Easy Vegan Strawberry Cupcakes topped with strawberry buttercream frosting. They are moist, fluffy, soft, and flavorful. This small-batch makes 6 cupcakes. Dye-free, dairy-free, egg-free.
THESE STRAWBERRY CUPCAKES ARE
- vegan
- dairy-free
- egg-free
- dye-free
- moist
- soft
- fluffy
- flavorful
- packed with natural strawberry flavor
- made with fresh strawberries and strawberry jam
- topped with strawberry frosting colored with freeze-dried strawberries
- easy to make
- so delicious
- perfect strawberry dessert
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE VEGAN STRAWBERRY CUPCAKES
You need the following ingredients to make these Strawberry Cupcakes (the exact measurements are in the recipe card below):
- Unsweetened almond milk – Use any plant-based milk of your choice, such as oat, soy, or cashew milk. Make sure it has room temperature.
- Apple cider vinegar – In combination with almond milk, it creates vegan buttermilk, which improves the texture of cupcakes. You can substitute for lemon juice.
- White granulated sugar – keeps the cupcakes light in color.
- Sunflower oil – or use any oil neutral in flavor such as canola oil.
- Strawberry jam – mixed in the batter for extra flavor, plus it makes the cupcakes moist.
- All-purpose flour – Sift the flour to avoid lumps in the batter.
- Cornstarch – makes the cupcakes softer.
- Baking powder and baking soda – Leavening agents that help to raise the batter.
- Sea salt – balances the sweetness.
- Fresh strawberries – Finely chop strawberries so that they don’t sink to the bottom of the cupcakes. After frosting the cupcakes, use halved strawberries for decoration (optional).
- Vegan butter – Use vegan butter, which has around 75-80% of fat. Make sure to let the butter soften at room temperature before making the frosting.
- Powdered sugar – Sift the sugar to avoid lumps.
- Freeze-dried strawberries – To color the buttercream frosting. First, make a strawberry powder by pulsing freeze-dried strawberries in a bender. Use less of the powder to make the frosting lighter.
Equipment you need:
- Cupcake (muffin) pan
- 6 cupcake liners
- 3 mixing bowls (medium-size)
- Whisk
- Strainer/sifter
- Silicon spatula
- Cooling rack
- High-speed blender – to make strawberry powder
- Hand mixer (or stand mixer) – to make the frosting
- Piping bag and piping star tip
HOW TO MAKE EASY VEGAN STRAWBERRY CUPCAKES
You will find the instructions and ingredients list in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
1. Step: Preheat the oven and prepare the pan
Preheat the oven to 180°C and line the muffin pan with 6 cupcake liners. Set aside.
2. Step: Make vegan buttermilk
To unsweetened almond milk, add apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice). Mix and set aside.
3. Step: Mix dry ingredients
To a medium-size bowl, add all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and a pinch of sea salt. Mix with a whisk and set aside.
4. Step: Mix wet ingredients
In a mixing bowl, using a whisk, mix granulated sugar with sunflower oil and strawberry jam. Add vegan buttermilk and mix until well combined.
5. Step: Combine wet and dry ingredients
To the wet ingredients, sift dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Be careful not to overmix the batter (or the cupcakes will get too dense). Next, finely chop fresh strawberries and mix them into the batter.
6. Step: Bake the strawberry cupcakes and let them cool completely
Divide the batter evenly into 6 cupcake liners. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. If it looks wet, bake for about 5 minutes longer.
Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely before frosting. If the cupcakes are still warm, the frosting will melt.
7. Step: Make strawberry powder
To the high-speed blender, add freeze-dried strawberries and pulse until a fine powder.
8. Step: Make strawberry buttercream frosting
Add soft butter to a mixing bowl and beat with a hand mixer (or stand mixer) until smooth. Sift half of the powdered sugar and mix until combined. While mixing, add one tablespoon at a time of almond milk. Sift the rest of the powdered sugar, and mix until soft, light, and super fluffy. Next, add freeze-dried strawberry powder and mix until well combined (add less of the powder for lighter color). The mixing can take up to 3-4 minutes.
9. Step: Frost the cupcakes
Pipe the buttercream frosting over each cupcake. Decorate with fresh strawberries.
Serve immediately or store in the fridge in an airtight container.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
CAN I MAKE THE STRAWBERRY CUPCAKES THE DAY BEFORE FROSTING?
Yes, you can make the cupcake sponge the day before, store them in an airtight container in a cool place and frost them the next day.
HOW TO STORE STRAWBERRY CUPCAKES?
Store the cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge.
HOW LONG DO STRAWBERRY CUPCAKES LAST?
Strawberry cupcakes will last for about 4 days in the airtight container in the fridge.
CAN YOU FREEZE STRAWBERRY CUPCAKES?
You can freeze unfrosted cupcakes for up to 3 months. Store them in an airtight container. To defrost them, let them thaw at room temperature.
IF YOU LIKE THIS RECIPE, MAKE SURE TO CHECK OUT THE FOLLOWING:
- Chocolate Cupcakes Filled With Ganache
- Strawberry Oatmeal Cookies
- Baked Cheesecake With Raspberry Sauce
- Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
- Biscoff White Nougat Chocolate Blondies
- Chocolate Chip Muffins
If you try this recipe, please let me know by leaving a comment below, as well as giving a rating so that others may find this recipe. Also, share your photo on Instagram and tag @plantifulbakery.
Happy baking!
EASY VEGAN STRAWBERRY CUPCAKES
Ingredients
Cupcakes:
- 1/3 cup (80ml) unsweetened almond milk, room temperature , (or any plant-based milk)
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar, (or lemon juice)
- 1/3 cup (67g) white granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (60ml) sunflower oil , (or canola oil)
- 3 tbsp (52g) strawberry jam
- ¾ cup (96g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- pinch sea salt
- 3-4 large strawberries, fresh (65g) , + extra for decoration
Frosting:
- ½ cup (113g) vegan butter, softened*
- 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp unsweetened almond milk, room temperature , (or any plant-based milk)
- 1 cup (20g) freeze-dried strawberries
Instructions
Cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 180°C and line the muffin pan with 6 cupcake liners. Set aside.
- To unsweetened almond milk, add apple cider vinegar. Mix and set aside.
- To a medium-size bowl, add all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and a pinch of sea salt. Mix with a whisk and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, using a whisk, mix granulated sugar with sunflower oil and strawberry jam. Add vegan buttermilk and mix until well combined.
- To the wet ingredients, sift dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Be careful not to overmix the batter. Next, finely chop fresh strawberries and mix them into the batter.
- Divide the batter evenly into 6 cupcake liners. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. If it looks wet, bake for about 5 minutes longer. Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely before frosting.
Strawberry Frosting:
- To make strawberry powder, add freeze-dried strawberries to the high-speed blender add and pulse until a fine powder.
- Add soft butter to a mixing bowl and beat with a hand mixer (or stand mixer) until smooth. Sift half of the powdered sugar and mix until combined. While mixing, add one tablespoon at a time of almond milk. Sift the rest of the powdered sugar, and mix until soft, light, and super fluffy. Next, add freeze-dried strawberry powder and mix until well combined (add less of the powder for lighter color). The mixing can take up to 3-4 minutes
- Pipe the buttercream frosting over each cupcake. Decorate with fresh strawberries.
- Serve immediately or store in the fridge in an airtight container.
Notes
Storage:
Store the cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can also freeze unfrosted cupcakes for up to 3 months. Please read my blog post above for tips and helpful information.Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 1 cupcake / Calories: 436kcal / Total Fat: 24,7g / Saturated Fat: 8,5g / Cholesterol: 0mg / Total Carbohydrate: 53,0g / Fiber: 1,4g / Sugar: 37,8g / Protein: 2,1g / Sodium: 264mg / Iron: 0,9mg
Great cupcake, especially the sponge. The icing was good(not too sweet), but the consistancy wasn’t great for me. Maybe I didn’t mix it enough? Just was a little too dense.