Soft and light vanilla cupcakes, made completely dairy with only a few quick substitutions. These taste absolutely delicious and you would never be able to tell that they were a free from product! I’ve topped mine with a dairy free and vegan lime buttercream frosting for the perfect bake.
I’m a big believer in inclusive baking and cooking in general so always try my best to make sure that everyone is included and can enjoy the sweeter things in life. That’s how these dairy free cupcakes were created. The recipe is such a simple recipe and so quick to make. Made with only a few swaps from a regular cake recipe, it really makes the perfect basic dairy free vanilla cake!
This recipe is exactly the same as my normal vanilla cupcake recipe. The only difference is a few ingredients. Rather than using margarine or any form of dairy butter, I swapped this for a dairy free alternative. Instead of milk, I again just swapped this for a free from product. You can use any milk here from almond to oat or coconut, this just depends on your personal preference. For the butter I used a Flora unsalted butter made primarily from plant based oils. With these two substitutions, the rest of the process and end product is the same.
Dairy Free
For this batch of Vanilla Dairy Free cupcakes I used the all-in-one method to make things even quicker and easier. Throw all of the cake ingredients into a bowl and mix with an electric mixer until you have a nice smooth batter. Add the vanilla extract in last and give a separate mix. As always, I recommend that you use a thicker vanilla paste rather than a liquid vanilla extract. I feel like this creates a better, more authentic taste and the runny consistency of the liquid extract can sometimes change the consistency of the batter. I’ve found that my batter went incredibly creamy here, which is always a good sign in a batter! Place the batter into you pre prepared cases and place in the centre of the oven. Once done, allow them to cool completely before icing or decorating.
I only made a small batch of 4 cupcakes here. This is because cakes always taste best fresh on the same day as baking. But if you need or prefer a bigger batch, feel free to double or even triple the recipe!
I topped these with a dairy free and vegan lime buttercream, but these can be iced or decorated any way that you like, just ensure that you’re topping the cake with a dairy free icing.
Best eaten fresh but any leftovers can be stored in a cool dark place for roughly 3 days.
Ingredients
- 2 oz / 60 g Self Raising Flour
- 2 oz / 60 g Dairy Free Butter, I used Flora Unsalted Plant Based
- 1 oz / 30 g Caster Sugar
- 1 Egg
- 1 teaspoon Dairy Free Milk
- 1/4 teaspoon Vanilla Extract, I recommend paste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180*c/350*f/Gas Mark 4/160*c Fan Oven.
- Line a cupcake tin with cases and set aside.
- Place the dairy free butter, sugar, egg and self-raising flour into a bowl and using an electric mixer beat together until light and fluffy
- Stir through the milk alternative and vanilla paste and spoon the mixture into your prepared tin.
- Cook for 16 to 20 minutes, until golden brown and light and fluffy. You can tell the cakes are ready when they spring back when lightly pressed. You could also insert a skewer into the middle of one of the cakes and if it comes out clean, then the cakes are ready.
- Once ready, remove from the oven.
- Allow the cakes to sit in the tin for roughly 5 minutes, then place on a wired rack to cool.
- Once cooled, you can decorate as you please.
Notes
These are best eaten fresh on the same day as baking. Store any leftovers in a cool dry place for up to 3-4 days.
Looking for more free from baking ideas? Have a look in the free from recipe section:
Free From Archives – Cupful of Sprinkles
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