I have been making these vegan vanilla cupcakes for years. This easy recipe forms the base for most of my cupcake creations because it's just so dang simple and pretty bulletproof, even for beginner bakers. Just mix and bake. There is no creaming or faffing or unnecessary ingredients. Every ingredient in these plant-based cupcakes has a purpose, working together to create a soft, fluffy crumb with classic vanilla flavour.
This recipe was originally posted 12 February 2019 and updated with process images and revised instructions March 31, 2021.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love These Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes
- NEED MORE CUPCAKE FLAVOURS?
- What Ingredients are in Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes?
- How to Make Vegan Cupcakes (Step-by-Step Guide)
- How to Fill Cupcake Liners Properly
- Tips For Making Perfect Plant-based Cupcakes
- Vegan Cupcake Troubleshooting
- FAQs
- More Sweet Recipes To Try
- Make This Recipe
- Leave a Comment
Why You'll Love These Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes
Reader Review. "This was SO GOOD. Perfect! So easy & Fast!
I do NOT bake, I'm so bad at it. But my family is vegan and my kids had a birthday party to go to today. I did not have time to go to whole foods for cupcakes. I made these and my entire family loved them. Perfect for cake time at the party. Thank you! " (Cailin) ★★★★★
While I love my vegan chocolate cupcake recipe and my pineapple cupcakes (they're just so lovely and Summery), there is something light and delicate about a vanilla cupcake. They are just so pretty! This is my favourite vanilla cake recipe. Wait, no...my vegan pound cake recipe is pretty good. Let's call it a tie?
These vanilla cakes are so simple and wonderful.
Nutritionist's note: As a nutritionist, I believe desserts can absolutely fit into a balanced plant-based diet. These vegan vanilla cupcakes are designed for birthdays, celebrations and the occasional sweet treat. While they aren't intended to be an everyday food - although we may want them to - choosing homemade cupcakes lets you control the ingredients while still enjoying the fun of baking.
NEED MORE CUPCAKE FLAVOURS?
Love these vanilla cupcakes? Try one of these other vegan cupcake recipes.
Soft, fluffy chocolate cupcakes that are perfect for birthdays and celebrations.
These light pineapple and coconut cupcakes with coconut frosting are like a taste of summer all year-round.
Rich and dramatic, these black velvet cupcakes are made with black cocoa powder and are perfect for Halloween parties.
Warmly spiced and beautifully tender, these vegan pumpkin cupcakes are perfect for autumn baking or a Halloween treat.
Made without flour, nuts, eggs or milk, chocolate beetroot cakes are a tasty solution to low allergen baking. Top them with a decadent avocado chocolate frosting.
What Ingredients are in Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes?
The ingredients for vegan vanilla cupcakes are completely fuss-free and probably already in your kitchen - you will need flour, oil, vanilla, apple sauce, baking powder, apple cider vinegar and sugar.
Let's talk about substitutions.
All-purpose flour provides the structure for the cupcakes. Measure it carefully by spooning it into the measuring cup and levelling it off to avoid dense cupcakes. You can also use cake flour for a super light cake, but I like to just reach into my pantry and grab all-purpose flour. No speciality shopping here.
Apple sauce. A natural binder for the cupcakes, apple sauce is light and deliciously sweet (but don't worry, the cakes won't taste like apple). If you don't have apple sauce, use the same amount of vegan yoghurt.
Raw sugar. I use raw caster sugar or plain raw sugar in all of my baking. While I am not a die-on-the-hill natural food evangelist, I do prefer using less processed sugar. And it sits right next to the white sugar at my grocery store, so it's no big deal to find it. But if you can only get your mitts on white sugar, then use that. We're all just over here doing the best we can.
Vanilla. The star of the show! Use the best quality vanilla you can manage and make sure it's extract, not essence.
Oil such as vegetable or sunflower oil keeps the cupcakes moist and soft for days. Oil creates a more tender crumb than butter, making it ideal for vegan baking. I use oil instead of butter in most of my cakes - see my vegan chocolate cake recipe because it means there are no extra steps, like creaming butter. You just add the oil and move on.
Dairy-free milk provides the liquid needed to bring the batter together. Soy milk gives the best structure thanks to its higher protein content, but oat or almond milk also work well.
Apple cider vinegar is mixed with the wet ingredients where the acid causes the milk to curdle slightly, which helps produce a more tender crumb and adds a subtle tang that balances the sweetness. It also supports the leavening process for lighter, fluffier cupcakes.
How to Make Vegan Cupcakes (Step-by-Step Guide)
You'll find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Step 1. Combine dry and wet ingredients separately
Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients and the sugar.
Step 2. Add wet ingredient to dry and mix
Add the wet ingredients to the dry and whisk to a thick batter. Don't over-mix!
Step 3. Fill cupcake liners and bake
Fill lined a cupcake tray two-thirds of the way up with the batter and pop in the oven for 18-21 minutes.
Step 4. Cool
Remove from the oven to cool before frosting. So easy, right?
How to Fill Cupcake Liners Properly
I use a slightly heaped quarter measuring cup to fill my cake liners and that works pretty perfectly. The cakes rise to the rim of the liner every time.
You can also use a piping bag if you like.
Whether you're celebrating a birthday or just need cake fast, these delicate vegan vanilla cupcakes are sure to please. Quick, easy and totally delicious they are the simplest of the simple cupcake recipes.
Tips For Making Perfect Plant-based Cupcakes
Vegan Cupcake Troubleshooting
My cupcakes sank. What went wrong? There are a few possibilities for sinking cakes.
1. Did you peek? Cakes need enough time to rise and build structure underneath so they don't sink. Opening the oven too soon interrupts this structure-building process.
2. Your baking powder is no longer active. Baking powder is at its best for 3-months after opening.
3. The oven is too hot meaning the cake will rise fast but may not get the time to develop structure underneath.
Dry cupcakes? Baking cupcakes too long is the most common cause of dry cakes. Check them at the 20-minute mark with a clean skewer or gently press down on a cupcake. If it bounces back completely, the cakes are done. If your finger left a dent, they need a little more time.
What causes dense or rubbery cake? Mixing the batter too much over-develops the gluten in the flour resulting in dense, rubbery or oddly textured cakes. Mix until the wet and dry ingredients are combined and any large pockets of flour are gone. Continue mixing for a little longer (another 5 seconds should do it) and then step away.
FAQs
Totally. Bake the cakes, allow them to cool completely before freezing them in a freezer-proof container for up to 2 months. To thaw, remove them from the freezer and thaw at room temperature for a few hours. Frost the cakes now to serve.
Store the cupcakes in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Yes! My favourite store-bought gluten-free flour is Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Gluten Free Baking Flour. You could also try my homemade gluten-free flour mix - I use it in my coconut gluten-free vegan pancakes with banana. It's a great all-rounder.
You can. The batter will make an 8-inch round cake. Remember to line your pan well and bake the cake for 25-30 minutes.
More Sweet Recipes To Try
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Make This Recipe
Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes
- 1 and ¾ cups (235g) all-purpose flour use cake flour for an extra light cake
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- 2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 cups dairy-free milk almond or soy work best
- 1 cup (195g) granulated sugar fine , I use raw caster sugar
- â…“ cup (80ml) sunflower oil
- ¼ cup (60ml) apple sauce
- 2 tsp (10ml) vanilla extract
For the Buttercream Frosting
- ½ cup (125g) vegan butter room temperature
- 3 cups (480g) confectioner's sugar up to 3½ cups (sifted)
- 1 tsp (5ml) vanilla extract
- pinch sea salt
- 2 tbsp (40ml) soy milk
Instructions
For the Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 177° C (350° F) and line a 12 pan cupcake tray with cupcake liners (paper or silicon).
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt.
- In a separate bowl whisk together the apple cider vinegar, dairy-free milk, sugar, oil, apple sauce, and vanilla extract.Â
- Add the wet mixture to the dry and gently whisk until smooth. Don't over-mix or you'lll end up with rubbery cupcakes. Better a few lumps than to over-mix the batter.Â
- Spoon the batter in to each about ⅔ of the way up. I transfer my batter to a jug and pour them from there for less mess. I am a messy-Bessy so this is helpful.
- Pop the cakes in to the oven and bake for 19-23 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean from the centre of a cake. Remove from the oven and after 10 minutes remove the cakes from the pan and allow them to cool completely.Â
For the Frosting
- Add the butter to a stand mixer (with the paddle attachment) or a large bowl using a hand-mixer and cream it for 2 minutes on medium to high speed.
- Turn the mixer to low and one cup at a time, add the sifted icing sugar (confectioners sugar) to the butter, beating for around 3 to 5 minutes in between each cup. Add the vanilla, salt and dairy-free milk and continue to beat until thick and creamy. Add more sifted sugar if needed.
- Transfer the frosting to a piping bag (or a large zip lock bag with a corner snipped and a frosting nozzle fitted) and pipe on to the cakes once they are completely cooled.Â
- Serve immediately or store, covered, in the fridge for 3 days.
Notes
- Measure your ingredients properly either by weight or spoon your ingredients in to a measuring cup and level them off with the back of a knife.
- Don't over-mix your batter. Whisk until the ingredients are combined and just smooth - over-mixing will give your rubbery cakes.
- Use an oven thermometer to get an accurate temperature.
- Only fill your cake liner two-thirds of the way up. Cupcakes don't have a muffin top - they should sit in a dome just at the lip of the cupcake liner.
- Use room temperature butter in the buttercream to avoid lumps.
- Sift the icing sugar (confectioners sugar) before adding it to your frosting a cup at a time.
Nutritional Disclaimer
The nutritional information is an estimate only and is automatically calculated using online tools. For accurate results, we recommend calculating the nutritional information based on the ingredients and brands you use.
Barbara Jackson says
Can u substitute Coconut cream for coconut milk ?
Amanda says
Hi Barbara, there isn't any coconut cream or milk in the recipe. You're looking at the vegan vanilla cupcakes, yes? 🙂
Cailin says
This was SO GOOD. Perfect! So easy & Fast!
I do NOT bake, I’m so bad at it. But my family is vegan and my kids had a birthday party to go to today. I did not have time to go to whole foods for cupcakes. I made these and my entire family loved them. Perfect for cake time at the party.
THANK YOU
Amanda says
You did it! You baked - that's so great! Fantastic. I love that these worked for you and that everyone was able to enjoy them. Thanks so much for reaching out and letting me know, Cailin. I am smiling from ear to ear. x
Claire Dabrowski says
Very good. This was exactly what I needed today. I did have to bake them longer. No big deal. That's why we check them before we cool.
I also shared the recipe with my followers! Thank you.
Amanda says
Oh, that's lovely. Thanks Claire. How long did you need to bake them for? I'll add it to my baking time range. Thanks again for writing x
Edward Blocker says
I just loved it, I’m not only going to give it 5 stars. But, I’m going to share it with all my website’s followers on the social media. Thank you for giving me something useful to share it today!