Very Vanilla Vegan Cupcakes

By Ilene Godofsky Moreno

Wasn’t it just the most exciting thing ever when someone would bring cupcakes to school on their birthday? This recipe is a throwback to the vanilla-on-vanilla childhood birthday fun.

Ingredients

VEGAN “BUTTERMILK”

• 1 cup nondairy milk
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

DRY

• 2 cups spelt flour
• 1 cup coconut sugar
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt

WET

• ½ cup vegan butter or coconut oil, melted
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

VANILLA FROSTING

• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1 cup vegan butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Splash of nondairy milk, as
• needed to blend

TOPPING

• Vegan sprinkles

 Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Grease a muffin tin or line it with baking cups.
2. In a small bowl, stir the nondairy milk and apple cider vinegar together to create vegan “buttermilk.” Let the mixture sit for at least 10 minutes.
3. In a large bowl, whisk the dry ingredients together.
4. Stir the wet ingredients into the small bowl with the “buttermilk” mixture.  Transfer the contents of the small bowl to the large bowl, and mix until the wet and dry ingredients are smooth.
5. Spoon the batter into the muffin wells, until each is about three-quarters full.  Bake for 25 minutes, until lightly golden.
6. While the cupcakes bake, prepare the vanilla frosting by combining all the frosting ingredients together in a blender or in a bowl with an electric mixer.
7. Remove the cupcakes from the oven and transfer them to a cooling rack.  Let them cool completely, then top them with the frosting and sprinkles and serve or store in an airtight container.

Total time: 55 minutes
Active time: 15 minutes
Makes: 12 cupcakes