• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Loving It Vegan

  • Home
  • About Me
  • Recipes
  • Free Ebook
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Recipes
  • Free Ebook
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Home
    • About Me
    • Recipes
    • Free Ebook
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Desserts

    Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes

    Published: May 26, 2016 Updated: Jun 28, 2021 by Alison Andrews This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe
    Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes

    Gorgeously light and fluffy vegan vanilla cupcakes topped with creamy strawberry vanilla frosting. Perfect little packages of yum!

    Vegan vanilla cupcakes on a white cake stand.

    Ever since making our vegan chocolate cupcakes I’ve had cupcakes on my mind!

    Big time!

    I couldn’t wait to make more. So I decided to make these gorgeous vegan vanilla cupcakes with strawberry vanilla frosting.

    And they came out so well.

    I was especially thrilled with the frosting. I wasn’t sure how it would work out to use strawberry flavoring, but it did the job incredibly well and provided the most beautiful pale pink color, and the flavor was awesome. It reminded Jaye of a strawberry milkshake.

    You’ll love these cupcakes for their beautiful color, light and fluffy texture and lovely blend of flavors.

    Vegan vanilla cupcakes with strawberry vanilla frosting and fresh strawberry pieces.

    Cupcakes are so easy they’re my new favorite thing. So much easier than full cakes (though I love making cakes!), because they bake in less time and you don’t have to cut out parchment paper for the cake pans. 

    Cupcake batter in a cupcake tray ready to bake.

    The only tricky part for me was in transferring the batter to the cupcake liners, my first batch of cupcakes was very messy, until I figured out that the best method was to transfer the batter to a jug with a pouring nozzle and pour it neatly into each cupcake liner.

    Messiness problem solved.

    Freshly baked cupcakes in a cupcake tray.

    The great thing about these cupcakes is that the flavors are so mild and blend so beautifully together. You’ve got the light flavors of vanilla blending with the sweet scented flavors of strawberries.

    Frosting in a stand mixer.

    The texture of these vanilla cupcakes is also perfectly light and spongey.

    Vegan vanilla cupcakes with strawberry vanilla frosting and fresh strawberry pieces on a white cake stand.

    Decorating

    Decorate them with some fresh chopped strawberries if you’re serving them right away. If you want to keep them (they keep very well in a covered cake container in the fridge for up to a week), then don’t use fresh fruit for decoration as the strawberries will run and the cakes will become soggy.

    Alternatively decorate with vegan sprinkles or dried coconut.

    Vegan vanilla cupcakes with strawberry vanilla frosting and fresh strawberry decoration.

    Make Them Gluten-Free

    For a gluten-free version of these cupcakes, check out our vegan gluten-free vanilla cupcakes.

    Make A Layer Cake

    This recipe can adapt to a three layer 6-inch cake. Bake time is 20 minutes.

    Vanilla cupcakes topped with frosting and fresh strawberries.

    Storing and Freezing

    These cupcakes keep very well in a covered container at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the fridge for up to a week.

    They can also be frozen (frosted or unfrosted, but don’t add any fresh strawberry decoration if you’re freezing them) for up to 3 months.

    Vegan vanilla cupcakes with strawberry vanilla frosting and fresh strawberry decoration.

    More Delicious Vegan Cupcakes

    1. Vegan Lemon Cupcakes
    2. Vegan Red Velvet Cupcakes
    3. Vegan Strawberry Cupcakes
    4. Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes
    5. Vegan Funfetti Cupcakes
    6. Vegan Carrot Cake Cupcakes
    Vegan vanilla cupcake with a bite out of it.

    Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!

    Vegan vanilla cupcakes topped with frosting and sliced strawberries.

    Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes

    Gorgeously light and fluffy vegan vanilla cupcakes topped with creamy strawberry vanilla frosting. Perfect little packages of yum!
    4.95 from 202 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Cake, Cupcakes, Dessert
    Cuisine: Vegan
    Diet: Vegan
    Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 45 minutes minutes
    Servings: 12
    Calories: 357kcal
    Author: Alison Andrews

    Ingredients

    Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes:

    • 1 ¾ cups All Purpose Flour (220g)
    • 1 cup White Granulated Sugar (200g)
    • 1 tsp Baking Soda
    • ½ tsp Salt
    • 1 cup Soy Milk (240ml) or other non-dairy milk
    • ⅓ cup Canola Oil (80ml) or Vegetable Oil*
    • 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
    • 1 Tbsp Distilled White Vinegar

    Strawberry Vanilla Frosting

    • ½ cup Vegan Butter (112g)
    • 3 cups Powdered Sugar (360g)
    • 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
    • 2 tsp Strawberry Extract

    Decoration:

    • Fresh Sliced Strawberries optional
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a cupcake tray with 12 cupcake liners.
    • Sift the flour into a bowl and add the sugar, baking soda and salt.
    • Then add the soy milk, vanilla extract, oil and white vinegar.
    • Mix until just mixed, using a hand whisk to get rid of any big lumps. Don’t overmix, tiny lumps are fine.
    • Pour the batter into a jug that allows for easy pouring and pour evenly into the 12 cupcake liners, ensuring that all the batter is used up.
    • Place into the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes. Check the cupcakes at 20 minutes and if a toothpick inserted into the center doesn’t come out clean, then put them back in for a further 5 minutes.
    • Move to a cooling rack and allow to cool thoroughly before frosting.
    • Prepare the frosting by adding the vegan butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and strawberry flavoring to an electric mixer bowl. Begin mixing on low speed, gradually increasing speed until you have perfectly smooth frosting.
    • Decorate with fresh strawberry slices before serving (optional).

    Video

    Notes

    1. We have also made these with a light olive oil (as in the video) and they worked great! But for more consistent results across brands canola oil or vegetable oil is a better option.
    2. These cupcakes keep very well in a covered container at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the fridge for up to a week.
    3. They can also be frozen (frosted or unfrosted, but don’t add any fresh strawberry decoration if you’re freezing them) for up to 3 months.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1Cupcake | Calories: 357kcal | Carbohydrates: 62.6g | Protein: 2.4g | Fat: 10.8g | Saturated Fat: 1.7g | Sodium: 274mg | Fiber: 0.6g | Sugar: 47.9g
    DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? Rate it & leave your feedback in the comments section below, or tag @lovingitvegan on Instagram and hashtag #lovingitvegan
    Get Your Copy! It's FREE!
    « Vegan Coconut Ice Cream
    Easy Vegan Dinner Rolls »
    7.9K shares

    About the Author

    Hi I'm Alison Andrews, I'm the voice and cook behind Loving It Vegan. I love making delicious vegan food and creating vegan versions of all your old favorites, so that you’ll never feel like you’re missing out. Find out more about me here.

    Loving It Vegan is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This site may contain some of these links to Amazon.com. If you make a purchase through one of those links, Loving It Vegan will receive a small commission from the purchase at no additional cost to you.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Karen Eliot says

      September 20, 2023 at 5:25 am

      These cupcakes were moist and delicious. Thanks for this fantastic easy recipe!5 stars

      Reply
      • Nadine @ Loving It Vegan says

        September 20, 2023 at 9:43 am

        So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe Karen! Thanks so much for your great review!

        Reply
    2. Jesse Mwale says

      September 17, 2023 at 6:45 pm

      Tastes amazing. Quick and easy.5 stars

      Reply
      • Nadine @ Loving It Vegan says

        September 20, 2023 at 9:43 am

        Thanks Jesse!

        Reply
    3. Bex says

      September 01, 2023 at 5:44 pm

      Turned out perfectly! My 6 year old managed with supervision to make fluffy cupcakes with a lovely rise! Thankyou5 stars

      Reply
      • Nadine @ Loving It Vegan says

        September 20, 2023 at 9:44 am

        Wow, that’s awesome Bex! Thanks so much for your great review! 🙂

        Reply
    4. Lizzie says

      August 08, 2023 at 1:20 pm

      Fabulous recipe!
      These cupcakes were so easy to make!
      I swapped the white vinegar for cider vinegar and it worked so well! I shall be making these again!
      Thanks so much for sharing this recipe 🙂5 stars

      Reply
      • Nadine @ Loving It Vegan says

        August 14, 2023 at 8:42 am

        Thanks for sharing Lizzie! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe!

        Reply
    5. Jem says

      July 03, 2023 at 7:14 pm

      hi can this recipe be used for making large cakes? like birthday cakes

      Reply
      • Nadine @ Loving It Vegan says

        July 05, 2023 at 12:59 pm

        Hi there! you can check out our recipe for vegan vanilla cake to make a large cake!

        Reply
    6. Adriana says

      June 22, 2023 at 1:37 pm

      Can you double this recipe?

      Reply
      • Nadine Van Zyl says

        June 28, 2023 at 2:38 pm

        Yes, you can! Just be sure not to overmix your batter. 🙂

        Reply
    7. Rolanda says

      June 16, 2023 at 8:29 pm

      I made these for today to give to the father’s at my workplace and who ever else, and oh my goodness these were a HIT! One of my colleagues actually said I need to quit my day job and bake like Betty Crocker. They were very impressed on how tasty and similar in texture they were to traditional vanilla cupcakes.5 stars

      Reply
      • Nadine @ Loving It Vegan says

        July 05, 2023 at 2:27 pm

        So glad they liked them Rolanda! Thanks for your awesome review!

        Reply
    8. Jill says

      June 13, 2023 at 5:23 pm

      My grandson is allergic to milk and eggs. I have struggled with recipes that are safe for him but still taste good. This is the best cupcake recipe I have found!! They taste delicious and rise perfectly! Thank you!!5 stars

      Reply
      • Nadine Van Zyl says

        June 15, 2023 at 11:38 am

        So glad we could help Jill! Thanks for your amazing review!

        Reply
    9. Lisa says

      June 12, 2023 at 10:24 am

      Could apple cider vinegar work? I don’t have white vinegar.

      Reply
      • Nadine Van Zyl says

        June 15, 2023 at 11:56 am

        Hi Lisa! We haven’t tested substituting apple cider vinegar in this recipe, but you are welcome to try.

        Reply
      • Lizzie says

        August 08, 2023 at 1:16 pm

        I have just tried this with Apple cider vinegar and it works! Cupcakes had a super rise and we’re delicious 🙂

        Reply
    « Older Comments

    Comment Policy: Your feedback is really appreciated! Please do us a favor and rate the recipe as well as this really helps us! The most helpful comments are the ones that give useful feedback for others who might make the recipe, tell about substitutions you made or adjustments you made and how it turned out, or assisting other commenters. Rude or insulting comments will not be accepted.

    Leave A Comment & Review Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi I’m Alison Andrews! I love making delicious vegan food and creating delicious vegan versions of all your old favorite dishes, so you can have your vegan cake and eat it too!

    More about me →

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • Pinterest

    Popular Posts

    • Vegan tuna on an open faced sandwich on a wooden board.
      Vegan Tuna
    • Serving spoonful of vegan mac and cheese.
      The Best Vegan Mac and Cheese (Classic, Baked)
    • Vegan burritos stacked up on top of each other.
      Vegan Burrito
    • Vegan tofu scramble with sliced avocado and fried tomatoes on a white plate.
      Super Eggy Vegan Tofu Scramble
    • Thick slice of cashew cheese on a wooden board.
      Sliceable Cashew Cheese
    • Homemade vegan butter in a glass butter dish with a knife.
      Homemade Vegan Butter

    Veganuary

    • Vegan Thai Peanut Noodles in a black bowl.
      Vegan Thai Peanut Noodles
    • Slices of grilled vegan halloumi on a gray plate.
      Vegan Halloumi
    • Vegan stuffed mushrooms on a white plate.
      Vegan Stuffed Mushrooms
    • Vegan stuffed peppers in a white baking dish.
      Vegan Stuffed Peppers
    • Vegan granola on a baking sheet with a wooden spoon.
      Vegan Granola
    • Powdered sugar sprinkling down over a stack of waffles.
      The Best Vegan Waffles

    See all Veganuary Recipes →


    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    As Seen In

    Press logos black and white

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    Follow Us

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • Pinterest

    Contact

    • About
    • Contact

    Copyright © 2022 Loving It Vegan

    Get 10 fabulous dinner recipes!
    Absolutely free! Sign up below!
    Get Your Copy! It's FREE!