These vegan coffee cupcakes are fluffy, moist, coffee flavored and totally divine. Topped with a vegan coffee buttercream frosting.
Oh wow, these vegan coffee cupcakes with coffee buttercream turned out better than I ever expected!
And the color was a surprise! I was expecting the cupcakes themselves to have more of a light color, more like the color of the frosting. But no, this is a deep dark rich brown.
I did use quite a lot of coffee in these though. Well, I don’t know if you’d agree that it was a lot. I used three tablespoons of a nice strong blend of instant coffee so I imagine each cupcake is around equal to a cup of instant coffee.
And then I used another tablespoon of instant coffee in the frosting.
So the coffee flavor is strong with these guys! But not too strong. I think it’s a perfect flavor blend. They’re unmistakably coffee flavored without being overpowering.
And then I couldn’t tell you why, but the addition of coffee to the frosting seemed to make it super creamy! Like more creamy than frosting has ever been before.
And it just worked so well as a topping for these cupcakes. Like coffee and cream!
How To Make Vegan Coffee Cupcakes
You will find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is a summary of the process to go along with the process photos.
- Sift all purpose flour into a mixing bowl and add light brown sugar, baking soda, salt and cinnamon and mix together.
- Then mix some instant coffee with hot water into a paste and whisk that into soy milk.
- Make a flax egg by mixing one tablespoon of ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons of hot water and allowing it to sit for a minute to become gloopy.
- Add the coffee and soy milk mix, flax egg, oil, vinegar and vanilla extract to the mixing bowl and mix into a batter.
- Divide the batter evenly between 12 cupcake liners.
- Bake at 350°F for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the cupcakes comes out clean.
- Let the cool for a few minutes and then transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
The Frosting
The frosting is a rich coffee flavored buttercream that pipes beautifully over these cupcakes.
There is a little cinnamon in the recipe and cinnamon goes well with coffee so I sprinkled a little on top of the cupcakes too.
Baker’s Tips
- Measure the flour correctly. Weigh the flour for accuracy or make sure to use the correct method for measuring flour which is the spoon and level method. Spoon the flour into your measuring cup and then level off the top with a knife.
- Flax egg. An alternative to the flax egg is to use 3 Tablespoons of applesauce.
- Gluten free. If you want to make these gluten-free then I would recommend using a gluten-free all purpose flour blend to replace the regular flour in this recipe.
Storing and Freezing
Keep them covered at room temperature where they will last for a few days or covered in the fridge where they will stay fresh for up to a week.
They are also freezer friendly for up to 3 months, frosted or unfrosted.
More Vegan Cupcakes
- Vegan Lemon Cupcakes
- Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes
- Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes
- Vegan Red Velvet Cupcakes
- Vegan Pumpkin Cupcakes
- Vegan Strawberry Cupcakes
Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!
Vegan Coffee Cupcakes
Ingredients
Coffee Cupcakes:
- 2 cups All Purpose Flour (250g)
- 1 cup Light Brown Sugar (200g)
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Cinnamon
- 3 Tablespoons Instant Coffee Powder
- 2 Tablespoons Hot Water
- 1 cup Soy Milk (240ml) or other non-dairy milk
- 1 Flax Egg 1 Tablespoon Ground Flaxseed Meal + 3 Tablespoons Hot Water
- ⅓ cup Canola Oil (80ml) or Vegetable Oil
- 1 Tablespoon Distilled White Vinegar or Apple Cider Vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
Coffee Buttercream Frosting:
- 3 cups Powdered Sugar (360g)
- ⅓ cup Vegan Butter (75g)
- 1 Tablespoon Instant Coffee Powder
- 1-2 Tablespoons Soy Milk or other non-dairy milk
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Decoration:
- Sprinkle Cinnamon
Instructions
Cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a cupcake tray with cupcake liners.
- Sift all purpose flour into a mixing bowl and add light brown sugar, baking soda, salt and cinnamon and mix in.
- Mix the instant coffee with the 2 Tablespoons of Hot Water into a thick paste and then mix that into the soy milk (or other non-dairy milk).
- Prepare the flax egg by mixing 1 Tablespoon of flaxseed meal with 3 Tablespoons of Hot Water and allowing to sit for a minute to become gloopy.
- Add the coffee and soy milk mix, the flax egg, oil, vinegar and vanilla extract to the mixing bowl and mix into a batter. Don't overmix.
- Divide the batter evenly between the 12 cupcake liners and place into the oven to bake for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the cupcakes comes out clean.
- Allow to cool for a few minutes before moving the cupcakes to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Frosting:
- Prepare your frosting by adding the powdered sugar and vegan butter to the bowl of your stand mixer. Mix the instant coffee with 1 Tablespoon of soy milk into a paste and add this in along with the vanilla extract.
- Starting at slow speed gradually increase speed until the frosting is thick and smooth. Add the remaining 1 Tablespoon of soy milk if needed.
- Frost the cupcakes and decorate with a sprinkle of cinnamon (optional).
Notes
- Measure the flour correctly. Weigh the flour for accuracy or make sure to use the correct method for measuring flour which is the spoon and level method. Spoon the flour into your measuring cup and then level off the top with a knife.
- Flax egg. An alternative to the flax egg is to use 3 Tablespoons of applesauce.
- Gluten free. If you want to make these gluten-free then I would recommend using a gluten-free all purpose flour blend to replace the regular flour in this recipe.
- Storing: Keep them covered at room temperature where they will last for a few days or covered in the fridge where they will stay fresh for up to a week.
- Freezing: They are freezer friendly (frosted or unfrosted) for up to 3 months.
Hi Alison
I want to thank you for all your brilliant recipes.
I have made the coffee cake and coffee cupcakes and I have also made the lemon cake which was amazing.
Your biggest fan
Sylvia.
That’s awesome Sylvia, so happy to hear you enjoy the recipes! Thanks for the lovely review!
I made your mocha frosting for my gluten free vegan vanilla bean cake and it was a winner. Thank you.
Awesome! Thanks for your great review Monica!
Hey
Could I add walnuts to the mixture to make it coffee and walnut cupcakes? If so how many should I add?
Hi Kay. Yes you can add walnuts to the batter. I would start off with a cup and see if you like the amount.