Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes With Shamrock Icing
These Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes are so fluffy and moist with a touch of sweetness. They are an easy and delicious cupcake that everyone will absolutely LOVE!
I am respectfully devoting the day after Saint Patricks Day to eating Lucky Charms and these Shamrock Cupcakes in my underwear. Stop judging me.
Even though I created this cupcake recipe for Saint Patricks Day, you really don’t need a reason to celebrate and make them! They are the perfect cupcake recipe! The frosting can be made without peppermint extract and food dye for a basic vanilla buttercream frosting!
This is another vegan recipe that has got me questioning ALL my life choices. I seem to be on the vegan baking train and I don’t plan on coming off anytime soon!
Table of Contents
How to make the fluffy moist cupcakes
Make the cake batter
Preheat oven to 350F. Line a muffin tin with baking cups and spray with cooking oil. Set aside.
Make the flag egg by combining the flax meal with the hot water, and let stand to thicken for at least 10 minutes.
Make the buttermilk by adding the vinegar to the soy milk to sour, then add the vanilla extract.
Sift the flour with the baking powder and salt.
Cream the vegan butter with the sugar until light and fluffy and this may take about 2-3 minutes on medium to high speed.
Add the flax paste to the butter mixture while mixing on medium speed, scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to incorporate evenly, whip on high for 30 seconds.
Add about 1/2 of the flour to the creamed mixture while mixing on low speed just until combined, then add half of the remaining soured milk. Add the other 1/2 of the flour and then the remaining sour milk.
Portion the batter between your greased and parchment lined muffin tins and bake immediately approximately 19-25 minutes or until they are springy to the touch when you gently press the centers.
Make the Vegan Shamrock Frosting
Prepare the buttercream recipe by creaming the butter with an electric mixer. Then add remaining ingredients and beat until everything is fully combined.
Pipe icing onto cupcakes and enjoy.
Tips for making the BEST vegan vanilla cupcakes
- Spray the baking cups with cooking oil before filling them with batter. This will ensure the batter will not stick to the baking cups!
- DO NOT OVER MIX! When you over mix recipes that contain gluten, the gluten strands will develop making the cake a more “gummy” texture. Mix until everything is just combined, and stop there!
- Do not open the oven door and check on your cupcakes while baking. The center of the cupcakes may fall, leaving you with weird looking cupcakes or cake. I always try to check on my cupcakes with the oven light before I open the oven door.
- Let the cupcakes sit for at least 25-30 minutes in the pan before you try and take them out. If you try and flip them out too early, the cupcakes may not have fully set and therefore may crumble and fall apart.
- Let the cupcakes cool completely before adding the buttercream frosting. This will ensure the frosting won’t melt and slide off the cupcakes.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge to keep them as fresh as possible!
Can I use a gluten free flour for these cupcakes?
Yes and no. I tested these out with Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 gluten free baking flour, and they were no where near as good. They still worked, but they sunk in the middle slightly and had a bit more of a “chewy” texture. If you try other gluten free flours and have success please let me know in the comments!
Can this recipe be make into a cake?
Yes! If you would prefer to make a cake you can separate the batter into 2 or 3 cake pans. Baking for approximately 25-30 minutes for 3 cake pans, and longer for 2 cake pans! Bake until toothpick comes out clean, trying not to open the oven door before need-be!
Easy Moist and Fluffy Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes
Ingredients
- FOR THE CAKE
- 1/4 cup Flax meal
- 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp Hot Water
- 1 tbsp White Vinegar
- 1 cup Soy Milk , or any milk alternative of your choice
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 2 1/2 cup All-Purpose flour
- 4 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Salt
- 3/4 cup Vegan Butter
- 1 cup Granulated Sugar
- FOR THE FROSTING
- 1 cup Vegan Butter, room temperature
- 3 cups Powdered Sugar
- 2 tsp Soy Milk, or any milk alternative of your choice
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 3-4 small drops Peppermint Extract
- Pinch of spirulina, chlorella, or natural green food colouring
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line a muffin tin with baking cups and spray with cooking oil. Set aside.
- Combine the flax meal with the hot water and let stand to thicken for at least 10 minutes.
- Add the vinegar to the soy milk to sour then add the vanilla extract.
- Sift the flour with the baking powder and salt.
- Cream the vegan butter with the sugar until light and fluffy and this may take about 2-3 minutes on medium to high speed.
- Add the flax paste to the butter mixture while mixing on medium speed, scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to incorporate evenly, whip on high for 30 seconds.
- Add about 1/2 of the flour to the creamed mixture while mixing on low speed just until combined, then add half of the remaining soured milk.
- Add the other 1/2 of the flour and then the remaining sour milk.
- Portion the batter between your greased and parchment lined muffin tins and bake immediately approximately 19-25 minutes or until they are springy to the touch when you gently press the centers.
- Meanwhile prepare the buttercream recipe by combining everything together with a hand mixer. Pipe icing onto cupcakes and enjoy!
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size:
1 gramsAmount Per Serving: Unsaturated Fat: 0g
Other Vegan Desserts you may enjoy!
Vegan Birthday Cake Ice Cream
4 Ingredient Vegan Rice Krispie Treats
Vegan Rocky Road Brownies
Vegan Key Lime Pie
If you try this recipe and love it, please leave me a star rating and comment down below! I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOUR CREATIONS! YOU CAN PIN THIS RECIPE ON PINTEREST OR SHARE ON INSTAGRAM BY TAGGING @basicswithbails and #basicswithbails
About Bailey
I love to bake, cook, exercise, and document all of the above. Nutrition is not low fat. It is not low calorie. It’s not feeling deprived or being hungry all the time. It’s nourishing your body with real, whole foods so that you are consistently satisfied and energized to live your life to the fullest! Read more…
