The absolute Best Vegan Gluten-Free Vanilla Cupcakes ever, perfect for a wedding! Made with white rice flour and cornstarch, these are the softest, lightest, most buttery cupcakes and yet they have no butter or oil in them!
VEGAN GLUTEN-FREE VANILLA CUPCAKES
After posting my Vegan Wedding Cake, I received the kindest and most supportive comments I’ve ever received on a post (besides my cookbook announcement!) and I was so touched, so moved and beyond thrilled you all loved the cake so much!
It also sparked a ton of requests for a cupcake version! So, I got right on it for you all! Now, I already shared on social media that I added the cupcake version to that wedding post, but due to all the readers that follow this blog and still receiving so many questions about a cupcake version, I realized that many of you are missing that note on the bottom of that recipe OR didn’t see the social media post. I figured it would be a really good idea to do a whole separate post dedicated to those cupcakes with pics and all. Some of you have already made them too!
After all, they deserve their own post and it makes it much easier for you all to follow the recipe this way since that Wedding Cake post was the longest post of my life, haha.
THE BEST VEGAN VANILLA CUPCAKES
Calling these the “best” is a hefty claim but I’m here to tell you it is the absolute truth as far as I’m concerned. I’m talking, a true cupcake texture and flavor, like the ones you would have at a special party made with regular white flour or cake flour. The truly soft, super tender with such a light and delicate texture.
I find that too many cupcakes aren’t really that soft cupcake texture, but more like a muffin, more dense or chewy…especially vegan ones. I love muffins, don’t get me wrong, but a cupcake is not a muffin and a muffin is not a cupcake. To me, a cupcake should have that truly light and fluffy texture, well….like a soft cake of course! There is a definite difference.
HOW TO USE COCONUT BUTTER IN BAKING
Coconut butter gives these cupcakes an incredibly delicious and buttery flavor, without it tasting like coconut, trust me! It also replaces oil, which I teach here on How to Cook and Bake Without Oil.
Before adding, it needs to be the consistency of oil. It should be 100% smooth and runny. This is very important for the batter to mix properly. I use and love the MaraNatha brand, found at most stores, it is so smooth. I don’t recommend homemade coconut butter, as the texture won’t be as smooth.
The jars at the store will be solid. So, the best way to work with this is to remove the lid, heat the jar in the microwave for 15-30 seconds or so, until it becomes soft enough to scoop it out into a container. I find this much easier to store coconut butter, otherwise the oil separates from the coconut meat. If not mixed up properly, it will affect your cake result texture. The above picture is the coconut butter added to a glass container, then heated just a few seconds until I can stir it enough to fully mix the separated oil and coconut together and reach this runny texture. Be very careful about overheating coconut butter or it will burn and turn mealy.
Beautifully white cupcakes and frosting, perfect for ANY occasion or a wedding.
A light dusting of silver powder was just the best touch to these beautifully white wedding cupcakes.
Have you ever seen a fluffier cupcake? A vegan gluten-free vanilla cupcake one at that??
I hope you all love these Vegan Gluten-free Vanilla Cupcakes! I know a few of you have already made and raved over them after seeing them on the wedding cake post, so thank you!
Other Vegan Vanilla recipes:
- Best Vanilla Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Vegan Gluten-free Vanilla Cake
- Best Vegan Gluten-free Sugar Cookies
- Vegan Vanilla Cake Waffles
- Vanilla Pecan Dream Bars
- Vegan Vanilla Birthday Cake Ice Cream
Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes (Gluten-free)
Ingredients
- 1 cup (160g) white rice flour (see NOTES at the very bottom for sub)
- 1/2 cup (64g) cornstarch
- 3/4 cup (144g)
fine pure cane sugar (white sugar will work too and make them even more white!) - 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 1/4 cups (300g) full-fat coconut milk CANS (not the carton) shaken well & ROOM TEMP (highly recommend the Thai Kitchen brand, it's the best and always smooth and creamy)
- 1/2 cup (120g) melted liquid coconut butter (refer to tutorial above)
- 2 teaspoons (10g) vanilla extract
BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
- One 4oz vegan Earth Balance butter stick (1/2 cup, 112g)
- 1/2 cup (96g) Spectrum shortening
- 2 1/2 cups (380g) powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon (15g) coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon white vanilla powder for a white frosting or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (I use this white powder.)
NOTE
- Please absolutely use a scale! It's SO important for accurate results, especially with cakes and cupcakes like this. I cannot stress this enough. Make sure to zero out in between each ingredient and add them slowly. Follow MY weights. Don't compare them to your cup measurements. You never need cups, just the scale and bowl and teaspoons. Don't sub any of these ingredients, if at all possible for the absolute best result. I worked endlessly to perfect this recipe and each ingredient plays a very important role. If you are allergic to cornstarch, the best sub would be potato starch, but keep in mind that it makes things more crumbly and the cupcakes will dry out faster. DO NOT use tapioca, it does NOT work.
- I use this scale.
Instructions
- These cupcakes are the BEST made the day of, as they are the most moist and buttery. Due to the high starch amount they will start to dry out by the 2nd day and so on.
- For the frosting, set out your vegan butter sticks early in the day or several hours before you want to make the frosting (or the night before), so that they can be totally soft and at room temperature, otherwise it will be impossible to beat the frosting.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and line a muffin pan with 12 liners.
Make sure your coconut milk is at room temperature and you've shaken the cans well and that the milk is creamy and smooth, not chunky, before measuring/weighing. If it's chunky, whisk or blend it separately until totally smooth before measuring and adding to the other liquids. Important: follow the same steps above in the post regarding preparing the coconut butter correctly. The coconut butter must be a smooth runny consistency like oil almost, not thick!
PLEASE SEE NOTES AT THE BOTTOM if making the cake flour version before this next step. To a large bowl, add the white rice flour, cornstarch, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Use a large whisk very well until mixed. To another large bowl, add the coconut milk, liquid coconut butter (see above post) and vanilla and whisk until smooth. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the liquid. Whisk until completely smooth, making sure to get the bottom. Make sure it's all completely mixed.
- Divide the batter evenly among the 12 liners. Use an ice cream scoop or a 1/3 cup measuring cup for ease. They will be filled a bit more than half full.
- They will settle down a bit as they cool, this is normal. Leave them to cool 45 minutes exactly in the pan, very important for their structure. Then transfer them to the fridge for JUST 15 minutes to further set them. This step is important, so don't skip. The chilling is not required for the cake flour version. Remove from the fridge and frost them. Leave covered at room temperature to keep them moist. Don't store them in the fridge or they will dry out.
Bake 20-25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean from the center. Mine were perfectly done at 21 minutes each time, but ovens vary. The cake flour version was done exactly at 20 minutes each time. They should have risen beautifully with a nice dome top.
- To make the buttercream, add the room temperature softened vegan butter and shortening to a huge bowl and beat on low until just blended. Add the sugar about a cup at a time blending on low until all is incorporated. Add the milk and vanilla and beat just until light and fluffy. Cover with plastic wrap to keep it moist until ready to frost. For the frosting, I used Wilton Flour tip #2D.
Recipe Notes
If you absolutely cannot find white rice flour, then you can make these with cake flour. Please do not confuse this with regular all-purpose flour, it needs to be labeled "cake flour" on the package. This is what will yield the same ultra light and fluffy quality as my rice and cornstarch version. There is a lower gluten content in cake flour, so this is why it is important for the light texture.
All of the ingredient amounts remain the same, except, you will use 1 1/2 cups (192g) of cake flour total to replace the rice flour and cornstarch. As mentioned above, you MUST use a scale so you get the accurate results. With this version, the batter will be thicker than the rice version, almost like a muffin batter, do NOT be tempted to add more milk. Adding extra liquid will cause the structure to weaken (because of the delicate cake flour) and make for dense/deflated cupcakes.
This is why it is crucial that your liquids are not cold and you warm the milk to a lukewarm temp and then mix it with the warmed/liquid coconut butter and vanilla. This is so the batter mixes smoothly since it is on the thicker side. Slowly pour the liquids into the dry ingredients while gently whisking the batter. Make sure it is fully mixed and smooth, but do not overmix. If you weighed all of your ingredients, it will turn out perfect. This version, the cupcakes were perfect at exactly 20 minutes with a clean toothpick.
Nutrition per cupcake (does not include frosting): 204 calories, 8.2g fat, 1.6g protein, 31g carbs, 1.9g fiber, 13.2g sugar (calculated at verywellfit.com)
I’m one that made these as soon as you posted the cupcake version on your wedding cake. I will share my review here as well.
I made the wedding cake into muffins and used the funfetti frosting from the funfetti cake. This is absolutely the lightest, fluffiest, most heavenliest, butteriest cupcake we’ve ever ever had. Brandi you totally outdid yourself and thank you so so much for giving the cupcake option. It’s amazing!!! Honestly I’m surprised the batter even made it into the cupcake liners. Wow, that’s pretty much all we can say. I tagged pics #thevegan8 on IG!
I’m SO HAPPY you loved these so much Estee!! Seeing your beautiful pics and reading your review made me so thrilled because you described them exactly perfect, that description is spot on of how we all felt over here too after finally nailing the recipe, haha. Thank you so much for making them and leaving this beautiful review!!
Not sure why rating went away. Try again.
I can just imagine decorating with little silver pearls! So pretty!
Oh yes, that would be beautiful!!
Tears of joy that you posted this!!! I cannot wait for my schedule to allow for me to make these. Crossing my fingers that is SOON, because I can almost taste them!
Yay!! So thrilled you are happy Marlene and I can’t wait to hear when you make them! We absolutely love them here and have eaten our fair share, haha!
WOW! I can not wait to try & make these beautiful cupcakes! Thank you! (PS. Going to order your book too)
Oh thank you so much Jill! I really appreciate that! Be sure to email me for your bonus recipes! I can’t to hear when you make these!
I know you said not to sub any of the ingredients but I am wondering if there is any possible substitute for the cornstarch as we are allergic to corn. This is a common allergen so thought others would be interested too. Thanks 🙂
Hi Mairi! Oops, yes, I updated the note to reflect that. It is the same one I put on the wedding cake too. The best sub would be potato starch. DO NOT use tapioca, I tested that and it made it so tough, chewy and dense. Potato starch is very similar to cornstarch, however, it does make things a bit more crumbly and dry out much quicker, so use the same weight amount as the cornstarch but I recommend making them the day you want to eat them, as potato starch will make them drier much quicker. Let me know when you try them!
I do not doubt the BEST part for even one minute, I mean just look at them😍😍 This may be the dreamiest thing you ever posted, I feel it would only be right to eat them at a princess tea part in an enchanted ice castle with fairy dust twinkling everywhere lol. One of the trickiest things with healthier vanilla cakes is always the color since most healthier sweeteners/flour/butters are always darker brown, but these are so pristine and white. And moist, holy cow that texture. Your wedding cake was stunning, but I love this little more approachable version for the days when I’m not getting married😂 And that buttercream too–you know I’m a frosting person. Next party/bday these are HAPPENING🙌
Thank you sweet Natalie!! I really hate to use the term best, which is why I didn’t put it in the actual title (just the post, lol) because we all have different opinions, but dang, they are the best I’ve ever had and made personally, especially when considering there is no oil or butter or white flour in the actual cupcakes! SO, I couldn’t resist calling them that, lol. And I’m dying laughing at your enchanted ice castle comment, bahahaha. Yes, you are so right, all of my other vanilla desserts are more yellow-ish because of the maple syrup, so to get a truly as white can be cupcake/cake, I had to use all white ingredients and white sugar and oh boy, it’s worth it 100%. “When I’m not getting married” hahaha, these will be perfect for any occasion, they are SO EASY and fast to whip up! Hey, it’s the weekend soon, that’s a good enough reason, right? 😉
Hi Brandy,
Huge fan of yours!!! I look forward to making these.
One note, you may want to clarify the amount of Earth balance in the frosting.
Looks like 14 oz, when I think you mean 1-4 oz stick.
XX Carol
Aww thank you Carol! Oh yes, you are correct I will fix that! Thank you!
Would these freeze well? Wasn’t sure about how the frosting would freeze. Thanks.
Hi Angela! Sadly, I do not think these would freeze well at all due to the heavy starch amount. Things containing starch tend to not freeze well, as they dry out terribly if not eaten soon. Not to mention, when thawing they will crumble a lot more. The frosting wouldn’t be the issue, but the cupcakes would.
Hi Brandi,
Seems like an odd question but just wondering if Coconut oil is the same as Coconut butter as I don’t think I’ve seen coconut butter. Thanks so much. I love your recipes and can hardly wait to make these tonight. Thanks, Linda
Hi Linda! No, coconut butter is definitely not the same as coconut oil and definitely don’t use the oil haha. Coconut butter is the full coconut meat pureed into a liquid (but it’s solid when you buy it so follow the steps to melt it) whereas coconut oil is JUST the separated fat from the coconut. Very different. Coconut butter makes it more fluffy and buttery and oil would make it too wet/dense. Also, the coconut butter is white since it’s the full coconut meat and oil is of course clear and way greasier, thinner. Coconut butter is sold at most grocery stores in the nut butter sections. MaraNatha is a very popular brand and that’s what I use and love. It is sold at Sprouts, Kroger and online, etc.
Whoa!! This might be a gluten free recipe but the sugar is over the top with roughly 30gm per cupcake! There’s no way this is a healthy alternative. Sorry.
Hi Jon, yes you are correct, these are not healthy but nowhere did I call this recipe healthy. It is vegan but vegan does not automatically mean healthy. It’s a cupcake, a special occasion dessert, particularly a wedding style cupcake, which is not an everyday occasion. It also happens to be one of very few recipes on my entire blog that uses white sugar. Since my goal was to create a “white cupcake” since that is traditional for weddings, white sugar was necessary. If you prefer a much more healthy cake/cupcake I definitely have this other vanilla cake recipe on the blog that also can be made as cupcakes. They are not as amazing as these, but are still good. Hopefully this is helpful.
https://thevegan8.com/2015/10/20/dreamy-vanilla-vegan-gluten-free-cake/
Thank you for sharing this recipe. It seems Devine. I can not wait to try. I have a hold with severe dairy/wheat /nut and the list goes on allergies 😊 I’m so excited to try this. I’d love to make it as a birthday cake. A few questions. Can I just double the recipe as is to create a cake? Or should I just make 2 separate recipes? Also if I make a cake what would the timing be like?
I assume I would follow the same cooling steps… Cool in pan then set on fridge and then depan to frost? I have not made a homemade gluten free vegan cake that I truly like. I’m hoping this is it! It seems so moist and delicious.
Thank you.
Hi Patricia! Oh yes, absolutely! These cupcakes are actually a spin-off of my cake recipe 🙂 It’s linked at the very top of the post “wedding cake” but that’s for a 3 layer cake. But if you just want a double layer cake, then email me at thevegan8@yahoo.com and I’ll send you over the 2 layer version all typed up so it’s easier for you to follow. The cake directions are slightly different. And I think you will love this cake! This recipe has been a big hit with several readers, non-vegans, etc. It’s truly soft, tender, buttery and delicious! Not dense like most gluten-free cakes 🙂
Or if you make the above recipe, it is the same as a 1 layer 8 inch Cake. The cooking time and cooking instructions are a bit different since the cake needs more details. So you can always refer to that other post for baking time and cooking info.
Please send me the two layer cake version? Thanks
Also, is the frosting ‘coconut milk’ from a can also?
What is ‘spectrum shortening ‘ please?
And would you need a scale if you are using the cup measurements? If so, I’m not good with metrics, so could you make it for ounces, etc?
Would any other type of flour work?
Thanks so much. It looks delicious?
Hi Sally! Yes, I’ve noted they are cans above, I recommend Thai Kitchen full-fat coconut milk for the absolute best results. That brand is always creamy and smooth and not chunky or watery. Spectrum is the brand of shortening. It performs really well for structure and taste for frosting. Pretty much any store sells it, but I bought mine at Sprouts. Yes, I do recommend a scale for 100% accurate results, since we all measure with cups differently. It’s important you add the right liquid amounts, particularly for the coconut butter. Using a scale ensures exact results every time. I put the link to the scale I’ve used for years right on the recipe under “NOTE”. It’s very easy to use a scale, you just set the large bowl on the scale, then turn it on and when it reads zero, add your first flour until it reaches the correct gram weight, then hit the on button again to zero it out again and once it says zero, add the next ingredient and so forth. For teaspoons, since they are such small amounts, I don’t recommend a scale for those.
For the liquids, use the separate bowl and do the same thing, just add the melted coconut butter and milk slowly so it reaches the gram weight correctly. You will get the hang of it really quick. I’ve done it this way for years and I MUCH prefer baking this way since using cups yields different results a lot of the time. I hope that helps!
No, you need to use the flour and starch listed since that is the exact reason the cake turns out so fluffy, changing the flour will completely alter the result. White rice flour and cornstarch is sold at pretty much any stores these days and of course, online as well. I use Bob’s Red Mill and rice flour is very inexpensive as well.
I will email you the 2 layer cake recipe too 🙂
Hi Brandi, I am so happy to see the vegan gluten free recipe that claimed fluffy and light because I have tried so many recipes but none of them make the texture ideal. I also joined local course to learn gluten free vegan “cupcakes” but it really turn out to be muffins! I can’t wait to try this recipe and would you mind to send me the 2 layer cake recipe too because I want to make a birthday for my beloved. Also, can I use Edward and son’s brand coconut cream to replace Thai brand one? It is not easy to find Thai here in Hong Kong, or can I replace it with almond or soy milk? Can I use coconut oil to replace coconut butter? I look forward to hearing from you soon. Thank you very much!
Amy
Yes, exactly Amy! That is totally what I am talking about! But, as you can see from all the reviews above, they really are the perfect light and fluffy and moist cupcakes! I’ve truly never had a better one in my life. As long as you follow the exact recipe (do not sub ingredients) and make sure to weigh the ingredients, it will turn out perfect. Yes, I can totally email you the cake recipe, will do that today! I have never used Edward and Son’s coconut cream so I can’t say. It needs to be full-fat coconut MILK, not pure cream. Is that what it is? The full-fat coconut milk should be between 12-14 grams of fat per serving. As noted above on the recipe, each ingredient is crucial to the texture so no, definitely do not sub the ingredients with almond or soy milk, it simply will not turn out the same. Coconut milk is very high in fat and is what helps make the cupcakes so light and fluffy. Almond and soy will not do that. And it must be coconut butter, not coconut oil. Coconut oil is just the separated fat from the coconut meat and much more oily, whereas coconut butter is the whole pureed coconut meat, is white and thicker and is what yields a buttery taste and contributes to the texture. It is located with the nut butters at the stores. If you cannot find it where you are located, then you can make your own, just make sure you puree it long enough to reach the liquid stage. It’s not as perfect as storebought, not quite as smooth, but should work ok.
My recipe for coconut butter is here.
https://thevegan8.com/2013/10/14/homemade-coconut-butter/
These look absolutely amazing! I’m ordering the coconut butter to try this recipe for my son. He’ll be two next week and he was diagnosed with egg, gluten, wheat, peanut, tree nuts, dairy, and more allergies at 10 months, so he’s never had cake before. Would this recipe work doubled as a sheet or layered cake, or would the measurements and cooking times be different?
Hi Cynthia! Yay, I can’t wait to hear what you all think! Absolutely, these cupcakes were inspired by my actual wedding cake post, so it definitely can be a cake. I will email you the 2 layer cake recipe, as the ratios and cooking times are definitely different. Please also see this wedding cake post to see how I trimmed and chilled the cake recipe. It’s important for the cake structure to set a bit. I’ll email you the recipe now!
https://thevegan8.com/2018/07/05/vegan-vanilla-wedding-cake/
Is Earth Balance butter stick witj high fat’s ontent? Please clarify.
Yes, they are vegan butter sticks, all oil, so they help the frosting hold its structure, as well as the shortening.
Do you have a gluten free AND coconut free version for people who must avoid such ingredients for medical reasons? This version looks lovely but I would hesitate to serve at a wedding where there might be guests with nut allergies. Even though coconut is technically a fruit, it is recognized by the Food & Drug Administration as a tree nut. While most people with tree nut allergies can safely consume coconut there are always exceptions. Thank you.
Hi! Actually, no I don’t have one. This exact recipe was actually used for one of my readers who specifically I created the recipe for since she requested a wedding cake to be vegan and gluten-free and it was served at a wedding and all the guests loved it and there were no issues. If somebody is worried about using coconut, then that of course will need to be something that they have custom made or ordered at a bakery I’m assuming or google gluten-free wedding cakes, etc. I have 2 other vanilla cakes on the blog, but those both have almond flour. There are a lot of vegan cakes online made without nuts I’m sure that use plain old butter or oil for the fat, I just don’t use those in the actual cake/cupcake recipes personally and this recipe turned out more delicious than any others I’ve tried in my past made with butter/oil as well.
Which white vanila powder did you use? I can’t seem to find one.
Hi Pamella! This is the one I use. It is very delicious and I also use it to sprinkle on oatmeal or pancakes, etc. It is a bit pricey, but it does last forever.
https://amzn.to/2NYzJjJ
Now these are more up my level of skill. I can do a little squeeze of frosting and a dusting of powder without screwing it up too bad! LOL These look equally amazing as the cake girl! You basically covered all the big allergens and that is a feat in and of itself! So bakery, when is it opening?
LOL! You could do these for sure! Awww thank you my friend! You are WAY too kind!! I don’t know…maybe in the future for sure because this blogging thing can’t go on forever, bahahaha!
Oh, these ABSOLUTELY deserve their own post!!! Wow, they’re stunning – I’m SO impressed with their texture…fluffiness galore and that creamy, dreamy frosting. I had to laugh when you said that most vegan cupcakes aren’t true cupcakes because I TOTALLY AGREE!! Some people say that cupcakes are just muffins with frosting on top, but I disagree. Muffins lack the cakiness and the lightness that a cake has. I fully admit to slapping some frosting on a muffin and calling it a cupcake, BUT that’s because I have yet to find a legit cupcake recipe…until now! Ha!! I’m printing the recipe off so I have it ready for the next birthday celebration!! I’m just in AWE!!! xoxo
Haha, exactly, um, NOPE cupcakes are not just muffins with frosting, not even close! Not a true cupcake anyways. Gimme that cloud of cake in my hand with frosting and THAT is a cupcake. Just like you said, muffins are not cakey, they are more chewy, dense, hearty…they can even be fluffy….but cupcakes should always be light, tender and fluffy. Thank you so much my friend!!
Just made these today and they are the BEST cupcakes I’ve ever had.
Not the best gluten-free, vegan cupcakes, but the best cupcakes!
The recipe came together easily and beautifully. Mine baked up in exactly 20 min. The frosting was more than enough and delicious.
I challenge anyone to think these don’t have butter, eggs and cake flour!
I will be making these again and I plan to make the wedding cake for my daughter’s wedding.
Yay! Thank you so much Beth for this amazing review! I’m so happy to hear these are the best cupcakes you’ve EVER had! That is exactly how I feel about them too! They looked absolutely stunning on Instagram too, thank you so much for the review and if you get a chance to click the star rating, they help me out so much, thank you!
I’m wanting to make these for my daughter’s birthday this weekend and I’m wondering if arrowroot start could be substituted for the cornstarch, since she’s allergic to corn and potatoes?
Hi Lynette! I really don’t know. Arrowroot tends to make things more chewy so I don’t really use it. Cornstarch is the best here so you will just have to try it and see. With such a large amount of starch being required for the recipe for them to be light and fluffy, I just don’t think it would work too well, but I have not tested them with arrowroot so I can’t say what the result would be.
I made these this past weekend for my son’s wedding. The non vegan guests were envious. My niece, who is a professional pastry chef, asked me for the buttercream frosting recipe. Incidentally my niece had made the wedding cake. Only a few days before the wedding we realized the GF/wheat allergic/vegan guests (and me) didn’t have a dessert option.
That is so amazing to hear Valerie! Such a compliment coming from the non-vegan guests and your pastry chef niece! Thank you so much for making the cupcakes and taking the time to leave the review, I really appreciate it!
These cupcakes are great! I am going to make some for my daughters wedding in January. I made them on a Saturday to be eaten that day. They were easy to make and tasted wonderful. So moist. I saved one to see how many days they would stay moist and taste good. Here are the results…..day one – fantastic
Day two – still good but not quite as moist. Day three – flavor still great but dry. Great with a cup of coffee though. Would love to be able make these a few days ahead for the wedding but thankful they are easy enough to make the morning of or even the evening before the wedding.
Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
Yay Pauletta! So glad you loved these and are making them for your daughter’s wedding! Yes, you are exactly right! I noted that as well. Especially on the wedding cake post, that these are by far the best the day made but still yummy the next day but definitely start to lose that buttery moist taste within 2 days. That is because of all the starch used, but you are so right, because they are so easy and fast to make, making them the day of is easy to do. Thank you so much for making them Paulette!
These cupcakes are great! easy to make and really delicious! It’s hard to find a good and not too complicated recipe that doesn’t require a million ingredients that are impossible to find and is vegan AND gluten free. (although I had to make my own coconutbutter because it’s impossible to find in Belgium, still worked out great!). Everyone loved them (even the gluten-tolerant). I didn’t make the icing, they’re perfectly delicious without it!
Wonderful Anky! Thank you so much for the amazing review! So happy to hear you loved these cupcakes so much!
These were amazing! My daughter did a cupcake sale over the weekend and everyone loved it ! She made $35.00
Awww that is so wonderful to hear Laura, thank you so much for sharing!!
These are the best gluten free and cupcakes I have ever made! So fluffy and tasteful. They were a hit at my daughter’s birthday party. Can’t wait to make them again 😋
Yay! So glad you agree they are the best, I just loved your pics of the Moana style of them on Instagram, so beautiful! Thank you so much for making them!
This whole vegan wedding cake business of yours was a DREAM COME TRUE for me!! These cupcakes are the snow white vegan cake I’ve never been able to make until now! I even subbed regular cake flour for all the rice flour and half the cornstarch and it was still perfection. Xoxo
Oh wow! Your feedback totally made my day!! What a review, thank you so much Elizabeth! I’ve bedn meaning to post my all-purpose flour version too that I finally got correct, so I’m glad you mentioned that to remind me!
Hi Brandy! I’m getting ready to make this cake/cupcake recipe. Actually, I want to make a sheet cake. I figure I merely double the cupcake recipe or cut the cake recipe by 1/3. Do you think it will work as a sheet cake 9×13? It’s for my son’s upcoming wedding – a cake for the grandson who is allergic to everything!! Thanks so much for posting these goodies!! Warmly, Renee
Hi Renee! Yes, I would try double the cupcake recipe and hopefully that works. Make sure to weigh the ingredients! The baking time may change too. Just look for a them to be risen and toothpick to be clean. A trial is a good idea. Hope it works out!
Also, I’m not sure if double the cupcake recipe will make too much but you’ll have to try it and see how the batter fills up the pan.
Hi! I’m in charge of birthday cupcakes at work this year and we have several vegans and a couple gluten-free people. I made these for the September birthdays and everyone loved them! I think one of the girls ate three! They came out really well, even though I lost track of time and let them cool in the pan for too long before I moved them to the fridge. Thanks for this recipe!
Wonderful! So very happy to hear that Alaina, thank you so much for the awesome feedback!
If I’m not worried about them being white can I sub with brown rice flour & coconut sugar? Trying to make something fun but still a little healthy for my WFPB no oil friends. Thanks! 🙂
Hi Vanessa, no it needs to be the white rice flour. It’s not so much about the color as it is the texture. The white rice flour is necessary for the fluffy and lightness and binding. Brown rice flour does not work well here. Not only does it make them lure dry and crumbly, but the taste is compromised. They are still healthier than desserts made with oil or butter, but definitely a dessert worth the white rice flour. A treat to be enjoyed and at its best result, use the listed ingredients and a scale and it’s worth them I promise!
Ok thank you so much for responding! 🙂
I made these today for my twin boy’s 3rd birthday party. I was amazed at how wonderful they were! That’s the first time in a very long time that we’ve had birthday cake that wasn’t dense and heavy! I topped them with rainbow sprinkles and PJ Masks cupcake toppers. They made for some very delighted kids and a few adults who asked me to send them the recipe. Thank you so much!
Yay! That’s wonderful news! So glad to hear they were such a hit! Would you mind clicking the star rating too, they help me out, thank you!
I can’t believe it’s taken me almost a year to make these!! (Nor can I believe my daughter is coming up on her 1 year anniversary!) I was getting ready to make your delicious Funfetti cake and something made me stop and check out these instead. It’s my hubby’s birthday and he just loves vanilla so these seemed like the perfect recipe. We weren’t disappointed! Just like the wedding cake these are light, moist and oh so flavorful. My daughter-in-law is extremely skeptical about anything vegan or gluten free, but she scarfed one down in record time mumbling, “Mmm!” the entire time! Thank you again for your tireless work in getting this recipe the way you wanted it to be, Brandi. They are simply PERFECTION!!
Hello! These cupcakes look absolutely delicious and I would love to try them, but I don’t live in the US, so some ingredients might be hard to find. What is Spectrum shortening and what could I replace it with?
Hi Silvia, spectrum is just the brand, it is just shortening. But it is only 1 ingredient, organic palm oil. Unlike, say, crisco for example, which has several different oils. You want to use a quality shortening, as that is what yields the white color and best taste and texture. The cupcakes are dependent on each ingredient, so if you can’t find them, the recipe is not really going to work out well. You can always use a store-bought vanilla frosting though if you like, it’s more crucial for ingredients with the actual cupcake base.
I want to make these for an upcoming party, but I don’t have any rice flour. Can I sub the cornstarch & rice flour for equal parts cake flour? Thanks!
Hi Ella! So sorry for the delay! Yes, I actually just tested today a cake flour version since you are the 3rd person this week to ask, haha! They are just as delicious. So, please see the RECIPE NOTES at the bottom of the recipe card on how to make them with cake flour and please, please follow the exact directions for the temperature of the liquids and weighing the ingredients. Very important here to get perfect results. And surprisingly, they hardly have any coconut taste at all. It’s very vanilla and buttery tasting with just a hint of coconut. Honestly, people who I’ve served this too didn’t even know. They just taste insanely moist and buttery, they are so delicious. I guess if somebody absolutely hates coconut, they might taste it, but I’ve received nothing but 5 star reviews from everybody. Please let me know if you have any other questions!
Thank you so much for getting back to me! I made them for a party last night (cake flour version) and they really are the BEST vanilla cupcakes ever. No one else there was vegan, and everyone inhaled them! I’ve never been crazy about other vegan vanilla cakes in the past so I had a hunch you were onto something with a recipe so unique. I bought a scale for this and I’m so glad I did, what a game changer! Even the frosting directions were really helpful, usually mine separates and I think I was overbeating it before, this time it was perfect and delicious! This is my staple vanilla cake from here on out, thank you so much!!!
Yay, that is just awesome to hear these were the best you’ve ever made! I’m so happy you loved them so much!! Thanks for the awesome review!
Sorry I forget to also ask what may be a stupid question – do the cupcakes taste very much like coconut? Or is it supposed to be a vanilla tasting cupcake. Thanks again!
All of these comments praising this cupcake recipe are no joke. I made these for my daughter’s birthday on March 26th, and they were the biggest hit with my omnivore, meat and dairy and gluten loving family. The cupcake is fluffy and bouncy, not dense like a muffin. In no way did they think it was gluten free (they expected vegan, they were so surprised with it being GF!) I bought a scale like it suggested to use just for this recipe. Is this why my vegan and gluten free baking has thus far been a failure? It was tedious getting the grams just so, but totally worth it. I will be making these for every vanilla cake recipe my family decides they want for their birthday!
This is so wonderful to hear Olivia, I’m so happy these were such a hit with you and your family!! Yes, using a scale at first seems a bit different, but it will become second nature. Don’t stress too much about the EXACT gram, if it’s off 3 or 4 grams, that is super tiny. Just add your ingredients slowly, especially liquids and it will become a breeze. Baking is SO much faster this way. As far as other v/gf recipes, sadly, a lot of them out there are just VERY dense and mushy textures or weird textures or fall apart. But I make it my goal to have both taste and texture to be just as good as all-purpose flour and crowd-pleasing, as you saw with this recipe, so you can always be confident when trying my recipes! I want to make it easy for you readers! Thank you for making them 🙂
Hi Brandi, this recipe looks amazing and I’m preparing to make them for a party. Question though, is the white rice flour referring to mochiko/glutinous rice flour, or just plain white rice flour? I’ve worked with both and I know that they create different textures, so I’d like to clarify. Thanks!
Hi Bianca! Definitely regular white rice flour, not the sticky glutinous kind 🙂
What kind of white rice flour? I can only seem to find the Stone ground flour which seems not as finely ground as the sweet rice flour I used to be able to find(which as a powdery texture similar to the cornstarch . Is sweet rice flour what you meant or ANY rice flour will do?
I did try to make them with Stone ground and the texture seemed kinda grainy or not as good as I was expecting.
Hi Tina, I’ve used Bob’s Red Mill stone ground white flour as well as HEB brand and they both work perfectly. The cupcakes are not grainy in the slightest, just very buttery, moist and fluffy. Nobody else has had that issue, as all the reviews have been perfect, so my guess is that it is the flour you used. Definitely do not use the bag labeled “sweet rice flour” which is the really sticky kind. Did you follow the recipe and weigh the ingredients and use the coconut butter correctly? Because the fat content is so high in these, that it is what makes the texture so unbelievably light and fluffy and soft, zero bit of grainyness. There is also a cake flour version listed at the bottom of the recipe card that is fantastic too and it of course does not use rice flour so you wouldn’t have that issue at all at finding the rice flour.
I recently went gluten free and dairy free and I’m allergic to eggs and I never thought I would be able to enjoy a cupcake again, this recipe is absolutely hands down incredible. Thank you so so much
Aww so happy to hear this! Thrilled they were incredible for you! They are my all-time favorite cupcake!
Does it impart a strong coconut taste?
No, not at all. Just a rich vanilla flavor.
Thank you!! I’m bookmarking this to try!
Another question , have you tried replacing the corn starch with tapioca flour? They are highly similar right? Thank you!
Hi Rhonda! In small amounts, it can be a decent sub but it absolutely won’t work here. The cornstarch is crucial to the texture and fluffiness. Since rice flour gives binding, adding tapioca (which in larger amounts give excessive chew and gooeyness) would make these gooey and chewy, not at all fluffy. You definitely want to stick with cornstarch in this particular recipe 🙂
Thanks so much! Will stick to the corn starch (assume it’s the same thing as corn flour??). Can I also ask if the cane sugar can be subbed with coconut sugar? It doesn’t matter if it’s not a white looking cake as long as the taste and texture is perfect.
Hi Rhonda, I’m so sorry, but I would not recommend coconut sugar either. The flavor of coconut sugar is very pronounced and will completely offset the beautiful delicate vanilla flavor. Not to mention, it’s very gritty, so will bake up differently. I prefer to use coconut sugar in baked goods where it’s nutty or caramel focused and blends well with the other ingredients.
Makes sense!
Can I ask whether fine pure cane sugar is the same as raw cane sugar (the granules are coarser) or granulated sugar? I don’t think I’ve seen any fine pure cane sugar in Australia where I am.
Thank you for being so helpful and patient with me!
It can be tricky since some bags or areas might label them differently. But just use any regular white sugar and you will be fine!
I used a scale and zeroed in every time. I made sure the butter and milk were the right consistency and it still did not work out. They sank instead of risen and stung my tongue when I tried a piece. I’m not sure what went wrong. 🙁 spent a lot of money on the ingredients.
Hi Jessica, I’m sorry to hear you had trouble. I have no idea what could have gone wrong without being there, so I’m going to try to help by asking some questions. These always turn out extremely fluffy and light. Did you change a flour or ingredient? If they sank, do you mean while they were in the oven or when they came out? If a muffin sinks, that is usually because of too much liquid or not cooking it long enough. Did you by chance use butter from the refrigerated section? Also, I’m assuming if you said you stung your tongue, then you tried one as soon as they came out of the oven? You definitely want to let them cool completely before eating as listed in step 7 to cool in the pan for 45 minutes and then briefly in the fridge.
These are amazing! Finally a V/GF cupcake that doesn’t taste like one! So here’s my question. I’m a make ahead kinda girl. So can I fridge and/or freeze this batter? Because I know the part about melting the coconut butter might make freezing not a good idea? Also mine were not as fluffy, more dense like pound cake (but still taste amazing). Could I have not have melted the coconut butter enough?
Hi Michele! SO happy you loved these so much, yay! No, you definitely don’t want to freeze cake batter, because the leavening agents are activated with the liquids upon mixing and must be baked right away or it affects the baked result. As far as fluffy, it’s hard to say without being there but they should be extremely soft and fluffy, to the point of delicate. Did you weigh the ingredients and make sure the coconut butter was thoroughly mixed as in the picture, it should be smooth and completely runny when weighing (like oil, not thick like almond butter)? Did you sub anything? Let me know and I’ll help!
Hi Brandi! I am a baker by trade (was trying these for a V/GF friend-she loved them!) so yes I weigh everything. I wasn’t able to get the marantha brand of coconut butter you recommended for this particular experiment but do have it now for future things I make for her. I thought it was pretty runny but maybe not. That’s the only thing I did differently. I always follow a recipe exactly the first time before I make it. And I freeze batter all the time with excellent results but wondered if this was different because it might resolidify too much. Thanks again!
Ok good to know it was all weighed! Not sure then! The coconut butter and full fat coconut milk are what is crucial to the extremely light fluffy texture, so those are key! Did it look really soft and fluffy like in my pic above of the inside shot? I’ve made these probably 2 dozen times and they turn out super fluffy and soft each time. Maybe just double check that the coconut butter is fully mixed with the meat and oil really well before weighing. Because if too much of the oil gets added (since they separate in the jar) that will weigh down the cupcakes. Oh and yes, correct, I’ve not had good luck with freezing gluten-free stuff, because of the starches involved (they dry out much more than regular flour) particularly ones containing coconut butter. They need to be baked right away. Coconut butter gets hard as a rock and can be tricky to work with.
I’m trying it again today with the MaraNatha! When you say full-fat coconut milk, do you mean coconut cream? I have both Coconut cream & coconut milk. Both canned I purchased from a local Asian market so no worries it’s the coconut milk that my husband uses for his cereal! LOL
Hi Michele, so sorry I’m just seeing this! Life has been quite hectic. It is definitely coconut milk, not cream! Cream will make them too dense and heavy. You use regular full-fat coconut milk. I love the Thai Kitchen brand. Sometimes the coconut cream part separates or hardens from the water, so you’ll want to dump all that in a separate container and whisk it well until it is smooth, so that the cupcake batter is smooth. Full-fat coconut milk ranges from 12-14g of fat per serving. And it doesn’t say “light” or low fat on the can.
I have made both these and your vegan wedding cake now 2 times each. They are just fabulous!! My question is how could this be converted to chocolate cupcakes/cake? Or maybe you have another recipe that’s better just for that! If so, please pass along! I TRUST you!
Wonderful! Happy to hear that! Well, you are in luck because I’m posting some incredible gluten-free chocolate cupcakes tomorrow!! Thank you for the kind words!
Here are the chocolate ones! https://thevegan8.com/vegan-gluten-free-chocolate-cupcakes/
I am going to be making this for a bridal shower and double the recipe. Just assuming that doubling the recipe will be fine. I don’t want anything to go wrong, LOL. Going to do a test run tonight with a regular non-doubled recipe. I’m excited to try this.
I’ve never tried doubling it, but as long as you measure everything with a scale accurately and follow the steps (particularly the coconut butter process) I think it should be fine! Doubling doesn’t always work with baking, but I’ve found that to be more the case with regular all-purpose flour desserts since the gluten gets over-mixed.
Hi, Brandi-
Thank you so much for posting this! I have a question that you’ve already answered, so I apologize, but I don’t understand what fine pure cane sugar is, and how it differs from regular white sugar.
Thank you.
Hi Cyndi, the granules are just slightly larger and a bit more golden blonde, but you can totally use white sugar! Either is fine. Pure cane sugar will be labeled as such on the bag. It has not been processed as finely and is a more processed sugar, but it’s a minimal difference. I updated the ingredient list with a link to the brand I use. It is certified vegan and is not white white, but more blonde.
Can I possibly sprinkle these cupcakes with a simple syrup to keep them from drying out? Would it still be considered a vegan gluten free cupcake if I did so?
Hi Marlene, these cupcakes are extremely moist and buttery, so I don’t think adding a simple syrup would be a good idea, but I’ve never tried it, so can’t say for certain. If the cupcakes are eaten the day they are made, they are absolutely perfectly moist. They are still moist the next day, just definitely not as buttery. But still really good, especially with the frosting on top. It’s really around 24-48 hours they tend to start to really dry out.
Hi there! I just want to confirm if the rice flour available at Indian grocery stores is the same as white rice flour? many thanks
Hi! Actually, no, I think the kind at Indian stores may be the sticky white rice kind, but I’m not positive. The sweet sticky kind is very different and would ruin the texture and make them gooey. I just buy regular white rice flour at a standard grocery store like Kroger, Sprouts etc.