Stuck in lockdown? Want to pass the time with some baking? Try this awesome vegan cupcake recipe!
I’ve done the research and the dry ingredients you most likely already have in your cupboards. Not only that but currently these vegan ingredients are easier to source than eggs and butter AND go further, ergo cheaper and require fewer shop visits per batch!
Being vegan these cupcakes avoid the use of animals as far as is practiseable and possible and, topically right now, that means avoiding the birth of zoonotic diseases at source, such as Mad Cow Disease, Avian Flu and Covid-19!
These cupcakes are FLUFFY, LIGHT, MOREISH and like your mum used to make!
Makes 24 cupcakes. You will need:
- 200g/1 Cup vegan margarine (ideally Nurtali, which is also palm oil free, supporting our Oranguatan friends). Otherwise you cannot miss Flora – it is EVERYWHERE.
- 300g/1 Cup caster sugar
- 200g/3 qtrs cup vegan yoghurt (in the free from refrigerated section. Soya, coconut, sweetened or unsweetened, whatever)
- 200ml/7 eighths cup soya milk (or any plant based milk – sweetened, unsweetened, long-life, fresh, whatever)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 400g/3 cups self-raising flour
- 1tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- Pinch salt
Icing:
I know lots of people like ‘tall’ icing on cupcakes, I am not one of them. If you are, double up on the following:
- 250g/2 and a half cups icing sugar
- 150g/2 thirds cup vegan margarine (as above)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Colouring/decorations as wanted (or not) I used Tesco food colouring as they are all vegan, (avoiding the use of beetles and bees!) as well as Dr Otker UNICORN CONFETTI, which is one of the few vegan sprinkles readily available at a supermarket.
Method:
1) Preheat oven to 180c. Line two muffin trays with cupcake cases.
2) Add the margarine to your mixing bowl.
3) Add the caster sugar to your mixing bowl.
4) Whisk with electric hand mixer until light and fluffy.
5) Add the yoghurt.
6) Whisk in part of the yoghurt, then the rest. Your mixture will become slughly lumpy and separated. This is fine!
7) Add the milk. Whisk this in. Your mixture will become very lumpy and separated. This is fine!
8) Add the vanilla extract. Whisk this in. Your mixture will be very lumpy and separated. This is fine!
9) Add the flour, one cup at a time, folding in using the beaters off, then whisking with the beaters on. Your mixture will become smooth, light and the cake batter you recognise!
10) Use a table spoon to spoon the mixture into the cupcases, leaving room for rising.
11) Bake as close the centre of the oven as possible for fifteen minutes or until springy to the touch. Remove and leave to cool in the tins for five minutes then take each individual one out and place onto a wire rack.
While they are cooling, wash your beaters and mixing bowl, then mix your icing ingredients.
1) Add the sugar to the margarine and whisk unil loose, light and fluffy. Add the vanilla essence. Add the colouring if using it and whisk.
2) Once cakes are cooled, decorate as wanted.
3) SERVE
