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    Home » Vegan Recipes » Vegan Baking Recipes » Vanilla Vegan Cupcakes

    Vanilla Vegan Cupcakes

    Published: Jun 20, 2018 · Modified: Oct 3, 2022 by Kate Ford · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Vanilla Vegan Cupcakes
    JUMP TO RECIPE JUMP TO VIDEO
    Pinterest PIN for vanilla vegan cupcakes

    These light and fluffy vanilla vegan cupcakes are so good no one will ever guess they are vegan! Topped with a generous swirl of vegan buttercream.

    🍴Why you will love this recipe

    So it seems you're all hungry for vegan cake recipes, (and I don't blame you!) - my Vegan Victoria Sponge, Vegan Coffee & Walnut Cake and Vegan Carrot Cake are consistently amongst my most popular recipes.

    So here's a recipe for some in incredibly light, moist and fluffy Vanilla Vegan Cupcakes.  These taste every bit as good as they look - fluffy, moist and piled high with buttercream - no one will ever guess these are vegan. 

    A combination of vegan yoghurt and plant milk replace the eggs.  It sounds weird I know, but it works so well! And of course vegan block margarine is a super-simple butter replacement both in the sponge and in the buttercream. 

    Jump to:
    • 🍴Why you will love this recipe
    • 📝 What you need
    • 👩🏽‍🍳 How to make your vegan cupcakes
    • 👩🏽‍🍳 Top Tips and FAQs
    • 🍽 If you liked that...
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments and Reviews

    📝 What you need

    Ingredients for Vanilla Vegan Cupcakes

    Ingredients

    Dairy-free margarine Make sure you use a good-quality block margarine, rather than a tub of spread. My favourites are the new Flora Plant Butter or Naturli Block. A block margarine has a far lower water content than spread, which is so much better for baking.

    Dairy-free yoghurt I use unsweetened soya yoghurt for baking - it has a much higher protein content than other plant yoghurts, so is the best egg replacer. However if you can't or don't want to use soya, a good unsweetened oat or coconut yoghurt will also work well.

    Dairy-free milk Again, I use unsweetened soya due to its protein content, but any oat or nut milk will work well.

    Self-raising flour If you don't have any self-raising flour to hand, don't panic - you can make your own! Just use 300g plain flour with 4 teaspoon baking powder. (You will still also need the bicarbonate of soda listed in the recipe).

    Vanilla extract Use the best quality vanilla extract that you can - it really makes a difference to the flavour.

    👩🏽‍🍳 How to make your vegan cupcakes

    For a full, printable recipe with ingredients and detailed instructions, scroll to the bottom of this page 👇🏼.

    beat vegan butter and sugar

    Beat together the vegan butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Mix together the dairy-free milk, vegan yoghurt and vanilla extract and stir through the 'butter' and sugar.

    fold in flour and divide between cases

    Add the flour and bicarbonate of soda and mix slowly until just combined. Divide the mixture between 12 cupcake cases and bake for 15-18 minutes.

    make butttercream and pipe

    Beat together icing sugar, vegan butter, dairy-free milk and vanilla extract until soft and fluffy. Pipe or spread over each cupcake and decorate as required.

    👩🏽‍🍳 Top Tips and FAQs

    Before icing, store the cakes overnight in an airtight tin or tupperware. The moisture from the middle of the cake works its way to the edges and the whole cake becomes moist and soft, and the crispy edges turn deliciously soft.

    Beat lots of air into your 'butter' and sugar. It is tempting to mix the butter and sugar until they are, well, mixed. But in fact you want to mix them long and hard until they are pale, soft and fluffy - I leave the mixer on for 2-3 minutes at this stage, which feels like an age, but the results are worth it.

    Use good quality ingredients. I've mentioned above about block margarine - that will make a big difference. But also make sure everything is fresh and in date. Did you know that bicarbonate of soda and self raising flour have use-by dates? Their efficiency at giving your cakes their rise drastically reduces after that time, so chuck out that decade-old bag of flour lurking at the back of the cupboard!

    Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Can I freeze my vegan cupcakes?

    Yes, the cakes themselves freeze well but the buttercream doesn't, so you can make the cakes well in advance, then just defrost and add the icing on the day you serve them.

    How long do these cupcakes keep for?

    If kept in an airtight container these vegan cupcakes will be fine for 2-3 days. They are very moist and soft so don't dry out.

    What is a vegan cupcake made from?

    Vegan block margarine replaces the butter in both the cake mix and the buttercream, and a mixture of dairy-free yoghurt (soya or oat) and dairy-free milk (soya, oat or nut) replaces the eggs. These replacements work so well that vegan cupcakes taste almost identical to non-vegan.

    🍽 If you liked that...

    .... you might also enjoy these vegan recipes from The Veg Space:

    • Vegan Christmas Cupcakes
      Vegan Christmas Cupcakes
    • Vegan Lemon Cupcakes
      Vegan Lemon Cupcakes
    • Vegan Biscuits
      Jammy Vegan Biscuits
    • Vegan Victoria Sponge Cake
      Vegan Victoria Sponge Cake

    Loved this recipe? ⭐️ Leave a star rating below! 📸 Snap a photo of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram, tagging me @thevegspace or #thevegspace 📩 And get all my latest recipes in a weekly e-mail by subscribing to my newsletter.

    📖 Recipe

    Vegan Cupcakes

    Vanilla Vegan Cupcakes

    Kate Ford | The Veg Space
    These light vanilla vegan cupcakes are topped with a deliciously fluffy buttercream - the perfect vegan teatime treat.
    4.97 from 32 votes
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    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 15 minutes mins
    Total Time 30 minutes mins
    Course Cake
    Cuisine British
    Servings 12 cupcakes
    Calories 347 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    For the cupcakes:

    • 110 g dairy-free margarine
    • 165 g caster sugar
    • 110 g dairy-free yoghurt (I used plain soya)
    • 110 ml dairy-free milk (I use soya or oat)
    • 1.5 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 225 g self-raising flour
    • 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

    For the buttercream:

    • 140 g dairy-free margarine
    • 280 g icing sugar
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 tablespoon dairy-free milk

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat the oven to 180ºC (fan) / 350ºF / Gas Mark 4.  Prepare a 12-hole muffin tray by lining each hole with a paper muffin case.
    • In a food mixer or large bowl beat together the margarine and sugar until pale and fluffy, then beat in the yoghurt, milk and vanilla extract until smooth.  Sift in the flour and bicarbonate of soda and fold in slowly until just combined.
    • Divide the mixture between the 12 cake cases, then bake for 15-18 minutes until an inserted skewer or knife comes out clean.  Leave to cool on a wire rack, and if possible leave in an airtight container overnight to ice the following day.
    • In a food mixer or large bowl, beat together the margarine and icing sugar, add the vanilla extract and milk and beat again until pale and fluffy.  If the buttercream is a little stiff, add a few drops more milk and beat again.
    • Pipe a generous swirl of buttercream on the top of each cupcake.

    Video

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1cakeCalories: 347kcalCarbohydrates: 52gProtein: 3gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 239mgPotassium: 60mgFiber: 1gSugar: 37gVitamin A: 859IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 34mgIron: 0.3mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was! Mention @thevegspace or #thevegspace
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    About Kate Ford

    Hi! I'm Kate, vegan home cook and blogger behind The Veg Space and author of Vegan in 15. I'm passionate about creating easy vegan recipes that even a first-time cook can follow.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Arianna says

      August 25, 2023 at 9:58 am

      I recently found i I was diary and egg intolerant so I didn’t think I’d find any good cake recipes but this is the amazing, it’s so fluffy, soft and the best cake I’ve ever made. My partner loved them too and asked me to make it again. Safe to say this is now my to go recipe to use

      Reply
      • Kate Ford says

        August 28, 2023 at 10:44 am

        That's great to hear, thanks Arianna! Have a look at my other cake recipes too - they all use a similar method.

        Reply
    2. Marion says

      June 25, 2023 at 6:22 pm

      They were delicious and my first attempt at a vegan cupcake. I think I curdled the mixture but they were still light and fluffy. Will decorate in the morning.

      Reply
      • Kate Ford says

        July 04, 2023 at 1:14 pm

        Lovely - yes don't worry at all if the mixture looks 'curdled' - it isn't, and as soon as you add the flour it comes right back together. Kate x

        Reply
    3. Megan says

      July 07, 2022 at 2:20 pm

      This recipe is PERFECT, my friends could not believe it was vegan! Will be making it again definitely.

      Reply
    4. Beth says

      July 07, 2022 at 2:16 pm

      These look absolutely fantastic. I love the texture of them. Texture is important to me, especially in vegan baked goods. They can be a little off sometimes.

      Reply
    5. Toni says

      July 07, 2022 at 2:01 pm

      Everyone at my house was surprised that this is vegan!! It is so good and amazing!! Thanks for the recipe!

      Reply
    6. Shadi says

      July 07, 2022 at 1:39 pm

      I Just tried this recipe and my family loved it. It was so easy and the flavors were fantastic.

      Reply
    7. Jo Bowman says

      February 22, 2022 at 6:29 pm

      Hello, do you have an opinion on Stork block margarine please? Just wondering if it would work in this recipe?

      Reply
      • Kate Ford says

        February 23, 2022 at 12:54 pm

        Hi Jo, yes I really like Stork block, works really well in baking - go for it! Kate x

        Reply
    8. Jaimini says

      April 11, 2021 at 12:37 am

      Best vegan cupcake recipe ever!
      I was in the mood for some mini Vicky sponges and came across this recipe and OMG this was so most lightest, fluffiest vanilla cake I have ever had that. To quote Jim Carey... B-E-A-Utiful!
      Thank you so much for this amazing recipe! Definitely my go to recipe now 😊

      Reply
      • Kate Ford says

        April 11, 2021 at 9:07 am

        That's so lovely to hear, glad they turned out so well. I make these all the time for cake sales and kids parties.... never fails!

        Reply
      • Jenn y says

        June 23, 2021 at 3:47 am

        Hi Jaimini,
        If you loved these cupcakes, you will really love Kate's Victoria sponge.

        Reply
    9. Trisha says

      March 07, 2021 at 9:35 pm

      Hi Kate, Thankyou for sharing this lovely recipe!!

      Can I use a dairy butter and milk for these? I just can’t use egg?

      Reply
      • Kate Ford says

        March 08, 2021 at 11:59 am

        Hi Trisha, yes absolutely - this is a vegan recipe so I used non-dairy, but it would work absolutely fine with dairy if you eat it. Kate

        Reply
    10. Louise Mitchell says

      February 09, 2021 at 12:31 pm

      Hi there,
      This is not a comment intended to be publish at all! More looking for advice. I made these at the weekend (my first attempt at vegan cupcakes) and the cakes collapsed. As well as over spilling but putting that down to needing large muffin cases like in other comments. Some also burnt.
      Any suggestions on the collapsing/ over spilling? I wonder if there was too much bi-carb in the mixture? I followed the guidelines as said. My bi-cab was also in date.
      Will give another attempt soon.
      Many thanks,
      Louise

      Reply
      • Kate Ford says

        February 09, 2021 at 4:33 pm

        Hi Louise, good to hear from you and sorry about the exploding cupcakes! It sounds to me like you might have simply overfilled the cases - they should be about half full with batter as they do rise a lot. The bicarb does give them a really good lift and that's what makes them so light and fluffy. Hope that helps and good luck with the next attempt! Kate x

        Reply
    11. Elizabeth Marshall says

      December 28, 2020 at 4:55 pm

      Just made these today and they turned out wonderful 🙂 I am s chuffed as my last two attempts of vegan cakes sank in the middle, but these didnt. Like a previous comment the amount made me 20, not complaining though, more to eat. Thank you.

      Reply
      • Kate Ford says

        December 28, 2020 at 5:27 pm

        Fantastic, great to hear it Elizabeth!

        Reply
    12. Fiona says

      October 07, 2020 at 2:21 pm

      I wish I had known that this recipe was for 12 large cupcakes. Because I used normal cupcake size, it was a bit of a disaster! They tasted ok though.

      Reply
      • Kate Ford says

        October 08, 2020 at 8:42 am

        Oh no sorry to hear that Fiona, yes mine were the size in the photos. Hope you can have another go sometime - if you need to adjust the recipe, when you go to 'print recipe' it gives you the option to scale up or down the recipe automatically with the + and - buttons, so if you're using smaller cases you might want to adjust. Kate x

        Reply
    13. AstroTalk says

      March 30, 2020 at 10:28 am

      I love this vegan cupcake 😍 I tried this and was astronished by the taste.

      Reply
    14. Zepheniah says

      March 06, 2020 at 6:27 pm

      I've tried your vegan Victoria sponge and goes down a treat with the kids and adults who are not even vegan, therefore I thought I'd give the cupcakes a go. As with the cake I use Flora Buttery and Oat milk which seems to make all the difference in taste. Have tried with Soya milk and Stork also. The cupcakes are a delicious smaller version of the sponge cake. They taste great and easy to make. The recipe makes 12 large cupcakes but hey I'm not complaining..... He he. I love all of your recipe ideas and can't wait to try more.

      Reply
    15. Abbaticchio says

      August 15, 2019 at 7:49 am

      Kate, thanks a lot! The cake is so delicious. I love the creamy top part

      Reply
    16. Taza says

      July 21, 2019 at 12:01 pm

      I have made these a few times and always turn out great! Everyone that has tried them has loved them, vegan or not, you really cant tell! I use baking powder instead of bicarb as I find bicarb leaves a bit of a tang and have tried adding half and half coconut based plain yoghurt with the soya yoghurt for a creamier taste. I have made lemon versions grating some lemon zest in (1 lemon worth) and they are so good! Another time I swapped 2 tablespoons of flour out for 2 tablespoons of cocoa and they still came out nice and light!

      Definitely the best vegan cake recipe I've found so far, will have to try more of your recipes!

      Reply
    17. Sara says

      July 18, 2019 at 11:43 am

      Just made a batch and got some left over mix. Can I freeze this mixture for next time or does it all have to be cooked then frozen?

      Reply
      • Kate Ford says

        July 19, 2019 at 2:40 pm

        I would cook them then freeze - the raising agents won't work nearly as well if they have been frozen and defrosted, but these cakes freeze really well - I often cook a batch to keep in the freezer. Enjoy!

        Reply
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