Some things just happen. Like the confluence of my own birthday with the arrival of petite “honeoye strawberries” at the Farmer’s Market. Yes, Happy Birthday to me! I have a vegan baking class coming up, and the vegan cupcakes that I teach in that class are perfect for a birthday cupcake. So, I dropped in a few strawberries to make strawberry cupcakes. For me!
Strawberry Vegan Cupcakes
These little vegan cupcakes are really easy to make, and the frosting is over the top creamy and sweet. I don’t usually post recipes this “white,” but birthdays are all about decadent little cakes, right? Besides, these are strawberry cupcakes, which makes them a touch more more plant-based.
Cupcakes are Fast and Easy
So, they are very easy vegan cupcakes, just preheat the oven, Mix up the dry ingredients, mix up the wet ingredients. Scoop the batter into the cups, plop in some whole berries. I didn’t cut them, because I didn’t want the juices to pour out into the batter. You could use raspberries, in their place, for a similar effect. The do sink a little bit after baking, but the frosting hides all that.
(Maybe you want a full-sized cake- try my Strawberry Bundt Cake.)
Now It’s a Party!
Of course, a dozen cupcakes is a good excuse to invite over some friends, or take a few to someone who needs a little sweetness in her life. We did our best to eat them, and it was a fine birthday feast.
Life’s too short to eat bad vegan cupcakes- so make your own, and glory in the fresh strawberry flavor in each one.
Strawberry Cupcakes with Buttercream
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups unbleached flour
- 1 cup organic sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup coconut milk plus more for frosting
- 1/2 cup avocado oil
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup very small strawberries washed and patted dry
FROSTING
- 1 stick buttery sticks or melt spread
- 6 cups organic powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 4 tablespoons coconut milk optional
- raspberry red tinted sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with papers.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a medium bowl, combine the coconut milk, avocado oil, vanilla and cider vinegar. Let stand for 5 minutes, then whisk and pour over the flour mixture.
- Scoop a scant 1/4 cup batter into each cup, then drop in 3-4 strawberries, dividing them evenly between the cups. Dollop and remaining batter over the berries.
- Bake for 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out with no wet batter attached. Let cool on a rack.
- When cooled, place the Margarine in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Use an electric beater or the batter paddle to cream the fat, then add the powdered sugar and mix on low until it starts to form a very thick paste. This is helpful for working out any lumps of sugar. When smooth, add vanilla, mix, then add coconut milk a tablespoon at a time with the machine running on medium, just until light and whipped looking. test for spreadability, you want it to be firm enough to hold its shape, but creamy enough to pipe.
- If desired, transfer to a piping bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe generous swirls of frosting on each cupcake. Sprinkle with flavored sugar, if desired. Keep, tightly covered and refrigerated, for up to 4 days.
