Dining In - Vanilla Cupcakes

Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes

Eureka! I found the best vanilla cupcake recipe, including all the non-vegan recipes I've tried in the past. The winning characteristic of these is the moistness of the cake, something that even famous vegan bakeries in NYC (ahem, Babycakes) struggle with. Key ingredients in these vegan cupcakes include apple cider vinegar, lots of almond milk, and coconut oil to give it a unique, delicious flavor. I've shared them with friends and family and they were a huge hit. In the past I've paired them with a sweet Raspberry Frosting. Be mindful of the fact that these are not healthy (sorry to be a party pooper), but are still a yummy treat for special occasions. I stumbled upon this recipe on AllRecipes.com, you can find it here. 

Vegan Vanilla Cupcake Topped with Raspberry Frosting

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups almond milk
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup coconut oil*, melted
1 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line two 12-cupcake pans with liners (grease not needed if you allow the cupcakes to sit a while as oil will separate them from paper, otherwise lightly grease cupcake liners).  

In a liquid measuring cup, pour in apple cider vinegar and almond milk together. Allow to sit until curdled, about 5 minutes. 

In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder and soda, and salt. In a separate medium bowl mix together melted coconut oil, mixture of vinegar and almond milk, and vanilla, stirring slowly to combine. Add wet ingredients to dry mixture, but don't over-blend. 

Pour batter into 18 cupcake liners, until about 2/3 full. Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes and check with toothpick to see if fully baked. Remove from oven and let cool before frosting. 

*Coconut oil is a great staple to have in the kitchen, however it can be expensive! I had luck finding some at my local Trader Joe's for much less than the grocery store. You can melt it in the microwave as you would margarine, medium power for about 20 seconds.