I have one of those super cool moms who brought in cupcakes for my class on my birthday. She always baked them in ice cream cones and she always topped them with tons of sprinkles.
Moms, birthdays, and sprinkles are the best (in that order).
I’m so excited I finally got around to vegan-izing funfetti cupcakes.
Up until this point my favorite flavor of vegan cupcakes has been chocolate, so it was due time to try my hand at good old fashioned vanilla. Turns out, vanilla has my heart, especially when sprinkles are involved.
This recipe may look a little complicated, but I assure you it only requires 1 bowl and less than 1 hour!
The ingredients are basic as well. If you’re like me, you always have vegan butter and sprinkles on hand anyway. If not, you’ll probably start doing so after trying these babes.
Quintessential funfetti cupcakes have sprinkles inside the cupcake as well as on top of the frosting. If I could’ve figured out another way to infuse sprinkles into these babes, I surely would’ve. I’ll report back on any such discoveries.
These cupcakes are seriously dreamy. They’re
Fluffy
Moist
Perfectly sweet
Vanilla infused
Loaded with sprinkles
Topped with MEGA fluffy buttercream
Super shareable
& Slightly addictive
I may or may not have sampled one pre frosting…then another post frosting…then another just to ensure I hadn’t in fact gotten a wrong assessment. Turns out, I was right all along. These cakes are amazing!
Make these for book club and birthdays and anniversaries and casual Fridays and everything in between.
You and whomever you bestow them upon will not only experience a slight sugar high, but also the pure bliss that ONLY comes from eating a cupcake loaded with icing and sprinkles. Enjoy!
NOTE: Recipe updated 3/20/19 to address crumbly texture and flat tops. We swapped the vegan butter for oil and it worked much better.
One Bowl Vegan Funfetti Cupcakes
Ingredients
CUPCAKES:
- 1 scant cup non-dairy milk
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup neutral oil (such as avocado)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 scant cup organic cane sugar
- 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup rainbow sprinkles* (plus more for topping)
FROSTING:
- 1/2 cup vegan butter (SOFTENED // 1 stick yields 1/2 cup - we like Earth Balance and Myoko's brands)
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 - 3 cups powdered sugar (SIFTED)
- 1 splash non-dairy milk (optional // almond and coconut are best!)
Instructions
-
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and line a standard muffin holder with 12 paper liners (as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size).
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Add non-dairy milk and vinegar or lemon juice to a large mixing bowl and let set a few minutes to curdle/activate. Then add oil and vanilla and whisk or use a hand mixer to beat vigorously to combine. Then add sugar and whisk or use a hand mixer to beat to combine/dissolve. It may splash so be careful!
-
Add dry ingredients (omitting sprinkles) to a sifter in this order: two-thirds of the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and then the remaining third of the flour.
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Sift over wet ingredients and use a whisk or hand mixer to blend until well incorporated and no large lumps remain. The texture should be somewhere between thick and thin. Not liquidy, but not scoopable (rather, pourable). Somewhere near a buttermilk pancake batter consistency. We had to add another 1-2 Tbsp flour to thicken slightly.
-
Add sprinkles and gently fold/stir with a rubber spatula or mixing spoon. Then divide batter evenly among cupcake holders making sure NOT to overfill. These do best at 3/4 of the way up.
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Bake on a center rack for 20-24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. They will only have a very, very slight golden brown color.
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Let cool completely on a cooling rack. In the meantime, prepare frosting (optional). Wipe clean your mixing bowl and add softened butter. Beat until light and fluffy. Then add vanilla and mix once more.
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Add SIFTED powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time and continue mixing until thick and creamy. Scrape down sides as needed. If it gets too thick or crumbly, add a splash non-dairy milk to thin (optional). You want this frosting to be very thick so it will hold its shape once on the cupcakes. If it gets too thin, thicken with more powdered sugar.
-
Once cooled, frost cupcakes and top with sprinkles. Serve immediately. Store leftovers covered at room temperature or refrigerated up to 3 days.
Notes
*Some brands of sprinkles aren't vegan friendly, so be sure to check!
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with frosting.
Nutrition Per Serving (1 of 12 cupcakes)
- Calories: 380
- Fat: 17.4g
- Saturated fat: 6.4g
- Sodium: 276mg
- Carbohydrates: 56g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Sugar: 42.1g
- Protein: 1.7g
Hello! Question about subbing applesauce for the oil. Is this possible? Has anyone tried it before? Also, i want to make a test sample of maybe 1/2 the recipe. Any ideas if just halfing the ingredients would work?
Hi there, a couple readers mentioned replacing half of the butter with applesauce and had success. And we don’t see a reason why a half batch wouldn’t work! Let us know how it goes!
I think there’s a mistake in the amount of sugar in the nutritional info – 4.1 grams is only 1 teaspoon. Should it be 41?
Thanks for bringing this to our attention. Fixed!
Delicious and easy to make! I reduced the sugar to three fourths the amount, added mini-chocolate chips instead of sprinkles, and then made a vegan chocolate frosting with cocoa powder….they were for my partner’s birthday and we both couldn’t eat just one! I also added a half teaspoon more vanilla and a fourth teaspoon of almond extract. They were amazing and addictive!
We’re so glad you both enjoyed them! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Hello, I’ve cooked these before with the Vegan Butter inclusion. I worked much better for me than oil. I was wondering if you could tell me what amount of butter was in the original recipe. Thank you!
Hi Kirsty, it was 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter. Hope that helps!
Hi Dana,
I work with the Ontario SPCA and we would love to use this recipe in our National Cupcake Day fundraising guide. Could you please email me to further discuss?
Thank you!
Hi Kylie, you can find info about our sharing policies here. Hope that helps!
Made this for my sister’s birthday, and everyone was pleasantly surprised with how it turned out. It was so fluffy and delicious!!!
Such a nice treat, but I did find it a tad sweet. Would reducing the amount of sugar called for in this recipe change the outcome? I was thinking half the sugar?
Regardless, I think I got my BIL to change his mind on vegan sweets ;)
Hi Michelle, it might change the texture too much, but let us know if you give it a try! We might recommend reducing to 2/3 before 1/2?
Hi!
Excited to try this recipe :-) Did anyone have good luck using coconut oil instead of avocado oil?
Thanks!
Hi Caroline. That should work, but as we haven’t tested it we can’t confirm. Let us know how it goes!
hi there! if I wanted to use two round cake pans instead of a cupcakes tin would I need to adjust ingredient quantity at all? Thanks!
I don’t think so, but we also haven’t tried it that way. Let us know if you do!
Is there a way to add aquafaba as an egg substitute to this recipe?
You don’t really need to, but if you try it, let us know!
Just pulled these out of the oven, and they look great. Of course I had to sample one right away to make sure they were cooked through :). My only suggestion is maybe to adjust the serving to 13-14 cupcakes, mine overflowed just a bit in the pan….perhaps my muffin tin is smaller than most?! Thank you for the recipe my allergy baby will be quite happy with these!
Valerie
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing, Valerie!
So if I needed these to be gluten free which flour do you suggest I try?
Hi Emily, We would recommend adding sprinkles to our Vanilla Cake for a gluten-free option. Hope that helps!
I have made these probably about five times and every time they come out gummy in the middle. I have used avocado oil sometimes and then vegan butter some other times no difference. Everytime still gummy in the middle. I’ve tried with sprinkles and without no difference. I use Bob Red Mills gluten-free baking flour and monk fruit sweetener instead of the sugar. My baking soda and baking powder are new. The cupcakes have a good flavor minus not being done. Also they are very dense not light and airy like a cupcake. The last time I cooked them an extra 20 minutes and still no difference still gummy in the middle. Can you tell me what I’m doing wrong? Please help!!
Hmm, well we haven’t tried thee gluten-free so that’s likely the issue…
Hi. I think it’s the sugar you are using. I also used the monk fruit sweetener for baking on a different recipe that called for regular white sugar and the cake came out gummy. Hope this helps.
Good morning Dana, can I omit coconut or cake flour instead of all purpose flour? I am making these for a nut allergy niece otherwise I would have asked about almond flour.
Also, thank you so much for posting this recipe, it looks amazing and I cannot wait to try it out!
Hmm, we haven’t tried it with either of those. Cake flour would be best!
Thank you so much for your response, I cannot wait to make them! ?
I’ve made this recipe and the 1 bowl vegan chocolate cake. I’m wondering if it’s possible to make a vegan marble cake (vanilla with chocolate swirled in) with this recipe and the 1 bowl vegan chocolate cake mixed together. Please let me know your thoughts.
Ooh, I think that would be lovely! Let us know if you give it a try!
I recently made these for my daughters 1st birthday party. My family is not vegan but I had a guest and her kids who are vegan coming so I decided to do the whole party vegan. I’m a cook so I enjoy experimenting with food and trying new things. I researched a ton of recipes and decided to try this one and wow, so happy I did! The cupcakes were better then any other vanilla cupcakes I’ve ever made. So moist and they rose beautifully. I used coconut oil and almond milk and organic cane sugar. No one new they were vegan until I told them because I have a lot of close minded family members?. Anyway, I will absolutely use this recipe in the future whether or not I have to feed a vegan. Do you have a chocolate version as well?
We are so glad to hear everyone enjoyed them, Megan! Thanks so much for sharing! We have a couple chocolate cupcake recipes: https://minimalistbaker.com/the-best-vegan-gluten-free-chocolate-cupcakes/ and https://minimalistbaker.com/fudgy-vegan-beet-cupcakes/. Some readers have also made our chocolate cake recipe into cupcakes: https://minimalistbaker.com/one-bowl-vegan-chocolate-cake/
Hello Dana!
Thank you for sharing and inspiring me to make such delicious vegan food.
These cupcakes turned out moist and tasty. The only problem I had was that it was a bit too sweet. I make these with my toddler son hence want to dial down the sweetness. Please help.
Since I didn’t have cane sugar on hand I subbed it with brown sugar. Also, I live in Australia hence used the metrics measurement. Not sure if brown sugar made it sweeter. I wanted to know if I happen to reduce the sugar amount will it affect the quality i.e. the moistness and fluffiness of the cake?
Thanks :)
Hmm, interesting! I’d say you could reduce the sugar by 1/4 and then add more flour if the batter appears too wet. Hope that helps!!
this is BY FAR my favorite cupcake recipe! i’ve added strawberries, oreos, and SO much more. its so versatile and fluffy. 15/10
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Nina. We are so glad you enjoy this recipe! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
My son loved making these cupcakes !!
I had all the ingredients to put together!! Thumbs up!
Lovely – thanks for sharing!
my cupcakes turned green ?
the frosting also never became thick and creamy, it was like chunky, cottage cheese texture. where did i go wrong? lol
Hmm, not sure why they turned green other than your sprinkles having very sensitive coloring?
Did you use softened butter and sifted powdered sugar for the frosting? That’s when chunks may arise.
Love them and the kids too! Can you freeze them?
Hi Marty, Should be able to, but we haven’t tried it that way. Just cool completely before freezing. Good luck!
I froze the extras from my daughter’s birthday party last October and they were STILL delicious 4 months later!
Thanks for sharing, Michelle!
I had this same issue! No rise and felt rubbery.
Unfortunatley mine really didn’t come out :( They were flat and not fluffy at all. They felt oily on the outside too. Not sure what I did wrong :/
Hi Zo, sorry to hear these didn’t work for you! Would you mind sharing the type of oil and non-dairy milk that you used?
I tried making this recipe but they didn’t turn out right. They didn’t seem to rise or get fluffy. They were small and hard. I don’t know if the heat was too high and the tops overcooked and got tough while the middle was undercooked. Any suggestions? My mixture was also pretty runny.
Hmm, did you alter any ingredients? And are your leavening ingredients (baking soda / powder) fresh?
I have made these into cupcakes, Mimi cupcakes and a cake. The all came out super great! I did have to adjust timing (as to be expected). I do have a picture of the cake but I don’t know how to post it on here. It has batman themed colors.
This is my go to dessert.
So glad to hear it, Kymberly! Thanks for sharing! You can tag us in your photo with the hashtag #minimalistbaker on instagram!
I made this recipe twice. I wish I had taken a picture before devouring. It is so delicious! I have only used brown sugar in this recipe and the texture is good to me. Next time I’ll try with the cane sugar blend with brown sugar. Thanks!
So great! Thanks for sharing, Karen!
Hi! How would you adjust the temp and cook time for mini cupcakes? Thank you!
Have made these cupcakes a couple of times and they turned out great! Would like to modify to make a double layer 8-9 inch round cake…any suggestions?
Another reader mentioned they had success with that! Just adjust (lengthen) the baking time and grease the pans. Good luck!
‘Scant cup’ is not a measurement! This is beyond frustrating. Use a real measurement please even if it’s 15/16 or 3/4 cup plus one tablespoon!
Sorry for the confusion. Scant cup is essentially 1 cup and shake a little out. We can try and be more specific moving forward – appreciate the feedback!
Yes! Thank you!
So I’m really into that recipe for my daughter’s 2nd birthday. I know it’s all about the sprinkles, but I truly try to avoid any artificial food coloring.. Will it still be great and yummy without them?
Also, can I, perhaps, use beet juice to make the icing pink?
Thank you so much, in deep love with all of your creations :)
Hi Dana, yes- they will definitely still be delicious without the sprinkles! Beet juice is a great way to make pink frosting. Here is how we like to do it! Enjoy!
Hi! I’ve made these twice today and for some reason the middle does not rise. I used the correct amount of baking soda and baking powder. Hmmm, I do live above 7,000 ft. Should I be adjusting anything?
Thank you! Love your stuff!
Hi Missy, others at altitude seem to have a similar issue. Unfortunately, we haven’t baked at altitude and aren’t sure what changes to make. If you figure anything out, we would love to hear!
You absolutely have to adjust for altitude and if it’s a common problem I’m surprised it hasn’t been given it’s own blog post.
Decrease baking powder by 60%, increase flour by 10%, decrease sugar by 10%, decrease fats by 10%, increase eggs by 15%, and increase liquids by 22%. You can follow this basic outline for any cake, cookie etc that you feel is affected by altitude. After adjusting all my recipes, I have a 100% success rate with about any recipe I try. I’m only at 5,000’ and I notice a difference so I can only imagine what it’s like for you!
How are you going to do this you might ask? You’re going to follow the metric measurements using a scale and math skills!
These are oh-so very tasty! I scaled back on the sugar (maybe used scant half of a cup) and did a coconut oil icing (halved that too!) and the cupcakes turned out delicious! I mistakingly mixed the coconut oil and milk all together so the oil gets clumpy/hardens and I read in the comments to mix the sugar and oil separately then add it to the milk and ACV mix. They still turned out fine and were not flat or sinking in the middle or crumbly. Thank you for a great recipe!!
Thanks for sharing, Carla!
Wanting to make these for my friends bday on Friday but have a few questions.
Are they moist and fluffy and why the apple cider vinegar ? Can you taste it in the mixture
They are moist and fluffy. The ACV interacts with the baking soda and helps them rise more. But you could also sub lemon juice.
I have made this recipe as a cake 3 times and each time it has been equally as delicious! If you are making it as a cake I would recommend filling 2 6in cake pans just over half full and it should come out perfectly! Also make sure you don’t use sprinkles that have oil in them otherwise your cake will turn out oil and the colors will blend together. Otherwise this is literally the best cake recipe I have ever made and even my non-vegan friends have been asking for the recipe!!
Whoop! So glad you enjoy it, Skylar! Thanks for sharing! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! xo
Would rice milk be too thin to use in the cupcake ingredients? My son has a tree nut and dairy allergy so we can use soy, rice, or coconut milk. Which option is best do you think?
It may be a little thin…I’d mix in some light coconut milk to bolster the fat content!
I made these for my hubby’s birthday and they turned out great! I just followed the recipe and it worked out fine!
I was concerned about the sprinkles – as many mentioned issues. I mixed the round nonpareils and the regular kind to see of it mattered. Turns out, they both work fine! It seemed like they were bleeding color, but after baking they weren’t melted at all! Next time u think I’ll just used the regular kind and a few less… they had a bit too much sugar for my taste :)
The frosting gave me a bit of trouble because he butter was soooo temp sensitive. (I used the Mykonos brand) Maybe it’s because I added some cocoa powder to it?? Or… maybe pulling it out of the fridge later and using it be a bit cooler would help?? It just melted very easily once at room temp. When I was piping it, it kept melting and oozing out on the cakes.
Nevertheless… great cakes! Delicious! Better than the funfetti box cake mixes for sure!
Thanks for sharing, Maddie! Myokos definitely melts faster than the Earth Balance sticks, but I do like Myoko’s ingredients more. So glad you enjoyed these!
I’ve tried to make this twice and both times the batter was so thick.. I tried adding a splash of non dairy milk and for some reason the middle was still raw after it was done cooking. What am I doing wrong? ):
Hmm, did you include the leavening ingredients? I’m wondering if they were over mixed or slightly underbaked…
These turned out great! I used canola oil and lemon juice in place of avocado oil/apple cider vinegar. The recipe made 48 mini cupcakes. I overcooked the first batch (24 minutes for the mini cupcakes) and the tops got too hard, but the next batch was just right.
Made these for the 4th of July using red and blue sprinkles. They were delicious! Added 1/2 tsp almond extract to the frosting and it was amazing!
Great – thanks!
Made these today and used blue and red sprinkles for the 4th of July. They are delicious! I did add about 1/2 tsp of almond extract to the frosting, and all I can say is WOW! This recipe will be my go-to for vegan cupcakes! Wish I could post a photo. I used blue sprinkles on the frosting and they turned out so cute!
So glad to hear it, Debra! Thanks for sharing! xo
Loooooove this recipe, not sure where to ask but what happened to the vegan millionaire shortbread recipe? We really need it back x
I haven’t ever shared a recipe for that! Good idea though :D
Im the worst baker but these vegan cupcakes always come out good and are so delicious! I made them with whole wheat flour and they still came out fantastic. Will try incorporating gluten free flour next time.
So glad you enjoy this recipe, Tayka! Thanks for sharing!
Hi! For this recipe, can I use the Oatly oat milk? I know that it is more thick, so would I have to adjust the recipe? Thanks!
I think that should work! No changes to quantity. Let us know how it goes!
Hello! I was wondering if you could make this into a cake instead of regular cupcakes? Also, what size cupcakes does this make?
I think so! This makes a standard size cupcake (not too small, not too large). Hope that helps!
I have made this twice in the last month! The first time I doubled the recipe and made it as written, everyone loved it. The second time I made it I took a risk, doubled the recipe and baked it in two 9 in round pans. I dyed the batter a bunch of colors with gel color and made a rainbow cake! Baked for 40 minutes. They were probably slightly over filled. No sprinkles in the batter for the rainbow cake.
Did the 40 min work? I want to try this myself :)
Yes! It turned out amazingly well! I wish I could include a picture. Everyone loved it. Just keep an eye on it, I have a brand new oven and it’s a bit faster baking things than my old one. You may want to check on it between 35 and 45 minutes.
Did this recipe change? I feel like I made it before with vegan butter instead of oil and I creamed the butter together instead of melting it. But maybe that was a different recipe? Thanks!
Yes, we made an update for improved texture and flavor. You can still use butter, which you can find my suggestions on how to do so in previous comments!
Hey! This recipe looks amazing. Would it work as a 4″ smash cake? My baby is dairy free and I want to make him this recipe in cake version :)
That should work!
Can I use this frosting on a cake, or would it be too thick?
Oh, it should be good!
Is it okay to use regular sugar instead of the cane sugar? Just so I can use it up!
That should be fine!
This recipe works and my daughter enjoyed it but I honestly found it sub par. But maybe white cupcakes are just inherently sub par.
This was SO disappointing! All the sprinkles dissolved into the cake mix once cooked, so it just turned into a very sugary plain vanilla cupcake which was quite oily! A real shame as I’ve had success with the chocolate cake and carrot one.
Hi! So sorry to hear that happened. It sounds like something definitely went wrong. What brand of sprinkles did you use? And what type of oil?
The same thing happened to me with the sprinkles! They completely disappeared! I just bought the standard coloured sprinkles from the supermarket but looking at them it appears they’re made from dyed vermicelli. Maybe that’s it! The cakes were still lovely though :)
I made this recipe with my toddler. We had all the ingredients at home and it was a quick to make the batter. The cupcakes are delicious and really pretty. We didn’t make the frosting but the cupcake itself is a real winner!
Birthday cupcakes for me!! These worked out great – earth balance w/ coconut oil for the frosting win! :D
Hi!! These were yummy! Can you use canola oil? It came out a little oily but I was wondering if next time I should use less oil or just use avocado oil?
Hi Sam, we haven’t tried it with canola oil, but think it should work! If you found it too oily for your tastes, we would recommend trying a little less oil next time. Hope that helps!
I have made these cupcakes every year for my son’s birthday. He has several friends with food allergies, and these fit the bill as an inclusive treat. Every year, guests comment on how good they are and several people ask for the recipe. Now I’m popping back over to refresh my memory so I can make them again for his 5th birthday!
I used to bake a lot before becoming vegan and stopped because I found that a lot of vegan recipes have 20,000 things that aren’t easily available, are expensive or just generally aren’t in the cupboard (making spontaneous baking difficult).
This was one of the first recipes I tried (both the previous butter version [using vitalite] and the oil version) and it was the first time I made a cake (other than banana bread) that felt similar to my previous dairy filled bakes.
The cake is easy to make, with no complex ingredients, and is wonderful in both taste and texture. I have made it with almond, oat and soy milk on different occasions and all have worked well with the recipe.
The only thing I had trouble with is finding sprinkles that didn’t dissolve completely colourless in the cake batter.
I would recommend this recipe to anyone dairy free. I used it to make my birthday cake this year and it baked well as a large cake.
How can I make this recipe gluten free?
We would recommend adding sprinkles to our Vanilla Cake for a gluten-free option. Hope that helps!
These were yummy and easy, but a little dense, rather than light and fluffy. I’m not sure if that’s because I used coconut oil, which behaves differently from oils that are liquid at room temperature, or because I added 1.5 tablespoons of flour (as suggested in Step 4 – I wasn’t sure what texture the batter was supposed to be with coconut oil). They rose properly and held their shape, and they weren’t too oily. I used a different chocolate buttercream frosting, which was a great complement.
If you’re using coconut oil, I’d advise creaming the oil and sugar together separately before adding to the wet ingredients, because the oil starting clumping when I added the sugar (and make sure the non-dairy milk is at room temperature or the oil will harden and get clumpy!).
Hi Rachel, we haven’t tried these with coconut oil and find that avocado oil works well. Thanks for sharing your experience!
We used coconut oil as well and had to blend it. It was an easy solution and still delicious.
I used a coconut/almond milk blend, whole wheat flour+1T of almond flour, coconut oil, and coconut oil butter. The cupcakes were decent, however, I felt as if they lacked flavor.. they tasted slightly like corn bread to me. I’m wondering if I were to use more vanilla, a different type of oil/butter, and/or a different type of flour if that would help? Also would love to try to make this gluten free by potentially using a GF/almond flour blend! The frosting was AMAZING and my 3 vegan friends loved this addition to their birthday :)
So glad you enjoyed this recipe, Kali! We recommend avocado oil for best results. Adding vanilla is also a good idea! Hope that helps!
i’ve made this recipe a numerous times and it’s become my go to for any event or potluck. this time i came back to it and the cupcakes turned out wet/saturated in oil. i thought the 1/2cup oil in the cupcake batter was a lot??? can you advice?
Hi Jen, we updated the recipe 3/20/19 to address some comments indicating it had a crumbly texture and flat tops. We swapped the vegan butter for oil and found it worked much better, but if you want to use the previous version, just sub vegan butter. Hope that helps!
thanks for the quick response and your willingness to help, super appreciate it!
i saw further down in the comments a reference to the old recipe with vegan butter. also in the comment you made mention that the texture is better with the oil. how do did you make them so fluffy? i feel like i have way too many wet ingredients going on.
We find that the oil is a lighter ingredient that helps them rise more. If your final batter looks watery, then we recommend whisking in more flour until it looks like a pourable cake batter. Hope that helps!
I’ve made these numerous times with the previous recipe. I’m going to stick to vegan butter as I can never get oil based cakes right. what weight of butter should I use?
It should be the same weight as the oil – 1/2 cup or 1 stick.
Hi there! I’ve used this recipie many times they are now my fave cupcakes! I want to make it into a cake any recommendations on cool time
We haven’t tried it and aren’t sure how it would work. We might suggest adding sprinkles to our Vanilla Cake, instead. If you give it a try, we would love to hear how it goes! xo
Hello, I have made this many times with varying results from light and beautiful to dense and sunken. Do you know what the optimum flour protein content is? I use 7 and 1/2 % for cakes and the flours can go up to 12%. Please help me to get some consistency. Thanks
It sounds like you are more experienced than us on this one! We just use unbleached all-purpose flour.
I wanted to make gluten free, vegan cupcakes for my son’s birthday party and used this recipe without the sprinkles. I doubled the recipe to make 24 cupcakes, used Bob’s Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Mix and used coconut oil for both the cake and frosting. They turned out perfectly!!!! Thanks Dana!
I’ve made these many many times and when I came back, I was confused as to what happened to the butter in the recipe. For me it works great. The trick for me is to make sure they are completely done baking (golden tops) or they will sink, like any other cake. I also use this base for making chocolate cake. With that I switch to oil, use dark brown sugar for half of the sugar and white for the other half. I switch the half cup flour to cocoa powder. As per another comment saying the leavening agents were too much, I disagree…most vegan baking requires a bit more and I’ve never had to reduce it with these. Also I find it quite easy to half the milk amount and sub water if I’m low! The texture is a bit lighter but my mouth doesn’t care. :) Thank you for a great recipe!
Did the old recipe call for 1/2 cup of vegan butter? I literally made a special trip the to store on Tuesdays to get it and came back today and it wasn’t in the recipe any more. I have made this recipe before and really liked it as it was!
Carin, if you liked it the way it was, simply beat vegan butter (1 stick / 1/2 cup) until light and airy – 1 minute. Then add in the sugar and beat to cream – about 1 minute. Then proceed with the recipe as instructed (alternating adding the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients until an airy batter is formed). I will say though, the oil improves the texture, making the cupcakes lighter, less crumbly, and more airy.
Carin, I think it did call for 1/2 a cup of butter. May I suggest to Dana that she add that to the notes for us who liked the original? :)
Hi Laura, there is a note right above the recipe box. Let us know if this isn’t clear!
I just want to add a side note: I use strong white flour/bread flour. I’m in the U.K. and it’s the flour I buy most often. In the USA I always used unbleached all-purpose. Both worked wonderfully. Earth Balance was my go-to as well, haven’t used it since the change people mentioned. Here I use Flora Dairy Free butter.
My twin brother is Vegan now and i have been trying to find a fun and simple recipe to use for holiday deserts for him so he can be includes. As i have found with other vegan recipies i have made these came out quite oily (i noticed that in the reviews before i amde it and hoped it wouldn’t happen to mine) It seems that the sugar also caramelized a bit and are hard to peel from their paper (ill use parchment paper cups next time).
I used room temp butter, but do you think i should use slightly colder butter to maybe keep out of the overly oily zone? These are great other than those structural flaws.
The oil problem isn’t as bad as a time I used a flax egg supplement in brownies. Those could have powered a car they were so oily haha.
Hi Kirsten, thank you for this feedback. We retested the recipe and agree that they turned out oily and different than when we originally created them. We suspect that the change may be due to Earth Balance reformulating their vegan butter. We plan to do some more testing and will post updates when they are available. Thanks again!
We did some re-testing and updated the recipe! Would love to hear what you think if you give it a try!
I just made these today with the new recipe (I used grape seed oil) and the top spread rather than baking up and fluffy for me and it was really hard not to completely crush the bottoms when frosting them because they’d were so delicate they just started collapsing. Not sure if I’m the only one having raw issues!!
Referencing this recipe again to make them for easter and noticed you took the butter completly our of the cake part! I was going to try and alter it myself but now i guess ill follow this new way and see how it goes.
Can I use this recipe for making a cake?
We haven’t tried it and aren’t sure how it would work. We might suggest adding sprinkles to our Vanilla Cake, instead. If you give it a try, we would love to hear how it goes! xo
I have doubled even tripled the recipe (depending on what size cake) and just baked it longer and it came out great! Not sure if it would make a difference, but I didn’t add the sprinkles when making it into a cake.
I only gave this recipe 3 stars because I’ve made it twice and it’s come out wrong both times. I do a lot of vegan baking and haven’t ever encountered this. Using my stand mixer, I’ve been unable to get all of the lumps out even when very slowly adding the dry ingredients and the almond milk/vinegar. They’re also hard to see until pouring into the cupcake tin. I wish they explained this step more clearly, because I think this is where I’ve been going wrong. When they bake, the lumps turn to oil and create air gaps, spilling over the top. They can too easily become greasy and full of gaps. I’ve never had a cupcake recipe be so finicky, so I’m not too fond of this one. I wish they’d troubleshoot this a little bit more, because the ones I’ve saved taste amazing!
Hi Chris, thank you for this helpful and descriptive feedback. We retested the recipe and found that the cupcakes turned out differently than when we originally created the recipe. We suspect that the change may be due to Earth Balance reformulating their vegan butter. We plan to do some more testing and will post updates when they are available. Thanks again!
We did some re-testing and updated the recipe! Would love to hear what you think if you give it a try!
I tried the updated recipe and had a beautiful rise! They came out absolutely perfectly! They’re light, fluffy, and very tasty when filled with lemon curd!
I think the texture is a lot better with oil than the Earth Balance (which didn’t work for me at all). I used olive oil because it was the only oil on hand and the flavor was great. Very easy to follow recipe. Using my stand mixer, I find it’s hard to sift into the bowl, so I shifted over a separate bowl and added slowly without any trouble.
Thanks for responding to concerns and updating so promptly! Will be using this recipe again!
So glad to hear it, Chris! Thanks for the update!
Hi,
So my boss’s birthday is this weekend and I wanted to bring her some vegan cupcakes because she is vegan. However I’d rather not use vegan butter because it’s made with vegetable and canola oils. I was wondering if there is anyway that I could make this recipe using coconut oil? And potentially the frosting as well.
Hi Mandee, we also like the Miyokos brand of vegan butter which does not contain canola oil (though we haven’t tried it with this recipe). We think a neutral oil such as avocado oil would also work in the cupcakes. For the frosting, that might be a little tricky as coconut oil will melt at room temperature. For the frosting, our Cashew Buttercream frosting might hold up better. Hope that helps!
I made your recipe and it is delicious! The texture of my cupcakes was a bit doughy or tough, not light and cakey. The only ingredient I changed was Bob’s Red Mill One-to-One gluten free baking flour which is supposed to be a great substitute for regular flour without other adjustments. My guess is I may have over-mixed the batter? Suggestions please!
Hi Janice, over-mixing the batter could be a factor. We haven’t tested this recipe with gluten-free flour and find that Bob’s Red Mill Baking Flour can be hit or miss when subbing 1-1 in recipes. If you are looking for gluten-free vanilla cupcakes, we would suggest using our 1-Bowl Gluten-Free Vanilla Cake recipe, making it into cupcakes, and adding sprinkles where you would in this recipe. One other reader suggested that the vanilla cake recipe makes about 24 cupcakes and they baked them for 16 minutes. Hope that helps!
These were AMAZING!!!! I think the trick is making sure to let the nut milk curdle for a while and to really make sure the sugar and vegan butter is really frothy before proceeding. I read some reviews where people said theirs sunk in the middle or had a strange texture. I’m not sure what they did wrong but they certainly didn’t follow the recipe or their ingredients were old and inactive or their oven cooked unevenly, or they forgot to add something…..because this recipe could not have turned out more perfect on my very first try. I’m so happy and am going to be wowing all of my vegan friends now!
How did you measure/scoop out your flour? That makes a big difference too when it comes to heavy vs. Lighter cupcakes.
I made them, they were so good. But I was wondering. If you don’t have Vegan butter can you use oil instead? What’s an alternative you can use?
Hi Jess, we haven’t tried them with oil, but a neutral oil such as avocado oil might work! If you give it a try, we’d love to hear how it goes!
This is the worst cupcake recipe I’ve ever made. I doubled the recipe, and used Earth balance. It’s too much baking powder when it is doubled. The ratio is wrong. I didn’t overfill the pans. They leaked all over my oven. The cupcakes don’t even taste good and stuck to my pans. What a waste of time and money. I’m a professional baker and I should have trusted my instinct when I saw the recipe. Now I have to clean my oven and my pans.
We’re really sorry to hear that, Jessica.. better luck with your next recipe, but we’re sorry this one didn’t work out..
I have made these cupcakes a few times and they are always a hit! In fact I made them them for a “cupcake wars” at work and I won! :) I do have a question and it may seem silly since I’ve made them, but would love your expert advice. Do you think this batter would be great just to use alone without any sprinkles and do a different frosting? Like maybe a strawberry frosting? Thank you so much for you and all your amazing food.
Whoop! Congratulations on the win, Sarah! I think these cupcakes would be delicious with a strawberry frosting. Let us know how you make out and we’d love to see the final result! Use the hashtag #MinimalistBaker on Instagram and we’ll keep our eyes out :)
I have made this recipe loads of times without the sprinkles and it turned out great! It’s the best yellow/white cupcake recipe I’ve found.
This recipe came out great! I read a lot of the comments and made some changes based on some of the comments. Instead of 1/2 cup vegan butter I used 1/4 cup earth balance original buttery spread and 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce. I also added the 6 tbsp aquafaba which I whipped to soft peaks, I was going to add cream of tartar to the aquafaba to get better whipping that holds but didn’t have any. My cupcakes came out light and fluffy! I haven’t frosted them yet but I tried a cupcake naked and it’s delicious! This was a test run for my daughters birthday because she can’t have dairy and I also enjoy learning about baking vegan.
Oh I also want to add, I whipped the aquafaba and then folded into the wet ingredients once they were already combined but before I added the milk and the dry ingredients
I used coconut oil instead of the butter, 1:1 ratio, in the solid form. The cupcakes turned out great! Really nice rise, light and fluffy and not oily at all!
Love, love, LOVE this recipe!! Best vegan cupcake I’ve had, and I’ve had many! Question- would anything need modified if using this recipe to make a cake instead of cupcakes? Hoping to make this as a cake for my son’s birthday :) Thanks for any help, I appreciate it!
Hi Abbey! I would recommend splitting this batter into two round pans and baking for slightly more time than the cupcakes. You’ll know it’s done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the tops are slightly golden brown. Then cool, frost and layer as desired!
Hi there just a quick q, what happened to the millionaires shortbread recipe? Would love to follow that again. I make these at least once a month for my family to enjoy- thank you for amazing recipes. I just put sprinkles on top but not throughout and these are my go to vanilla cupcakes. Really missing the VEGAN MSB recipe.
Just made this recipe, but doubled it for 2 9″ cake pans to make a layered round cake. Also separated 1/3 of the batter and colored it pink to marble the cake, but left out the sprinkles. Super moist and delicious. Best vegan white cake recipe I’ve found yet. THANK YOU!!
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Rebecca!
I just made this tonight and swapped the flour out with 1:1 GF flour and it turned out great taste-wise. Instead of cupcakes, I made a 2-layer cake. My cake turned out yellowish and not-so-funfetti-like. I’m wondering why my cake was so lackluster? Maybe the GF flour? As far as texture and taste, this recipe worked out AMAZING and the frosting took me back to my childhood! Thank you!
Can this recipe be used to make a two layer birthday cake? In two 9-inch round cake pans?
I would recommend splitting this batter into two round pans and baking for slightly more time than the cupcakes. You’ll know it’s done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the tops are slightly golden brown. Then cool, frost and layer as desired!
Mine sunk terribly as well, and I followed the recipe exactly. So disappointed. They are also incredibly oily.
So I typically don’t comment on recipes that I make, but when I saw the comments saying that it hadn’t worked (while I was half way through baking them) I felt disheartened to say the least… but! I was so pleasantly surprised when I pulled them out of the oven and they were perfect!! The buttercream on top was delicious as well. So don’t be put off! It was for a friends 30th and they were a huge hit!
** Should note it was the first time I’ve ever baked cupcakes from scratch, so if I can do it :P
Thanks for sharing!! Would you mind leaving a rating next time? It’s super helpful to us and other readers. xo!!
I made these with Crisco vegetable shortening and cashew milk. They turned out fluffy and delicious!
After reading some of the other comments, I was a bit skeptical, but there was no sinking and they weren’t too greasy.
I made two batches of these and they were an absolute disaster. I followed the recipe exactly, and the cakes themselves came out totally pasty and mushy inside. I tried baking the second batch for longer incase it was an oven temperature issue, but it made no difference. Such a shame as i was planning to use these at a party and had to throw them all away and get up super early to remake a new recipe the next day.
Oh no! We’re so sorry to hear that, Lauren! We’ll look into it and see if we can dig into the problem..
These are AMAZING!! One of the best cupcakes I’ve ever had. Thanks!!
Yay!
Just made these with my 3 year old, honestly the best vegan cupcakes I have ever eaten!
So I made these tonight (just the cake portion, as I am frosting tomorrow)… But I may try and remake another batch tomorrow by adding the aqufaba.
I used the original Earth Balance, and followed the recipe exactly (except I used homemade hemp milk).
I seemed to have the same problem as a lot of people – crunchy top (downright delicious lol), sunken center, overly crumbly and moist, and destroyed 1/2 just trying to remove them from the pan.
I’m not against trying to turn these into cake pop truffles if I have to!
<3
hello, can you use this recipe for a cake instead of cupcakes? I hope it is not a silly question, Thanks
So I was going to make these without the sprinkles, I’m assuming that would work fine with no adjustments? Also, have you ever used coconut oil in place of butter for the frosting ?
These cupcakes are fantastic! Do you know if I can use the same recipe and make it as a cake?
Is it possible to adapt this recipe to a funfetti cake rather than a cupcake? Any idea how I would do so? I saw your other recipe for vegan GF vanilla cake, but I don’t care about GF, and I and can’t afford/find the almond flour and potatostarch!
Hi! I would recommend splitting this batter into two round pans and baking for slightly more time than the cupcakes. You’ll know it’s done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the tops are slightly golden brown. Then cool, frost and layer as desired! If you don’t require the recipe to be GF, you can try using all purpose flour though we haven’t tried it ourselves in this case!
I am not vegan, but my husband is and it was his birthday yesterday so I tried this recipe. I love baking in general; this recipe was very easy and I didn’t have to go nuts buying odd ingredients I didn’t already have in the pantry (aside from vegan butter). Usually, when I bake cupcakes or cakes from scratch, everything turns out dry. I did not add sprinkles to the mix because I didn’t have vegan jimmies, just an odd variety of another type of vegan sprinkles I didn’t think would work. The frosting came out beautiful, the cupcakes were surprisingly moist, my non-vegan toddlers even picked these over the non-vegan chocolate cupcakes I’d made for everyone else. My husband ate 3 at once, so I’ll consider it a success and will definitely make these in the future.
Yay! We are so glad that everyone enjoyed this recipe, Stephanie!
DO you know how many cups of batter it makes? I want to make this for my giant cupcake pan which needs 6 cups of batter
I don’t, sorry! You could add up the amounts and estimate though.
The first minimalist baker recipe I’ve EVER had issues with. The taste is great, but in order for these to cook all the way through, they end up with a crispy, cookie-like top. Then when you try to peel away the liner, they basically just crumble. I’m not a novice baker by any means and this recipe just does. not. work.
Hmm, thanks for the feedback, Elli! Some people have mentioned that since I posted this recipe (years ago) the formulation of Earth Balance vegan butter has changed, which may be what is causing the issue. I will remake it soon to see if I can make any improvements. Thanks for the feedback!
This also happened to me. They were still edible but just… not quite right. If it helps I used the tub version of Earth Balance because I don’t have access to the sticks locally.
I made these Vegan and gluen free for a baby shower and they turned out amazing. However, I did modify the recipe and not only used 1 1/4 cups Bobs Red mill 1 for 1 gluten feee flour but also 1/2 cup or so of almond flour. They were a bit and I shared the recipe with all the ladies at the shower. I am going to try and make them today but add cocoa for a chocolate cupcake with chocolate frosting for a birthday tomorrow.
I’d like to point out that Earth Balance products use PALM OIL. The production of palm oil is destroying the rain forests and decimating the animal populations. “Earth Balance” it is not :-(. Perhaps you can find another ingredient that is not produced in a way that is harmful to the planet.
Please disregard my question above, I saw you answer this when someone else asked this question.
So, so delicious! Could you bake this in a 9” cake pan instead of the cupcake pan?
Thanks Dana!
I made these last night. Not only are they SUPER CUTE, they taste amazing. After reading the recipe and the reviews I decided to add some flax egg to my recipe. I made a standard flax egg and used 2 Tbsp from it. This helped the batter rise just a little bit more and gave a more typical cupcake cap that you might expect.
I will absolutely make these again. I think I will try to reduce the sugar a bit. While tasty, the cupcakes, especially with frosting, are quite sweet.
Word of caution too- very moist cake. If you are making a cake to frost, I recommend freezing before frosting for least crumbs!
Thanks for sharing your experience and recipe changes, Jenny!
I’m in the process of making these and honestly got a little worried reading all the comments…but first let me say I LOVE everything I’ve tried from this page. The instructions are easy and the ingredients accesible. Back to the funfetti cupcakes, so far everything is going very well they are somewhat flat on top (easier for frosting?!) the flavor is delicate the cupcakes have great texture crumbly and moist. Thanks!
Left a comment and review earlier today and I’m coming back to update. I made a few adjustments in amount of ingredients, but hanged nothing else and it made a work day of difference.
I think this recipe might need to be updated based on what earth balance sells in stores now. Because the flavor really was great, it was everything else that was a problem. This time instead of sink I got a perfect dome and it’s 100% soft, the paper liner peels right off. I wish I could show you my side by side comparison photo. Much much better now!
Hmm, strange! What did you change? I’ll definitely revisit this one!
I have been baking for a number of years and have all sorts of allergy friendly recipes, however, haven’t found a vanilla cake to date. I tried this out with high hopes but it fell…well it caved in. Literally! The cake flavor is good, but the texture is far too oily and there was no rise. The cake sticks to a paper liner without any hope of getting it off (yes they’re cooled) and the edge is quite crisp. I think I will continue to play with variations on ingredients but this just isn’t it, yet.
I can say they do not sell Earths Balance in stick form near me so my next attempt will be to account for the possibility of too much moisture in the tub form.
This might even work in a pinch as a vegan vanilla cake, but I’d never serve these as cupcakes?
Can I bake this as a cake? Would cooking time/results be affected?
Hi Louise! I would recommend splitting this batter into two round pans and baking for slightly more time than the cupcakes. You’ll know it’s done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the tops are slightly golden brown. Then cool, frost and layer as desired!
How long would the bake time be if I wanted to make this into a cake? (2 8in round cake pans). They look amazing! I can’t remain to try them! TIA
Hi Julie! I would recommend splitting this batter into two round pans and baking for slightly more time than the cupcakes. You’ll know it’s done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the tops are slightly golden brown. Then cool, frost and layer as desired!
I want to add rum to this recipe for an adult twist to it for a Malibu Barbie & Ken themed birthday party … where and how much would I add?! Help!
Hi! I think that would work, but we haven’t tried it ourselves. Sounds delicious, let us know how it goes!
I have made the cupcakes. They came out tasting a little like flour. But I think I’m going to add more vanilla next time. My only question is when I make the frosting it seems to start melting if it’s left out more than a few minutes. Is there any way that I could stop this from happening?
To add to my earlier comment—I have a theory that it could be soy free sticks vs the regular sticks. Some places only sell one or the other. It could be the different oils used.
I made this recipe exactly other than adding adding a small amount of aquafaba as suggested and the cupcakes over-rose and then sunk in the middle. They are salvageable, but they also have a cornbread texture as others described. I think there may be an issue with the formulation of earth balance that might have changed since this was written. Since so many are having problems with this recipe, maybe a warning should be added or maybe it should be rewritten? Luckily, I made this as a test run to make sure they turn out before I made them for a birthday. I’m going to try a diff recipe as I’m not happy with these.
Hi LP! We are actually in the process of retesting this one soon so stay tuned for updates.
The first time I made these they came out great! Then I decided to turn it into a cake. BAD IDEA!!! The cake came out dense and stuck to a greased, non stick pan! It tasted awful and was really embaressing to serve to my guests. Sharing my experience so no one makes the same miatake. Will definetely be making the cupcakes though!
Oh no! We are sorry it didn’t work out for you, Lindsay! In future, I would recommend splitting this batter into two round pans and baking for slightly more time than the cupcakes. You’ll know it’s done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the tops are slightly golden brown. Then cool, frost and layer as desired!
They were tasty, but didn’t rise and crumbled. Kind of disappointed, as I felt I followed directions to a t.
Hi Leah! Sorry to hear this recipe was a bit of trouble for you. Sinking in the middle is definitely normal (without the egg). Next time try aquafaba (canned chickpea liquid) as an “egg” to help lift and fluff!
Had terrible luck with these. They ended up tasting like cornbread. Not sure what went wrong.
I made the frosting and it was perfectly thick the way I wanted it – soy free earths best vegan butter stick, 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 1 1/2 tsp of almond milk, 1/4 tsp pure vanilla, a pinch of sea salt. We compared it to dunkaroo icing. Go to frosting recipe
Thank you for lifting my spirits with something I could eat that actually TASTED GOOD! I have an autoimmune disorder that makes me really fatigued, and when you add in food sensitivities so I have to make nearly everything from scratch, and THEN a new recipe tastes like crap…well, let’s just say there have been tears over food on more than one occasion! I’ve made these two ways, once for a vegan with the following modifications: Crisco instead of Earth Balance (I had Crisco and am too cheap to spring for the $6 vegan butter just to make a friend one cupcake), I used Silk unsweetened coconut milk, no sprinkles, and I used my usual frosting recipe. Also used a Texas/jumbo size muffin tin and a size 12 cookie scoop to fill them. They did sink, but since I was putting a big-ass swirl of frosting on top they looked fine once decorated. I’ve also modified these for all the stuff I can’t currently eat, which meant in addition to them already being egg- and dairy-free they needed to be gluten free and refined sugar free. Did the same modifications as above, but also swapped in a GF flour blend and coconut sugar. Since I couldn’t frost mine, I added about 3 tsp almond extract to keep them from being bland (plus sometimes GF flour has a weird taste). Those babies did NOT sink, they did crack a bit but kind of look like a muffin. They’re darker bc of the coconut sugar and probably denser than a regular cupcake. Definitely don’t taste like the Betty Crocker mix I used to be able to eat, but they do remind me of Kringla, which also makes me happy. It made 9 using the larger muffin tin, and they freeze really well and thaw in about 20 secs in the microwave. This recipe is bookmarked!!
Yay! Thank you so much for sharing your experience, Sara! We are really glad that you enjoyed the recipe :D
made this today, the taste is very bland. Could be the brand of vanilla I’m using but they taste mostly oily. I would try and substitute the vegan butter in the batter for apple sauce
I followed this recipe to a T (used Earth Balance sticks, not the tub, etc) but in the end the cupcakes were very greasy and caved in. Couldn’t be salvaged so I threw them away.
These turned out great! Delicious and easy! I followed the recipe exactly. They aren’t as amazing as the vegan bakery Vegan East in WBL MN but they are good enough for home made treats.
Best cupcakes Ive ever tasted; no exaggeration.
Shucks. Thanks, Breck!
I have no issues with egg – can I add one? Does it replace anything or do I just use 1 in addition to everything else?
Also I’m sure it’s been asked upteen times but will Bob’s AP GF flour work as a sub?
That should work! I don’t LOVE Bob’s AP GF blend as much as mine, but in a pinch it can work. If you’re looking for a cake base, maybe try this one instead! You can add an egg if you’d like.
thank you thank you thank you for taking the time !! yes that cake recipe sounds like a much better fit for me! i adore you :)
Yes you can add an egg in addition!
Hi! Can the frosting be left at room
Temp if i make it the night before, refrigerate it, then leave it out for around 4 ish hrs until i can get to frosting them?
Hi,
I want to make these decorated as baseballs (sprinkles only inside the cakes). I don’t want them to be flat, how many eggs can I add so they turn out more dome-shaped? Not vegan—just dairy free. Thanks!
You could try adding 2 eggs and cut back the non-dairy milk a little bit! If you give it a try, report back o how it goes!
I made these for my mom who is vegetarian but was convinced that vegan food is gross. She LOVED them!! I loved them! I don’t usually like butter cream frosting either, but the combination of these cupcakes and the icing was divine! They were so moist and sweet- I wish I had made more!
I did use 1/2 vegan butter and half coconut oil in the batter because I didn’t have enough on hand.
>>>Future>>> I would like a vegan recipe for cake batter icing on top of these cupcakes! That would be amazing. Thanks!!
Has anyone had luck multiplying the recipe and make a birthday cake out of the batter? Thanks!
Yes, that will work! Check the comments above for suggestions.
I made these as written. I filled the cupcake liners to 3/4 and they all merged together. They rose and fell in the oven. Only make if you like flat cupcakes and do not over fill. I’ll try another recipe from another site. I should’ve have read all the reviews instead of looked at stars. People had trouble like me yet still rated them 5 stars :( I’ll give these 3 stars. I’m a bit disappointed.
I made these for my daughters third birthday. They were delicious and a big hit! I’d love to make this again for her up coming birthday but I’d prefer to make it a cake instead. Would this recipe turn out in cake form?
We’re glad they were a hit, Brandi! Yes, you can make these into a cake. Check the comments above for suggestions!
Hi! I’ve made these only successfully once and the other times they always sink in the middle but I am following the recipe to a tee. Hmm, maybe something with the butter? They are always so delicious! But hoping I can figure it out! i wonder if it has anything to do with being at altitude?
I wanted to make this into a cake and I have read the previous comments. Can/should it be split if im baking in a square or rectangle pan
Can these be made gluten-free? Thanks!
Yes! We haven’t tried it ourselves, but a trusty GF blend should work! Report back if you try it :D
Hi, I just wondered if you’ve tried using this recipe to make a 9 inch cake? If so, any advice on how to adapt the recipe? Thanks, Katy.
Hi Katy! Yes that will work! The baking temperature should be the same, but perhaps increase the baking time a little? Just watch and when it’s lightly golden brown you’ll know it’s done. Good luck!
Fantastic! Can only try right?! I’ll give it a go at the weekend ? thank you x
Hi Dana!
Just wondering if these freeze like normal cakes?
Love the recipe btw ?
Hi Alanna! Should be, but I haven’t tried it that way. Just cool completely before freezing. Good luck!
My mother-in-law made these for my niece’s birthday, and they were to die for! And I don’t even like cupcakes, or yellow cake! She cut back on the sugar in the frosting, trying to make an even healthier version, and it was honestly just the right amount of sweetness to compliment the cake. Absolutely delicious, unfortunately I was only able to grab one cupcake, before they were gone. Gotta make a double batch with this one. Super easy too. Definitely making again! :)
I’m not a vegan or a baker and mine came out absolutely perfect and delishious! I made them today for my daughter’s 19th bday. Thank you!
Glad to hear it, Candice!
Hm…. maybe a glitch but I can only give this a 4 or 5 star rating? I would honestly probably give it a 3.5 or 3 tho.
To be honest I made these for my dog’s birthday to avoid his allergens, and this is the first vegan thing I’ve made. The cake turned out pretty nice. I had to add about 1/4 cup more flour b/c it was suuuper runny and essentially just liquid batter. Some of the cupcakes fall apart when you peel them out of the wrappers but others hold up just fine? Also, I’m not sure if I did something wrong but the frosting tastes delicious (if a bit too rich) but looks like shit. Even with lots of mixing and strained powdered sugar, the icy looks really gross and lumpy and no amount of work was fixing it.
My cupcakes were very moist, but I love them that way.
If the frosting is lumpy, it may need a splash more vegan milk, and then mix until smooth.
Any suggestions for high altitude? I made these and added my tricks for high altitude which is more flour reduce sugar and a little bit of water but they still won’t hold form. They taste amazing but I can’t get them to stay in cupcake form. They crumble.
Hi Stephanie! I am sorry that you didn’t have success with this recipe! Unfortunately, we don’t have any tips for baking at high altitudes but wish you better luck next time!
I made these today in paper muffin cups and then silpat muffin tins. DO NOT USE PAPER CUPS if using a silpat! Either the paper cups OR the silpat. My muffins came out wet and greasy, the vegan butter soaked the cups. I’m assuming it’s because the silpats don’t heat up like metal would. They taste good but look awful, LOL! Ah, well, live and learn.
Hi Hillary! We are sorry you didn’t have success! I am thinking you are right about the silpat not heating up enough like metal does. Better luck next time!
These cupcakes turned out AMAZING! I accidentally used self raising flour and then panicked after I realised my mistake! After an anxious 20 minutes of staring at them while they baked, I’m happy to report that they were perfect. Light, moist, fluffy and super duper delicious!
Glad you enjoyed them, Ruby!
I’m a big fan of the site but unfortunately these came out as cupcake tops only (you know the muffin top Seinfeld reference right?). I followed the directions, used all the ingredients mentioned and they broke apart after an hour of cooling outside. The consistency is just not there.
Hi Dana,
I made these for my granddaughter who is a devout vegan. We were having a birthday party and I didn’t want her to feel left out. They are so good that I just made them again for us. I didn’t put sprinkles in the batter. The texture is awesome and the flavour of the cupcake and icing are better than regular butter icing. I used unsweetened soy milk. My granddaughter actually told me that she had bought your cookbook. Well done! I be checking out more of your recipes. Thanks so much, Diana.
I made these minus the baking soda (I didn’t have any) and I added aquafaba as the binder. The cupcakes came out perfect. It did not sink. My husband (who is a very picky eater) had 3 of these cupcakes, but said it tasted healthier…haha. I made it in rainbow design for my daughter’s birthday for those who are coming who are non-dairy or vegan. The icing recipe was a little too sweet but I just need to put less powdered sugar.
I was looking for a vegan vanilla cupcake recipe and knew these would be great since they’re so similar to my non vegan recipe! I followed the recipe without the sprinkles in the batter (I didn’t want them) and added 2 TBSP flaxseed mixed with 4 TBSP water (let sit for 5 minutes, stir) then add to batter for the eggs that were missing. No caving in and they were delicious! My family loved them!!! Thank you!
I made these for a “Galentine’s Day” party and they came out great! Mine came out a little dense because I only had enough all-purpose white flour for 1/3 of the required flour. The rest I had to use white whole wheat flour. But I followed the recommendations from some other comments and used 6 TSPs of aquafaba and that really lightened them up. No drooping in the middle.
Just Made the cupcakes so far they look awesome. Have to wait a bit to try them. I was wondering if this could be made into an 8″ round cake? Would I need to do 2 batches to get 2 layers? We are dairy and egg free so I love trying new things that are fun for my kiddos. One has a birthday coming up so I thought this would be great for the cake. Thanks So much for your great recipes.
Hi Ashley! Yes, you could make these into an 8″ round cake! I would recommend splitting this batter into two round pans and baking for slightly more time than the cupcakes. You’ll know it’s done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the tops are slightly golden brown. Then cool, frost and layer as desired!
Hi I’m making these for a friends child that goes to a vegan school. He wants to bring them to school Wednesday so I thought I would make them Tuesday evening and deliver so they can bring in Wednesday morning.
1. Should They keep them in the fridge overnight?
2. You specify to eat them immediately, how are they the next day?
3. When the cupcakes arrive at school Wednesday after a bus ride, do they need to be refrigerated?
Sorry for all the question lol I use real butter, whole milk and eggs for everything. This should be fun and I don’t want to mess it up. Please respond. ASAP
Thanks
Sharon
Hi Sharon! You can store them covered at room temperature or refrigerated. They are still great the next day, and same answer for your third question (either or!)
Hi! I was wondering if you make any videos? I made these yummy cupcakes but the frosting never got fluffy, and my cupcakes sunk in, they weren’t fluffy enough. Any advice? I’m
I just made mini cupcakes following this recipe, except for adding sprinkles to the batter, using homemade cashew/almond milk and vegetable oil. The texture is good but it tastes like cornbread. My boyfriend thought the same thing. What did I do wrong???
Hmm, we aren’t quite sure what went wrong! Was your oil fresh? Did the it contain corn oil? Those would be our best guesses! We would recommend using avocado oil next time, if possible. Wishing you better luck next time!
Hey so I followed everything exactly except I used gluten free flour and I did not have a sifter. Once everything was mixed together it was an extremely thick consistency for cupcakes. You would have thought I was making cookies it was so thick. I don’t think I did anything wrong and the batter tasted great. They didn’t turn out anything like the picture so I don’t know what I did wrong?
Hi! I am sorry you didn’t have luck with the recipe! What gluten-free flour did you use?
Coconut flour! It was my first time using coconut flour but I figured it would work the same. They tasted good but we’re really powdery and before I cooked them they were the thick consisitency I mentioned
This says the recipe is soy free but where did you find soy free rainbow sprinkles? They all seem to contain soy.
Try these!
Do I need an electric mixer to make this? I only have a hand-held whisk.
Hi Sam! That should work to use a hand-held whisk!
Made this tonight as a a 13×9 cake and it was a home run. Just followed the recipe but doubled it and baked about 30-35 minutes on 325 convection. Really moist and just the right balance of sweetness. This is a go to base cake recipe.
Perfect dessert for Vegan Taco night starring your delicious quinoa taco “meat”. Yum!!
Tom
I have not had luck with this resting recipe. It came out grainy and the butter was melting out of the frosting.
I am sorry to hear that, JB! Did you change anything in the recipe?
I added ground up freeze dried strawberry powder. Would that change the texture?
Can I make the mini? If so how long?
If I were to omit the sprinkles, this would be just a vanilla cupcake, right?
Yep!
Why is the sifting portion necessary? Both the sifter itself and the specific order of dry ingredients.
Loved the recipe. I used it as a base to make Christmas spiced cupcakes. I used just solid coconut oil (because I didn’t have vegan butter) and coconut sugar instead and put in around 2 tsps cinnamon, 1 tsp of ground ginger and 1/4 tsp of ground cloves. Turned out incredible, the coconut sugar made it almost caramel like.
Ok, best Vegan cupcake recipe by far!!! I am a Cake designer/Pastry Chef. I couldn’t find my recipe so I searched the web and this popped up. At first I thought, no egg replacer? No way! But they turned out amazing! I did however substitute the “butter” with Canola oil and I doubled the baking powder. I like the oil because first of all, it’s all I had. Second, it created a very moist cake. And I’m sure the shelf life will be greatly extended.
I highly recommend this recipe. If yours sunk in, your temp may be too low, your oven temp may be off or you opened the door to soon to check them. Or kept it open too long while checking. Mine popped right up, no issues. (I did double the baking powder so perhaps that played into it)
I didn’t try the frosting recipe, because we have non-dairy whip here where I work but when I’ve made it before, I like to use the non dairy creamers or the soy half and half. It’s creamier.
I always use this recipe as a base for white cake, it’s my favorite so far! Mines just came out of the oven right now and I can’t wait to eat it soon.
I made these for my niece who has an egg allergy. So, I wasn’t really in need of a vegan recipe. I went ahead and used regular 2% milk and regular butter but not really happy with the taste or texture. They tasted a bit too doughy, instead of vanilla it just tasted like flour and sugar. The texture wasn’t great either, it crumbled when I took the liner off. Overall I’d say it is a C- recipe but perhaps that was because of the substitutes????
Made this recipe to a T but they got too big and spread out and they just fall apart in the cup. What did I do wrong???
I made a double batch of these for my daughters birthday party. So yummy! They were a hit?
Hi , I’m so glad I found this! It sounds perfect. I am making these this weekend for my neice who has milk allergies. It’s for her birthday party and I need to make 4 dozen!!!!! Could I double or even quadruple the recipe to accommodate the amount I need to yield? I would hate to have to make 4 different batches?
Hi! That would work!
These cupcakes turned out quite good! Yummy!
I was so excited to make these but they did not work at all. I followed the recipe exactly. I think it’s because of the vegan butter (I used earth balance sticks). I have never used butter in a cupcake or cake recipe so I thought that was weird. I always use some sort of vegetable oil. These might work with oil but they do not work with butter. It all pooled at the bottom making them super greasy and dense. They didn’t rise much either.
These are quite lovely! I’ve made them a handful of times and always pleased when getting to taste them again. I’ve had great luck swapping the flour out for an all purpose gluten free flour (by Arrowhead Mills) while following the rest of the recipe exactly.
Thanks Dana! You have done it again !
Seems like a silly question, but I am looking to use this recipe to make a two-layer cake with standard 8 inch pans — would you recommend doubling the recipe?
Hi Michelle! I would double the recipe!
I made these and they turned out great!
I’d like to try to make a cake next time instead of cupcakes. Do you know how long I’d bake in the oven for?
Thanks in advance!
Nevermind! I see this question has been asked and answered :)
I made these for my babes 1st birthday party and they were INCREDIBLE!! Perfect! Everyone loved them and multiple people said they were the best cupcakes ever! (Non-vegans!) I’ll be making them again soon! Thanks Dana!!
Making this in cake form – Can this recipe be frozen??
Hi Cali! Yes you can! Place your cake in an airtight plastic food container. After wrapping the cake into plastic foil, put it into a plastic container and place it in the freezer.
Wow! These cupcakes were fluffy, moist and delicious! While food science would tell me it’d make sense that the vinegar and baking soda would react to make things fluffy, it was different for me to bake a cake/cupcake without eggs. But honestly? These turned out better than my more traditional homemade cakes/cupcakes! I plan on trying more of your cake and cupcake recipes! (I also shared this recipe with all of my friends. :) )
Dana,
I have made these a few times and they are great! Sometimes they work perfect and sometimes not. Weather and altitude may affect that.
But my QUESTION is: have you made lemon cake before and could I use this recipe to make a sheet cake? Would I need to adjust anything for that? If I did lemon could I use some lemon juice in place of the milk/vanilla? Thanks!
I like the cupcakes. Turned out nicely, and the icing is simply delicious! The cake does taste a lot like pancakes but still very good. I did everything but I didn’t have enough vegan butter for the icing so I used coconut oil and I used soy-milk instead of almond because it’s for celebrations at my daughter’s schools and both my kids are vegan(by choice) and we cannot bring anything with nuts in for treats or snacks. I am planning on freezing these and throughout the year when there are at any parties, we’ll have one handy for them. I’m also gonna make your chocolate ones as well. Thanks to you Dana for your fantastic recipes and I hope you and your family is safe during these terrible hurricanes!
I’ve made this almost every week for the past month!! Lol
I doubled the batch, made two layer cakes and turned it into a birthday cake. Awesome
How long did you bake the cakes for?
I just started dabbling in vegan recipes. I look forward to giving this funfetti one a try.
can i sub regular milk and butter in this recipe? i only need the recipe to be gluten and egg free.
Hi! Yes you can!
Honestly! These are fantastic!
I made them for myself on my birthday, and plan to make them again this weekend for my best friends’. They’re super fun and super delicious!
Oh my god. I made these cupcakes for my daughters first birthday and they are AMAZING. Dana, I love you.
this is possibly our favorite recipe from you, we make these constantly!! how can we adapt this for a real birthday cake using two 9inch springform pans?
thanks, megan :)
portland or
Hi Megan! See the other comments as others have had success with it! Just make sure to increase the cooking time, you will know they are ready when a toothpick comes out clean! Along with greasing the pans.
Just made this into about 40 mini cupcakes for my sons toddler group. Baked for 14 minutes. Turned out wonderfully. Light fluffy sweet two bite treats. Besides the size, I followed the instructions exactly. Thank you Dana!
Can this be made into a round cake as well?
Hi! Yes it can, just increase baking time! You’ll know it’s done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the tops are slightly golden brown.
Hey Dana
Im wondering if you have tried this recipe as a cake instead of cupcakes? Any changes (besides cooking time) you would suggest?
Thank you
Hi Felicia! Many people have had success with making it into a cake! Just adjust (lengthen) the baking time and grease the pans. Good luck!
How can I make this sugar free? Will stevia or maple syrup be a good substitute for the sugar and powdered sugar?
Hi!
This is my first attempt at cupcakes that are vegan AND GF. I used your GF flour blend and followed the recipe exactly (did not add any more leavening agents than what the recipe called for). I cooked it for 28 minutes and it was PERFECT! I have never had a GF mix turn out so perfect.
Next time I will cut the sugar in half, it waaay too sweet but nonetheless a wonderful base batter that can be adapted to meet many flavors. Cannot wait to try your vegan GF carrot cake tomorrow
Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe! I’ve tried many vegan cupcakes and substitutes over the past year. These are the best! I used rice milk and vinegar. They’re going to be perfect for my daughter’s birthday party! She has many food allergies, so making food that is safe for her and tasty/appealing for our guests is my constant struggle. She’ll be so excited to finally be able to eat a frosted sprinkle cupcake like the other kids!
These turned out perfectly for me. I used earth balance from a tub, didn’t use an electric mixer and actually even forgot to sift the ingredients in (OOOPS) and everything still turned out perfect. I beat the batter fairly well but wouldn’t say any more time than suggested in the recipe for an electric mixer. just make sure everything is smooth and you’ll be good to go. :D
Can this recipe be converted into a cake recipe? Will the quantity of batter work? Any approximation on diameter of cake it would yield? Thanks! This looks excellent and I’d love to make it for a friend’s birthday celebration.
I see this was addressed a few times above! Whoops, should have looked first.
Hi! Yes it can! The quantity of batter would work, and using a round 9 inch pan, just make sure to cook it for a bit longer than the cupcakes.
I just made it and it tastes pretty good. Just like a cupcake with milk and eggs, but better. I will say though that the top was a bit crispy, when I wanted it all to be soft. I’m a new baker so maybe I did something wrong.
Do NOT use apple cider vinegar. You can taste it in the cupcakes (ruins it). I mixed it in REALLY REALLY well too, I could still taste it.
Oh and be sure to let the (measured amount for this recipe) non dairy milk sit out and become room temperature. If you don’t then it makes the soften butter solidify when you mix them.
Just made these yesterday and they turned wonderfully! I used gluten free flour (First time making something gluten free) and smart balance. It was also my first time making something vegan (got to show my dubious mom that vegan food/baking can be delicious). I didn’t have rainbow sprinkles on hand so I used green, white, black, and purple sprinkles. It was so hot yesterday that the sprinkles melted and turned the cupcakes purple, which actually looked pretty cool haha. They actually had a nice dome on top. I made these for my dairy free, gluten free best friend’s birthday and can’t wait to give them to her. Thank you for the great recipe!
I am constantly on a quest to find the perfect cupcake, vegan or omnivore. This cupcake was amazing! I made them for my coworkers birthday and even my husband who thinks vegan food is gross thought they were delicious!! I will be making these again.
I made these but the sprinkles went white.. any ideas webby please?
I must be pleased for sharing your ideas. Thank you for the good writes up. It’s a brilliant job.
Hi! I made these cupcakes a little while back and they were a hit. I’m getting ready to make them again this weekend. Was wondering if you’ve tried using the aquafaba brine in them yet. I know you mentioned in another comment that you wanted to try it. If you have, how much should be used and in place of what other ingredients?
Thanks!
I was skeptical about these at first because the last vegan muffins I tried weren’t very good, but these cupcakes are AMAZING!! They’re sooooooo fluffy and delicious, and they’re actually better than a lot of “normal” cupcakes I’ve tried! 10/10!
I’d like to use the recipe to make a cake rather than cupcakes. Any recommendations on alterations to the recipe to do this?
Hi Marnie! I would recommend splitting this batter into two round pans and baking for slightly more time than the cupcakes. You’ll know it’s done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the tops are slightly golden brown. Then cool, frost and layer as desired!
I made this. It exploded during baking. :(
Why? I bake a lot, but this was the first time using sprinkles in batter. Thoughts?
Hi Diana! My only thought would be that there may have been too much baking powder or soda in your batter but I am a little stumped. Did you change the recipe at all?
No, I did not. I used Sweetapolita vegan sprinkles. I may give it one more go some time, but that first go was messy. They were the first cupcakes to ever do that.
Can’t wait to make these! Just curious if anyone has tried making in advance and freezing?? Thanks for the help!
Should be, but I haven’t tried it that way. Just cool completely before freezing. Good luck!
Any advice for making this into a cake? I’m thinking double and use 2 round pans? FYI, it’s for a baby shower for a big fan of yours :)
Hi Liz! I would recommend splitting this batter into two round pans and baking for slightly more time than the cupcakes. You’ll know it’s done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the tops are slightly golden brown. Then cool, frost and layer as desired!
Is there any vegan ingredients I can use instead of vegan butter?
Coconut oil will work!
Do I have to cream it tho? Does coconut oil even cream together?
Yum! Made this to accommodate a cousin with a dairy allergy and everyone enjoyed. It tasted slightly different than a non-vegan cupcake, but I liked it more and more as I ate it! I also only used 2 cups of sugar for the frosting and thought it was the perfect sweetness for my taste. Thanks for the recipe!
Hello. I made coconut oil based butter (recipe http://www.veganbaking.net/recipes/fats/vegan-butters/vegan-butter) and tried to make buttercream with it. It was good til I splashed soy milk for thinner consistency – it went curdle. I mixed it longer and nothing happened. Tried to put more sugar but its too sweet and the same – thin consistency and curdled. Any suggestion whats wrong there?
Thank you!
P.s. I suspect it was vinegar and soy milk reaction but butter consists of it. Maybe because of more soy milk?
P.s.s. cupcakes went perfect?
I am so excited I found this! Do you think I could make this into a cake? If so, how would the baking time change?
Hi Natalie! Hmm, I would recommend splitting this batter into two round pans and baking for slightly more time than the cupcakes. You’ll know it’s done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the tops are slightly golden brown. Then cool, frost and layer as desired!
I made these and would not make them again. I followed the recipe to a T and they were not what i expected. Very dissapointed! They caved in and did not even taste like a vanilla cupcake.
Which brand of sprinkles did you use?
I’m not vegan made this for Mother’s Day for my vegan Mom. I used coconut oil instead of vegan butter. These were wonderful! Everyone (including non vegans) loved them! I made them as mini cupcakes which was much more time consuming, but cute.
Made these with:
– coconut oil
– 1 cup whole-wheat flour + 1/2 allpurpose
– 3/4 almond milk + 1/4 coconut milk (full fat)
Incredibly moist and fluffy and remained dome-shaped after cooling! I am definitely quiting eggs&dairy in baking. Many thanks!
I’m wanting to make this as a large sheet cake. We are having a birthday party of our son and need cake for about 75. Any tips on how to convert it? How much to fill then pan, bake times, etc. Thanks!
Hi Andria! Check the other comments as we’ve responded to this one already!
Hi, I LOVE THIS CUPCAKE RECIPE OMG thankyou you saved my life, everyone is impressed ;)
Could you tell me how to double the recipe in order to make 24 cupcakes ? and even another recipe to make between 30 and 40 cupcakes please ? I would like to make big quantities easily and fast :) !!
Hi Tina! Just double all of the ingredients and you’re good to go :D
This recipe is amazing,i have tried many vegan cake/cupcake recipes over the past few months and none of them compare to this.I could definitely trick non vegan family members with this.I didn’t have any cupcake cases or allpurpose flour so i used spelt instead and i baked the batter in a cake tin for 40 minutes,my children and sister loved it so i will be making another tomorrow.Thank you for sharing :)
I don’t usually comment on recipe posts but this batter was so outstanding that I had to. I made these yesterday for my husband’s birthday (I’ve been a vegetarian for 20+ yrs but he’s new to veganism in an effort to be healthier). Un/fortunately, I forgot to add the sprinkles and I have to say that these were the lightest fluffiest cupcakes I’ve ever had (vegan or not). I made a few mods based on the ingredients I had on hand- I was all out of APF so I used self-rising flour but cut out the salt and baking powder, I also used a mix of coconut & light brown sugar instead of the granulated sugar and lastly, I used oat milk & lemon juice. They came out a lighter darker than yours but the flavor was amazing! Can’t wait to make these again. Thank you so much for sharing!
I’m late to the game here but hoping to make these for my celiac boyfriend’s birthday :) myself and a couple other friends are vegan so this is perfect! I know recently you’ve used chickpea brine as an egg replacer, wouldn’t you recommend adding that into this recipe? Or would I need to adjust other ingredients. As well I’m thinking rice milk or maybe coconut milk due to a friend with nut allergies, did anyone use either of those milks?
Rice and coconut will work, Noel! We haven’t tried using aquafaba but if you do, let us know how it goes! I suspect aquafaba will make them extra fluffy!
Hi! I really want to try this recipe out but I have a hard time with emulsifiers and can’t really drink non-dairy milks. What do you think would be the best substitution for the non-dairy milk in this recipe? In frostings and other recipes I have just used water, do you think just water would be fine?
If I wanted to make this a stacked cake do I need to double the reciepe?
Hi! Plan to get a one 9-inch-round cake layer from 12 cupcakes, so I’d recommend doubling it!
My daughter’s birthday party is tonight and one of her friends cannot eat dairy, eggs, peanuts, or fish. I felt bad that she was planning to just bring coconut milk ice cream to have when everyone else was eating cake. I found this recipe and can honestly say I enjoyed the one my daughter and I just split! One note….listen to the author’s comment to not overfill. I forced about a cupcake and a half leftover batter into the 12 liners and it ended up sticking to the pan and tore the tops off a little. I’m used to batter crowning over the top. But….Still tastes great! Thank you for the great recipe. I’m printing it to share with the girl’s mom.
Are these gluten free as well?
This looks amazing! I’m making it for my daughters 1st birthday. I want to double the recipe and was wondering how it would fare in a bundt pan? How does that affect baking time?
Thanks!
Hi! Your baking time will be longer than it would be for cupcakes. I would bake at 325 degrees for 45mins – 1h if you are planning on using a bundt cake pan! You’ll know it’s done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the tops are slightly golden brown. Then cool, frost and layer as desired!If you give it a try, let me know how it goes!
These are PHENOMENAL! I used whole wheat pastry flour and about 3/4c brown sugar in place of the white (I don’t like my sweets too sweet) and they are delicious! I did think the frosting tasted like sweetened butter, so I would defintely choose a different one next time, but otherwise they were fantastic!
I just came here again to make these and wanted to comment that this is one of my absolute favorite cupcake recipes, and I have made these time and time again. It is always a hit and no one can ever tell they are vegan! Thank you so much for an easy, quick and delish recipe!
My daughter is allergic to eggs, dairy, and soy. Her two year Birthday is coming up soon. I wanted to try to make her some cupcakes that she would enjoy. I made this recipe last night and she was so excited! She ate the cupcakes so quickly I don’t even think she took a breath. I had two of them myself and they were so delicious! thank you so much for sharing the recipe it means more than you know!
I doubled this recipe and cooked it in a 9×13 cake pan because I didn’t have a cupcake tin (I made this for my mother-in-law at her house where, for some reason, she didn’t have one). OH MY GOODNESS. I still dream about it. The texture was perfection. Super moist and delicious. I will definitely make it again.
I want to make these into a 6×3 cake for my son’s smash cake. He is allergic to dairy. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.
These tasted FANTASTIC. But. I only filled 3/4 full and they spread out all over the place including over the edge of the muffin tin and into the oven. I double checked and I did follow the recipe. Then, they didn’t come out of the pan very well, either, very crumbly. So I scraped them all out into a glass container and we’ve been eating “them” as deconstructed cake. Delicious.
same thing, totally bummed! they tasted delicious but were an utter DISASTER :(
The exact same thing happened to me. There must be an explanation for this…
What brand of vegan sprinkles did you use?
Hey :) First: Great recipe but where can I find these sprinkles? Which brand do you use? Whenever I try sprinkles, they loose their color while baking..
I made these cupcakes following the recipe and they were delicious. I probably should not have eaten two. Next time, I think I will omit the salt in the batter since Earth Balance baking sticks are salted.
Aw man these were delicious! You never let us down. I made these with a gf all purpose flour brand I had and they came out amazing. They’re definitely my husbands favorite now :)
Only issue is I can’t seem to get the frosting not to melt and be a bit runny?
Did you wait until the cupcakes are cool before frosting them?
Same for me with my frosting and it was a bit too sweet for most guests that ate them. But the cupcake itself was delicious
Hi Kristina, with a more traditional buttercream frosting, it requires more sugar to achieve the right texture. For a less sweet frosting, we think you would prefer this Cashew Buttercream Frosting.
I just made these gluten free. Dumbass here didn’t add xanthan gum. The taste is nice but it definitely needs xanthan
I love making these cupcakes and they are an absolute hot! Taste way better then your general version of cupcakes. I have used the base to make several different variety of cupcakes including; chocolate and Oreo’s! YUM! I’m actually going to attempt to make it into a cake version tonight :) has anyone tried this?
Hi! I would recommend splitting this batter into two round pans and baking for slightly more time than the cupcakes. You’ll know it’s done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the tops are slightly golden brown. Then cool, frost and layer as desired!
SO GOOD. I made these for my son who is allergic to everything and I could cry with happiness for how ‘normal’ these are. I made them gluten free with Bob’s red mill one to one, and added a touch more baking powder. The cake is light and tender and delicious. The buttercream is a bit sweet for me, but the boy demolished it.
Ohh and I didn’t add sprinkles because I had none
Question:
Can I make this recipe into a cake?
Thank you!
I made these last night for my best friend’s birthday and they were amazing! A hit with everyone vegan and non-vegan :) I may or may not have just had one for breakfast and they were even better the next day! I added 3 tablespoons of aquafaba! I had no clue where I should add it so right before I started alternating the wet and dry ingredients I mixed it into the milk/vinegar mixture. The cupcakes had an amazing fluffy texture. I used unsweetened almond milk so the cupcakes were just perfectly sweet. I would say the frosting was a little too sweet for my taste but overall such a yummy recipe I can’t wait to try again!
Hi! Going to attempt these for my best friend’s birthday… I’m going to use almond milk. Should I get unsweetened or regular? Thank you!
Hey :) do you think I can use a gluten free flour for these beauties?
I do! I haven’t tried it myself, but a trusty GF blend should work! Report back if you try it :D
My husband’s birthday is coming up and he loves The Simpsons so I want to use this recipe in a bundt cake pan with some pink food coloring in the frosting to make it look like a big, pink, sprinkled donut Homer would love.
Should anything be changed in the recipe? Does the cook time need to change?
Please let me know!
Hi! Your baking time will be longer than it would be for cupcakes. I would bake at 325 degrees for 45mins – 1h if you are planning on using a bundt cake pan! You’ll know it’s done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the tops are slightly golden brown. Then cool, frost and layer as desired!If you give it a try, let me know how it goes!
This is an AMAZING recipe. They taste perfect! We are still amazed at how it tastes like there is egg, but no egg substitute. They are light, fluffy, and sweet. Super easy to make, and we are all enjoying them.
Is it possible to use this recipe to make a cake instead of cupcakes? What what I need to change?
Thank you!
I would recommend splitting this batter into two round pans and baking for slightly more time than the cupcakes. You’ll know it’s done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the tops are slightly golden brown. Then cool, frost and layer as desired!
These turned out incredibly light and fluffy, similar to angel cake. Thank you for the amazing recipe. Definitely adding it to my favourites! :)
I made these cupcakes twice and they were so delicious!!!! I halved the sugar content in the frosting and also reduced the sugar in the cupcakes – still yum!!! My friend loves them so much, she asked me to bring some for her daughter who eats dairy-free. Thanks for the awesome recipe!!!
How much oil to substitute the vegan butter? Unfortnately, vegan butter isn’t available where I live.
Hi! I haven’t tried the substitution but it should be equal parts oil to vegan butter!
Hi,
is this recipe freezer-friendly? I want to prep as much as i can in anticipation for my daughter’s bday and want to give this a shot
Thanks!
Should be, but I haven’t tried it that way. Just cool completely before freezing. Good luck!
These are absolutely heavenly, and ridiculously simple to make. I’ve made 4 batches in the past week alone, brought some to work and my colleagues were floored to hear they were vegan. Didn’t use sprinkles (couldn’t find any ethical brands), so I topped them with crushed almonds and pecans. Highly recommend for special occasions, they will hit the sweet-tooth spot wonderfully.
Although the cupcakes sank they are incredibly delicious. Any ideas what I can add and try again? Thank you for sharing.
Cupcakes sank in the middle! Very disappointing. My little 4 year old with allergies was standing by and couldn’t wait to eat.
Hi Dana! My friend and I are planning to make this recipe for our friend’s birthday, but we were hoping to make a cake instead of cupcakes. Do you know how long we should bake a cake for?
Hi! I would recommend splitting this batter into two round pans and baking for slightly more time than the cupcakes. You’ll know it’s done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the tops are slightly golden brown. Then cool, frost and layer as desired!
Thank you!
I baked in a metal pan, lined with parchment, baked for 35 minutes (way too lazy to have to deal with a double layer cake. Just need golden cake with chocolate icing). Turned out perfect.
Awesome! So glad to hear!
Dinner that night was more than half the cake. In small portions, to fool me into thinking I was only going to eat a bit before the healthy stuff came out.
These were excellent! Could not tell they were vegan at all. I replaced half the butter in the cupcakes with unsweetened applesauce and they were sweet, fluffy and perfect. The icing tasted like the real thing, if not a little too sweet. My non-vegan hubby likes funfetti cupcakes and these are the perfect substitute. I will definitely make these again.
Did I miss something? I made these using the KA gluten free flour, added a little extra baking powder like another commenter had recommended and otherwise followed the recipe exactly. The ratio of liquid to dry ingredients was WAY off. It was so wet, they sunk in the middle and are just a mushy mess. Finding myself suddenly having to bake according to gluten, egg, dairy, and nut allergies has left me broke and exhausted as I keep buying ingredients and wasting my time on recipes that just don’t work. I give up.
Ali! Don’t give up! I’m not sure what went wrong, but I am genuinely sorry you had trouble with the recipe! If you modified any ingredients or didn’t follow the instructions properly, that might be why. Don’t let one bad kitchen experience get you down too much! I hope next time goes better for you!
Can these be made gluten free?
I haven’t tested the recipe myself, but it looks like some others have! Check the comments for recommendations!
The first time I made this recipe I used rice milk and I noticed it didn’t curdle with the vinegar but they still turned out pretty good. The texture was not the best, they fell apart pretty easily. Then I tried them twice following the recipe perfectly except for using soy milk instead of almond. Both times they imploded. It seemed like the sugar separated and went to the top and basically became rock hard, but only on some cupcakes. Some came out perfectly and were so delicious but I only got maybe 5 usable cupcakes out of a dozen. My question is whether you think I let the non-dairy butter soften too much? Maybe it separated too much before baking? Does soy milk curdle more than almond milk changing the reaction of everything when it’s baking? Do you think next time it would help to put batter in the fridge for a while to harden everything up before baking? I think the taste of these cupcakes is great and I really would like to get it right, so any advice you could offer would be great :)
This was my first time making vegan cupcakes or any cupcake for that matter, and I loved them!! Somehow I misread that it says it makes 12 and I tried to make 24!! Lol. I did end up with 23 cupcakes after I realized my mistake though! They are just not as tall of course. Next time I will go for 12! I absolutely loved them though!!! :)
How could I make these into chocolate cupcakes? And I love all your recipes!!
Try this recipe!
I tried this at a party and loved it ai asked the host for the recipe that day however my bubs has egg and nut allergies I was wondering using normal A2 dairy milk instead of almond milk would this change the taste and the texture?
I wanted to try make this recipe into a giant cupcake ysing a a giant cupcake mould woukd you suggest to dkuble or triple the recipe or make two seprate batches and pour them both into the mould? Do you think it will rise and fill the mould.
Hi Tanya. Normal milk would be fine. As for baking this into a cake, I can’t comment as I haven’t tried it. But check the comments as some people have tried it with success!
Hello. I am making this as my daughter’s birthday cake. I would really appreciate your help with a few questions.
1. If using a dark 9 inch round pan, how much time do I need?
2. If using chickpea water, how much and do I add it with the milk?
3. I thought I had rainbow thin sprinkles like yours but only have the rainbow tiny ball ones or flat round ones, will those work?
Thank you so much! Can’t wait to try this! :)
Mine sunk a LOT in the middle. They came out really dense and inedible. I followed the recipe exactly, even mixing times. What should I do differently?
Hmm, they definitely shouldn’t be dense. Not sure why they turned out that way! Sinking in the middle is definitely normal (without the egg). Next time try aquafaba (canned chickpea liquid) as an “egg” to help lift and fluff!
I’m so disappointed! I’ve made TONS of recipes from your blog and this one crapped the bed! I measured everything perfectly and they tasted like an overload of baking powder or soda or something. I guess I’ll have to it up and try another recipe! dang.