My childhood best friend opened up a vintage cupcake trailer in my hometown of Portland, Maine a few years ago and it is fantastic!
The trailer is over the top adorable and it even has a mini oven inside you can actually bake out of!
I am fortunate enough to have the opportunity to take my kids and visit Maine every summer…and if anyone of you has ever been to Maine, you’ll know it is absolutely breathtaking in the summer.
So one summer day while I was there, I took my daughter (Penelope) to Love Cupcakes for a visit and it was such a magical day. My BFF, Penelope and I spent the day frosting cupcakes, serving happy customers and, of course eating lots and lots of cupcakes!
Another thing that I loved about her business is all of her cupcakes are all natural and many of them are vegan. Since this day, I have been hooked on vegan cupcakes and my daughter and I bake pink cupcakes together every year for her birthday!
Many of the recipes my friend used came from the book Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero.
Here is the one I am hooked on!
Strawberry & Golden Vanilla Vegan Cupcake Recipe
Cupcake:
- 1 cup soy milk
- 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
- 1 1/4 cups all- purpose flour
- 2 Tbsp. cornstarch
- 3/4 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/3 cup canola oil
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp. almond, caramel, or more vanilla extract
Frosting:
- 1/2 cup non-hydrogenated shortening
- 1/2 cup Earth Balance (vegan butter)
- 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup soy milk
Directions
Cupcakes:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
2) Whisk the soy milk and vinegar together, set aside for a few minutes and allow it to curdle
3) Beat together the soy milk, oil, sugar, vanilla in a large bowl. Sift in the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix until no large lumps remain.
4) Fill cupcake liners two-thirds of the way and bake for 20-22 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely before frosting.
Frosting:
1) Beat the shortening and vegan butter together until well combined and fluffy. Add the sugar and beat for about 3 more minutes.
2) Add the vanilla and soy milk and beat for another 5-7 minutes until fluffy
3) To frost your cupcakes use a pastry bag or spatula
A few tips:
To make your frosting (only) strawberry, omit the vanilla and just mash in a handful of fresh strawberries! (Or use any fruit you wish).
I have substituted olive oil for canola oil – and I used almond milk instead of soy milk.
I like to buy mostly organic ingredients when baking these to keep this an organic recipe, in addition to being vegan.
I got really into baking vegan cupcakes for a while so I bought reusable cloth pastry bags on-line, however, I know they sell reusable generic pastry bags from Bed Bath & Beyond.
If you decide to make these, I’d love to hear about it.
Enjoy!?
Eve Adams says
Hi Laura! Hmmm… first impressions last. My first impression about your blog was really a yummy blog. hihihi. I think the cupcake in the picture was not just delicious but looks so sexy too!
Go girl. Cheers…
EVe
Adrienne says
Hi Laura,
First off I have to say that the trailer is adorable and I can’t believe she sells cupcakes out of that. What a great idea.
Now on to the vegan cupcakes. I’ve never tried anything like this before. I have a sweet tooth but I’m also disciplined so I don’t keep anything in my house I know I shouldn’t eat. I only splurge a couple times a week, I’m allowed, but I don’t go overboard. I LOVE cakes and cupcakes, who doesn’t! But I LOVE that really moist cake and that really delicious icing. I’m kind of scared to go to the trouble to fix these but I do know that they would not taste the same of course as one that has only fattening ingredients. I’m still really curious though and I might have to break down and try these. I wish Donna lived close to me or I’d go to her house and try them.
Great share though and I’m sure there are plenty of others eager to get their hands on this recipe too. Off to share.
~Adrienne
Laura says
Hi Adrienne!
Isn’t that trailer the cutest thing ever?! I wish I had pictures of the inside, it is just as cute!
The cake part of the cupcake is a little less sweet then traditional cupcakes but SUPER moist. The frosting makes up for any lost sweetness because it’s very sugary and adding any real fruit to it makes it so fresh tasting! Don’t be scared, try it! They are so fun to make!
Thank You for sharing!?
Donna Merrill says
Hi Laura,
I’m always hunting for some good recipes that are vegan. This one takes the cake – pardon the pun! It is difficult to find something that is vegan for a tasty treat. But when I do, I treasure it like this post you shared. I have copied this recipe and will give it a shot.
My husband has a sweet tooth and I’m sure he would be delighted If I made these. Thanks so much!
-Donna
Laura says
Hi Donna!
So nice to hear from you again! I am confident you and your husband will love the cupcakes! Maybe get your Grand children to help you bake them for a really (messy) fun time!! ?