From the kitchen of Angie St. John
We are vegetarian in our household. We used to be vegan, so a good portion of the time we still bake vegan and honestly cook vegan dishes too. Here is a fun and easy cupcake recipe that’s pretty and tasty for everyone! These cupcakes are very photogenic as well and complement Jake's Kids Magic Rainbow Cookie Mix, although not vegan, it's loaded with rainbow sprinkles and white chocolate chips. Want a vegan and dairy free cookie mix option? Try Jake's Kids Natural Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Mix.
Yields 12 cupcakes
You will need:
For the vanilla cupcakes
1 cup non-dairy milk (we used original soy milk)
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup rainbow sprinkles
For the frosting
1/2 cup vegan butter softened (1 stick yields 1/2 cup, we like Earth Balance brand)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 to 3 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon (plus more if needed) non-dairy milk (we used original soy milk)
Baking Instructions:
To make the cupcakes:
1. Preheat oven to 350 and line a standard muffin pan with 12 cupcake liners
2. 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 and to combine. Then add sugar and whisk or use a hand mixer to beat to dissolve.
3. In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt
4. Slowly fold dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and use a whisk or hand mixer to blend until well mixed and no large lumps remain. The texture should be somewhere between thick and thin, like a buttermilk pancake batter consistency. Add another 1-2 tablespoons of flour to thicken slightly, if needed.
5. 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 filled.
6. 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.
7. Let cool completely on a cooling rack. In the meantime, prepare frosting.
To make the frosting:
1. Add softened vegan butter to a bowl and beat until light and fluffy. Then add vanilla and beat once more.
2. Sift powdered sugar and start adding 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.
3. Once cooled, frost cupcakes and top with sprinkles. Serve immediately. Store leftovers covered at room temperature or refrigerated up to 3 days.
