Lyndsay Sung, the vegan baker and blogger behind Coco Cake Land, created this cupcake recipe with birthdays in mind. “Simple to make, and delicious to taste, these vanilla cupcakes with easy strawberry frosting and rainbow sprinkles will have your birthday party all set!” Sung writes in her new book Plantcakes: Fancy + Everyday Vegan Cakes for Everyone. Of course, you can make them any time – and strawberry season is just around the corner.

A plate of cupcakes with pink frosting and topped with strawberries

Vegan Strawberry Cupcakes

Lyndsay Sung's recipe for vegan vanilla cupcakes topped with strawberry buttercream.

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Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine vegan

Servings 24 cupcakes

Ingredients

Cupcakes

1½ cups soy milk
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
2¾ cups cake flour
1½ cups granulated white sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp fine sea salt
½ cup vegetable oil
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract

Strawberry Buttercream

¼ cup (30 g) freeze-dried strawberries
2 cups unsalted plant-based butter room temperature
3½ cups icing sugar, sifted
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
pinch salt plus more to taste

To Finish

12 fresh strawberries halved

Instructions

Cupcakes

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two cupcake pans with cupcake liners.
In a small bowl, mix the soy milk with the apple cider vinegar and set aside for 10 minutes to thicken. It may look a bit separated at this point, but that’s normal.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt until combined.
With the mixer turned off, add the soy milk mixture, vegetable oil and vanilla extract. Mix on low speed until a smooth batter forms, 15 to 30 seconds, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Using a large retractable ice cream scoop, divide the batter evenly between the prepared cupcake liners. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until the cupcakes have a gently rounded, golden-hued dome, and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out with only moist crumbs.
Let the cupcakes cool completely in their pans set on top of wire racks.

Strawberry Buttercream

In a food processor, blitz the freeze-dried strawberries into a fine powder.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, icing sugar, vanilla extract, salt and strawberry powder on low speed to combine. Increase the speed to medium-high, beating until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.

To Finish

Fit a piping bag with an open star tip and fill the bag with the strawberry buttercream. Pipe classic swirls or rosettes of buttercream on top of the cupcakes and top each with a halved strawberry.
These cupcakes will taste freshest eaten within a day or two of making, but they can be stored in the fridge, covered, for up to 3 days. Bring to cool room temperature before serving.