Dairy-Free Vanilla Cupcakes

4.80 from 5 votes

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 18

Total Time: 28

Servings: cupcakes

Calories: 300kcal

Author: Ai Willis

Just because you're lactose-intolerant doesn't mean you have to miss out on dessert time fun! My Dairy-Free Vanilla Cupcakes have a lovely, tender crumb and a gorgeously rich and creamy buttercream frosting, all without the unpleasant side-effects. Try making this easy dairy-free cupcakes recipe next time you’re in the mood for something sweet!

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Ingredients

Vanilla cupcakes

1⅓ cup all-purpose flour
⅓ cup cornstarch
½ teaspoon fine salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup granulated sugar
½ stick vegan butter softened at room temperature
¼ cup oil
2 large eggs
⅓ cup mayonnaise
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
⅔ cup unsweetened dairy-free milk

Vanilla buttercream frosting

2 sticks vegan butter softened at room temperature
⅓ cup shortening can substitute equal amounts vegan butter
3 cups powdered sugar
⅓ vanilla beans a 2 inch piece, with the seeds scraped out
¼ teaspoon fine salt

Instructions

Cupcakes

Preheat your oven to 340°F (170°C) and line your cupcake pan with paper liners.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and granulated sugar. Add the softened vegan butter and work it into the flour until the mixture looks like sand.
In a separate bowl, mix the oil, eggs, mayonnaise, and vanilla extract until smooth. Add this to the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
Stir in the milk until a smooth batter forms. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
Fill the liners evenly with the batter, about ½ to ⅔ full. Bake the cupcakes in the preheated oven for 18 minutes. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center. If you see any crumbs, bake for another minute or two. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 1 minute before taking them onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Frosting

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the softened vegan butter and shortening for 3 to 4 minutes until fluffy and light in color.
Add a third of the powdered sugar and continue beating. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula before each addition. After adding all of the sugar, taste to see if it's sweet to your liking. Add more sugar if you'd like.
Once the powdered sugar is all incorporated, add the salt and seeds inside the vanilla bean and beat again. Frost the cupcakes any way you like!

Notes

Whenever you’re baking cupcakes (dairy-free or not), there are a few things to keep in mind:

Always use room-temperature ingredients, including your eggs. This ensures that everything blends together well without needing to overmix the batter.
Scrape the bowl with a spatula between adding ingredients to make sure everything is being incorporated properly.
Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting. If they’re even slightly warm, the frosting will slide right off.
Use an ice cream scoop for clean and even measurements.
Use high-quality cupcake liners so they don’t stick to your gorgeous mini cakes.

For more notes on Dairy Free Buttercream Frosting, click here.

Storage Instructions:

Once baked, these DF vanilla cupcakes will last for about 3 days in an airtight container in the fridge. (You can still eat them for a couple days after that, but don’t blame me if they taste dry and not fresh!) Let the cupcakes come to room temp on the counter for 15-20 minutes before serving/eating to soften the buttercream.

To freeze: chill frosted cupcakes in the fridge until the frosting goes rock solid, then wrap each cupcake with plastic wrap and put them in an airtight container/bag to keep in the freezer for up to a month. Let the cupcakes defrost in the fridge overnight, and then come to room temp on the counter for 15-20 minutes before serving.

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