, it is ground using animal bones! I see so many people making this mistake. You can take sugar in the raw and grind it a coffee grinder.
Wholesome Sweeteners makes a vegan powdered sugar. If you are making your own, add a little bit of cornstarch to get the right consistency. http://frugalliving.about.com/od/condimentsandspices/ht/Powdered_Sugar.htm
Can I use butter instead of using shorting
You can, they just won’t be vegan
These were really light and fluffy which is what i was hoping for. I found the muffin a bit flavourless though but i love a strong vanilla flavour so will add more vanilla paste which gives a stronger taste. I am also gluten free so subed the regular flour for gluten free and they worked out great! Thanks for the nice recipe!
I’ve never tried this with gluten free flour. Glad to know it turned out well! And I’m a firm believer that adding extra vanilla is never a bad idea.
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