ABOUT THE RECIPE:
Part cupcake, part muffin, these Lively Lemony Cupcakes are moist and sweet, laced with a touch of tangy lemon. For convenience, I sometimes use a ready-made vegan frosting, but if you have extra time you can top these tasty treats with your favorite icing or my yummy Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting.
Makes 12 Cupcakes
INGREDIENTS:
VEGAN CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
2 containers (8 ounces each) vegan cream cheese
¼ cup vegan buttery spread
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegan confectioner’s (powdered) sugar
CUPCAKES
Zest from 2 large lemons, divided
1¼ cups nondairy milk
⅓ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 1½ lemons)
2⅓ cups, whole wheat flour, plus more as needed
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup vegan cane sugar
¼ cup water, plus more as needed
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or extra-light olive oil
INSTRUCTIONS:
To make the FROSTING, put the vegan cream cheese, buttery spread and vanilla extract into a small bowl and stir briskly with a fork until smooth and thoroughly combined. Stir in the vegan powdered sugar and mix until incorporated and smooth. Cover and refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours to firm up before you frost the cupcakes.
To make the CUPCAKES, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a twelve-cup standard muffin tin with paper liners.
Put the nondairy milk and lemon juice into a bowl or pitcher and stir to combine. Let the mixture stand for 7 to 10 minutes, while preparing the rest of the cupcake batter. (It will curdle slightly to make “vegan buttermilk.”)
Put the flour, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl and stir with a dry whisk to combine. Add the vegan cane sugar and stir with the whisk to combine. Stir in the water, olive oil, and the “vegan buttermilk.” Fold in 1½ teaspoons of the lemon zest.
If the batter seems overly wet, stir in a bit more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the mixture is moist, but not runny. Alternately, if the batter seems overly dry, stir in a bit more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the mixture is moist.
Mound the mixture into the lined cups. Bake for 25 minutes, or until set and a toothpick inserted in the middle of a cupcake comes out clean. Put the tin on a wire rack. Let cool for 10 minutes, then remove the cupcakes and put them on a wire rack. Cool the cupcakes completely (at least 1 hour) before frosting them.
Spoon the frosting into a piping bag that has been fitted with a star tip. Pipe a generous amount of frosting on top of each cupcake. (Alternately, spoon some frosting or whipped topping on top of each cupcake and spread in an even layer using an offset spatula). Garnish each cupcake with some of the remaining lemon zest.
Serve immediately, or transfer the cupcakes to a tightly covered container and keep refrigerated. Stored in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator, cupcakes will keep for 2 to 3 days. For best taste, remove the cupcakes from the refrigerator about 15 minutes before serving.
Ingredients
Directions
ABOUT THE RECIPE:
Part cupcake, part muffin, these Lively Lemony Cupcakes are moist and sweet, laced with a touch of tangy lemon. For convenience, I sometimes use a ready-made vegan frosting, but if you have extra time you can top these tasty treats with your favorite icing or my yummy Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting.
Makes 12 Cupcakes
INGREDIENTS:
VEGAN CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
2 containers (8 ounces each) vegan cream cheese
¼ cup vegan buttery spread
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegan confectioner’s (powdered) sugar
CUPCAKES
Zest from 2 large lemons, divided
1¼ cups nondairy milk
⅓ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 1½ lemons)
2⅓ cups, whole wheat flour, plus more as needed
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup vegan cane sugar
¼ cup water, plus more as needed
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or extra-light olive oil
INSTRUCTIONS:
To make the FROSTING, put the vegan cream cheese, buttery spread and vanilla extract into a small bowl and stir briskly with a fork until smooth and thoroughly combined. Stir in the vegan powdered sugar and mix until incorporated and smooth. Cover and refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours to firm up before you frost the cupcakes.
To make the CUPCAKES, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a twelve-cup standard muffin tin with paper liners.
Put the nondairy milk and lemon juice into a bowl or pitcher and stir to combine. Let the mixture stand for 7 to 10 minutes, while preparing the rest of the cupcake batter. (It will curdle slightly to make “vegan buttermilk.”)
Put the flour, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl and stir with a dry whisk to combine. Add the vegan cane sugar and stir with the whisk to combine. Stir in the water, olive oil, and the “vegan buttermilk.” Fold in 1½ teaspoons of the lemon zest.
If the batter seems overly wet, stir in a bit more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the mixture is moist, but not runny. Alternately, if the batter seems overly dry, stir in a bit more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the mixture is moist.
Mound the mixture into the lined cups. Bake for 25 minutes, or until set and a toothpick inserted in the middle of a cupcake comes out clean. Put the tin on a wire rack. Let cool for 10 minutes, then remove the cupcakes and put them on a wire rack. Cool the cupcakes completely (at least 1 hour) before frosting them.
Spoon the frosting into a piping bag that has been fitted with a star tip. Pipe a generous amount of frosting on top of each cupcake. (Alternately, spoon some frosting or whipped topping on top of each cupcake and spread in an even layer using an offset spatula). Garnish each cupcake with some of the remaining lemon zest.
Serve immediately, or transfer the cupcakes to a tightly covered container and keep refrigerated. Stored in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator, cupcakes will keep for 2 to 3 days. For best taste, remove the cupcakes from the refrigerator about 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
