Fresh, light and so very soft, trust me when I say you will want to try these lemon cupcakes for yourself.
I’ve been a bit absent from baking lately. Between completing the Whole30 and trying to eat healthier, I was wondering when the occasion would call again for me to dust of the beaters and get messy with some flour and sugar.
As it turns out I didn’t need an occasion, just a weekend and a few lemons.
I love absolutely love citrus in cakes and these are super soft with the perfect balance of sweet and tangy. As a bonus, the smell of the fresh lemon while making these is divine!
One of the reasons I love baking is that it provides a challenge to learn new skills in a way that leaves you with proof of your efforts. It really speaks to my need for accomplishment. For this recipe, I finally started exploring the differences between baking powder and baking soda and understanding when and why to use them. I found this article so insightful as it easily explained the answers to all of my questions.
So following on from this, I decided this particular recipe would call for both baking powder and soda. The soda would react with the acidity of the lemon juice to provide lift, while the baking powder would give it that little extra lift without risking that bitter soda taste. I was really happy with the rise and the taste of these cakes so I think it worked perfectly!
I love trying new things and strongly believe that you will never learn if you don’t just give it a go! I am looking to continue to challenge myself in the kitchen and work to really improve my skills, learning and most likely failing a few times along the way. Hopefully this eventually leads to some delicious consequences!
I hope you enjoy these little lemon cupcakes with my vegan lemon buttercream. They are perfect for afternoon tea or why not make them as a special treat for Mother’s Day?
Dairy-Free Lemon Cupcakes
Ingredients
For The Lemon Cupcakes
- ½ cup Nuttelex Lite*
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 ½ cups plain flour
- 2 tablespoon cornflour
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ cup almond milk
- ¼ cup lemon juice (about one lemon)
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 eggs
For The Lemon Buttercream Icing
- juice ½ lemon
- zest 1 lemon
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- ½ cup Nuttelex Lite*
- 4-5 cups icing mixture
Instructions
For The Lemon Cupcakes
- Preheat fan-forced oven to 180 degrees celcius.
- In a large bowl, beat Nuttelex Lite* and sugar with an electric mixer until creamy.
- Add in eggs, vanilla and lemon zest and continue to beat until combined. Mixture should be light and creamy.
- Mix in milk and lemon juice until combined.
- In a separate bowl, sift flour, cornflour, baking powder and baking soda.
- Slowly mix in dry ingredients ½ cup at a time ensuring it is mixed through before adding more.
- Once mixture has come together and is thick and creamy, spoon evenly into 12 patty cases.
- Bake in oven for 20-22 mins at 180 or until cakes are starting to brown on top and spring back when lightly touched.
- Transfer cakes to a wire rack to cool completely before icing.
For The Lemon Buttercream Icing
- In a large bowl, beat Nuttelex Lite*, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla with an electric mixer until creamy.
- Add in sifted icing mixture ¼ cup at a time making sure it has been completely combined before adding more.
- Frosting should be smooth and stiff. If it is still a bit soft, add in more icing sugar.
- Spoon frosting into a piping bag and pipe onto cooled cupcakes.
Notes
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
Tina says
Hi sally! Thank you for sharing these recipes! I made the icing and absolutely LOVED, LOVED, LOVED the texture. I used it for a cake, which took my family about 3 -4 days to eat. It was left out of the fridge and still held its shape and consistency very well. Unfortunately, it was too sweet, which I think was because I used Pyure confectioner sugar (a stevia blend). It is supposed to be better for you, but it seems much sweeter to me.
FYI: I am from the US, and I use “Smart Balance Original Buttery Spread” for any and everything that calls for butter. It is free of dairy, soy, nuts, gluten, and eggs. It works and taste wonderfully! 🙂
Sally says
Thanks so much for your comment Tina, so happy you enjoyed it! You can also try adding about 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the buttercream to try and cut through the sweetness. Thank you for the US brand allergy friendly butter recommendation as well!
Lisa says
Thank you so much! I’m going to try this soon. Will post results 🙂
Sally says
Look forward to it, thanks Lisa 🙂
Lisa says
I’m not sure what Nuttelex Lite is because we don’t have it where I live. Do you know if there is anything else that can be substituted for this?
Sally says
Hi Lisa. Nuttelex is an Australian product but if you are US based, Earth Balance is the best alternative as I understand and will give you similar results. Otherwise any non-dairy spread can be substituted.