Dairy Free Vanilla Cupcakes

These are my favourite dairy free vanilla cupcakes! This easy recipe is perfect for celebrations, birthday parties or just because. They are soft, light and fluffy, and the perfect base for a swirl of creamy buttercream frosting.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Australian

Prep Time 35

Cook Time 20

Total Time 55

Servings cupcakes

Calories 393kcal

Author Sally

Ingredients

For The Vanilla Cupcakes

½ cup (125 grams) dairy-free butter
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¾ cup self-raising flour
¾ cup plain flour
½ cup almond milk

For The Vanilla Buttercream

½ cup (125 grams) dairy-free butter
3-4 cups icing mixture
1 tablespoon almond milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt to taste
pink food colouring optional
sprinkles optional

Instructions

Preheat oven to 180°C and line a 12 cup muffin pan with patty cases.
In a medium bowl, sift flour and stir a few times to combine. Then in a large bowl, beat dairy-free butter and sugar with an electric mixer until creamy. Add in eggs, one at a time, and vanilla and continue to beat until light and creamy. Slowly add in sifted flour about ¼ cup at a time, alternating with the almond milk until everything has been added and batter comes together.
Spoon mixture into the prepared pan ensuring they are ¾ full, and place in the oven for 18-20 minutes or until cakes are lightly golden on top and spring back when lightly touched. Set aside to cool completely.
Make the buttercream. Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment fitted, beat dairy-free spread for 1-2 minutes until creamy. Add in 3 cups of icing sugar and beat on medium until combined. As mixture thickens, add in vanilla and dairy-free milk. If frosting is too thin, add in an extra ½-1 cup of icing sugar until it reaches the right consistency. Add pinch of salt to taste if frosting is too sweet.
Tint the buttercream with a few drops of food colouring if desired, and place buttercream into a piping bag with your favourite tip and pipe buttercream onto cooled cupcakes. Top with sprinkles and enjoy!

Notes

Cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days, and up to 3-4 days in the fridge.

I used 2 drops of Americolour deep pink gel colouring to get the soft pink colour of my buttercream.

If you don’t have self-raising flour, you can make your own by combining 1 cup of plain flour and 2 teaspoons of baking powder and measuring out your required ¾ of a cup.

I use Nuttelex to replace butter in most of my recipes as it is vegan and gives a 'buttery' flavour without being greasy. As this is an Australian product, the closest US alternative I believe is Earth Balance. Otherwise any dairy-free spread will work.

Dairy-free milk. While my go to for baking is usually almond milk, I have used oat milk, vanilla almond milk, soy milk and even lactose-free milk in this recipe and all produce a perfect cupcake.

Nutrition