The Best Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes! Vegan, dairy-free, low oil option and bursting with vanilla and maple flavor! Perfect for parties! Nobody ever believes these are vegan! Just 9 ingredients!
These really are Best Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes because the flavor is so much more than your standard vanilla cupcake. Most vegan vanilla cupcakes or cakes rely on white sugar alone. However, my recipe is different as it is infused with maple syrup also. This creates a delicious depth of flavor that just tastes better and richer. Furthermore, the texture is perfection. They are light, moist, fluffy and sweet. They are dangerously delicious. In other words, you really need to try them!
VEGAN PARTY CUPCAKES
I love to create desserts for parties. In fact, I baked up these recently for my best friend for her bridal shower. As the host, I served these this past Saturday and they were a huge hit! Of course, nobody could tell they were vegan! Another popular dessert I served were my No-Bake Mint Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars and these 4 ingredient peanut butter cookies.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED
- all-purpose flour
- white sugar
- baking soda
- baking powder
- pure maple syrup
- grapeseed oil
- canned “lite” coconut milk, helps make them fluffy
- lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
- vanilla extract
HOW TO MAKE VEGAN VANILLA CUPCAKES
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two muffin pans with decorative paper liners or grease and line with parchment paper rounds on the bottoms of two 9 inch round cake pans. This will make for easy removal later.
Step 2: Add all the dry ingredients (first 5 ingredients) to a large bowl through a mesh strainer and whisk well.
Step 3: In a small bowl, add the syrup, oil, milk, apple cider vinegar and vanilla. Now add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, slowly a little bit at a time and beat on low, just until combined. Do not over-mix the batter or it can make the cake tough. The batter should be very smooth and fairly runny. Pour the batter into the lined muffin pans (24 cupcakes) or 2 cake pans.
MORE VEGAN CAKES AND CUPCAKES
- Best Vegan Gluten-free Vanilla Cake
- Vegan Almond Butter Cake
- Easy Vegan Vanilla Cake (7 Ingredients)
- Easy Vegan Lemon Cake (6 Ingredients)
- Vegan Funfetti Birthday Cake
- Vegan Gluten-free Vanilla White Cupcakes
- Cinnamon Caramel Bundt Cake
- Vanilla Chocolate Chip Cake
- Healthy Vegan Lemon Cake
Note: This recipe I wrote on my other blog before I started this blog, The Vegan 8, so it is 9 ingredients instead of 8 and not gluten-free or oil-free, but still ridiculously easy and so delicious. Great for a special occasion, event or birthday!
If you make this recipe, be sure to leave feedback below and share your pic on Instagram or Facebook and tag me @thevegan8 #thevegan8!
Best Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 3 cups (384g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (216g) + 2 tablespoons granulated white sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 cup (80g) pure maple syrup (room temp)
- 3/4 cup (180g) grapeseed oil
- 1 1/2 cups (360g) canned "lite" coconut milk (room temp, do not sub with a watery thin milk like rice or almond. The coconut makes them fluffy & leaves NO coconut taste.)
- 1 tablespoon (15g) apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon (15g) vanilla extract
BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
- Two 4 oz vegan buttery sticks (room temperature (1 cup total) Do not sub with the tubs of spreads, as they contain too much liquid)
- 2 1/2 cups (380g) vegan powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-2 tablespoons almond milk or desired milk if needed
NOTE
- Always use a scale for accuracy when baking, following MY gram weights listed. You never need cups, just the scale and bowl and make sure to zero out in between each ingredient.
- I use this scale.
Instructions
- This recipe makes 24 cupcakes or a 2 layer cake. If you don't want that much, simply divide the recipe in half.Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two muffin pans with decorative paper liners or grease and line with parchment paper rounds on the bottoms of two 9 inch round cake pans. This will make for easy removal later.
- Add all the dry ingredients (first 5 ingredients) to a large bowl through a mesh strainer and whisk well.
- In a small bowl, add the syrup, oil, milk, apple cider vinegar and vanilla. Now add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, slowly a little bit at a time and beat on low, just until combined. Do not over-mix the batter or it can make the cake tough. The batter should be very smooth and fairly runny. Pour the batter into the lined muffin pans (24 cupcakes) or 2 cake pans.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes for cupcakes and 25-30 minutes for cakes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let them cool in the pans for 15 minutes, then transfer the cupcakes/cakes onto cooling racks to completely cool before icing.
- For the icing, add the vegan buttery sticks into a large metal bowl. Add 2 cups of vegan powdered sugar, a small amount at a time and beat until it reaches a light, fluffy consistency. Add the vanilla and almond milk. Beat briefly to mix in. For an oil-free (meaning, no added oils) buttercream, make my Funfetti Buttercream! For my vegan butter and shortening buttercream, see my Wedding Cupcakes!
Notes
- Nutrition stats do not include frosting.
- You can make the icing the day before an event and store in the fridge. Then just re-beat the icing to fluff up again before icing your cupcakes or let it soften to room temperature and pipe out with your favorite piping tip. I personally like to bake my cupcakes the day of an event so they are fresh and fluffy. Just store them in an airtight container on the counter.
Could this be made into a 2 tier 6 inch cake? How long would I bake them? and should i cut the recipe in half? I am trying to find a recipe for a smash cake for my daughter since she has an allergy to dairy and eggs and i have tried your vegan vanilla cupcakes, which were amazing! Thanks
So glad to hear you love these cupcakes!! I would definitely cut the recipe in half, as it would be way too much batter (as is) for a 2 tier 6 inch pans. I’ve never personally baked them in the 6 inch pans but if doing half the recipe, that would normally fill one 9 inch pan, so I think that would divide into two 6 inch cake pans nicely. I’m assuming the bake time would be similar 15-20 minutes, so just look for a clean toothpick.
So, so good! My son is dairy and egg free and was so excited that he could eat the same treat as everyone else! This will be my go-to cupcake recipe from now on 🙂 I have the Vegan 8 cookbook too and we have loved every recipe we’ve tried!
Question- I’ve made this as cupcakes but have you ever tried to make it as a layer cake?
Hi Tracy! Yes, it’s listed under step 1 how to bake as a cake.
Duh. Sorry. Thanks for responding!
Made these for a pool party yesterday. Everyone loved them, kids and adults! No one had any clue they were vegan because they did not taste “vegan”. Just tasted GREAT!! I have tried a few white cake recipes and my son says they all have the same taste, which are just OK. Not these. These have a yummy richness to them but not too much. I at first thought they would taste like maple due to the syrup but they don’t. They are delicious. Try them!! I am so added some cocoa powder to the buttercream frosting recipe to make chocolate frosting for them. Perfect!
Thank you so much Stephanie! Really wonderful to hear y’all loved these the most! Thank you for the glowing review!