• Preheat oven to 180°C and line a muffin tin with 12 patty cases / cupcake liners.
• In a small bowl, mix together the white vinegar and almond milk. It will split and curdle but this is ok! Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the plain flour, self raising flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the canola oil, sugar and vanilla until combined.
• Add the dry ingredients to the oil and sugar mixture, alternating with the milk until the batter just comes together, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
• Spoon mixture into patty cases ensuring they are only ¾ full before placing them in the oven for 18 minutes or until they spring back when lightly touched. Remove from the pan and set aside on a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

For the Vegan Vanilla Buttercream

• Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment fitted, beat dairy-free butter 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 almond 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.
• Add the food colouring to the frosting and mix through until the desired colour is reached. Place the frosting in a piping bag with a piping tip attached (for the roses, I used the Wilton 1M tip) and pipe the frosting onto cooled cupcakes, starting from the inside and working out.