How to make vegan vanilla cupcakes
As a child, I used to eat the occasional vegan strawberry cupcake as my birthday treat when you had to go without milk or butter; we didn't have an alternative to it at home growing up because my mom would only give me two of these cake mixes for my birthday each year. Then there was also the occasional carrot cream cheese cupcake mix my dad gave me and that one time he made me a chocolate frosting cupcake with peanut butter cups on top, but that wasn't quite good enough, so I never got the chance to get these in the cupcake form.
What is the most common ice creams used for making cakes? Water-based, of course! But why water? Why not just use the normal recipe instead? Well, it's true to say that water makes more taste and texture than anything else does. That gives birth to what is known today as "water based recipes," such as almond or soy milks or even sugar water mixes. So no one tells us which flavor is better to use. It all comes down to our personal preference. And the truth is, you don't need any special equipment to make this kind of cake. You use some baking spray, a handful of lemon squeezes, your favorite egg mixture (usually using a combination of eggs, yolks, lemon juice, or cream of tartar), and if you want, maybe a little bit of honey if your icing is too light to be considered an edible chocolate chip cookie. If you like dark chocolate chips, then that will work just fine but if you're looking for something a bit more classic and fancy, then don't worry about changing the recipe at all. We'll talk all the details below!
In terms of ingredients, don't think twice before deciding how much cocoa powder you want to add to the batter or the icing—it will affect the final results of the cupcakes. Just put a few drops of chocolate chips and lemon juice into your mixing bowl, add a pinch of cinnamon or another spice to the icing mix, and voila! No matter how many different combinations it takes to create such beautiful confetti-like concoctions, all are worth it when you finally decide to whip out that first slice of chocolate baked cupcake for yourself!
Ingredients
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup white sugar
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
2 1/2 spoons flour
3 egg
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup finely grated coconut
2 tsp coconut oil
1 2/3 cups milk of choice
1/2 tbsp cornstarch
Preparation
Mix butter and sugar until light, creamy, fluffy, and lightly-beaten. Whisk together grains and eggs and whisk again until combined. Add remaining liquid ingredients to the wet mixture and allow to thicken slightly. Invert the dough onto a greased surface, pat it into a rectangular shape, and then press it flat between two thin sheets of parchment paper. Place parchment paper over the loaf pan. Now start measuring. This isn't a lot of measurements. If you want them smaller than that, feel free! Pour just a little more water into the basin underneath. Turn out the batter and spread evenly over the bottom of the round pans or muffin pan to prevent sticking. Leave the layers to cool completely and refrigerate until firm to use. Divide the layers over several pieces of parchment paper. When ready to serve, decorate it with sprinkles, fruit, nuts, and whatever else you might want. Decorate as desired! Here is a recipe for my very own cupcakes, and you can recreate my recipe for yourself with just a few tweaks:
1 ½ cups sugar
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup unsalted butter, cold
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a large sheet of nonstick cooking spray with cooking spray.
Bake at least 10 minutes until done. Let stand 5 minutes before serving and let cool completely on a cooling rack. Store in an airtight container at room temperature or place in freezer. For additional tips about creating a vegan cupcake, check out my other articles here on Vocal and follow along.
