January 23, 2013

Vegan Vanilla Cupcake Recipe



Ok... when I first undertook a vegan lifestyle I asked myself, "Will I ever be able to eat another cupcake?". I shuddered at the thought so I developed this FAIL-PROOF cupcake recipe. I had published this on Veggieful a few months ago but I decided to revamp the page and change the frosting recipes. So, lets cut to the chase... these are most delicious and the fluffiest vegan cupcakes I have EVER eaten! I am not joking. I made a massive batch of these the other day for recipe-testing purposes. One half went to Jerome's work and the other half went to our friends and family. There were many compliments and amazed responses to these easy cupcakes... my mum said that they were the "best cupcakes" she had "ever eaten" while Jerome's co-worker stated that they were the "fluffiest" cupcakes she had ever had... little did she know that they were vegan! Tee hee hee. I find that when I make these for others, there are a number of things guaranteed... Firstly, you will be asked for the recipe. Secondly, they will devour it in seconds and lastly, they will be talking about them for days. As I said above, these are a fail-proof recipe... meaning, I have never had a problem with them, they always work out and they never fail to impress others. Every person needs an amazing cupcake recipe... and this is it! Check out our frosting and icing recipes.^-^

I also think that these would make a perfect Valentines Day gift! Decorate with cute little vegan heart-shaped lollies for a romantic edible gift!



makes 10 cupcakes



   1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
   2 teaspoons baking powder
   pinch salt
   ½ cup vegan white sugar
   1/4 cup plain-flavoured oil
   ¾ cup 
Soy Milky Lite
   1 teaspoon vanilla extract
   ½ tablespoon apple cider vinegar

   Frosting (recipes here)




  1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (365 °F) and line 10 cupcake pans with liners or spray oil.
  2. In a large bowl, add the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Stir until combined.
  3. Add in the oil, soymilk, vanilla and apple cider vinegar. Beat for a couple of minutes or so until smooth without lumps.
  4. Fill each of the 10 cupcake pans with 2-tablespoons of cake batter each. 
  5. Bake for 20 minutes or so until risen and the tops of the cupcakes bounce back when touched.
  6. Allow to cool completely before adding frosting.
  7. Pipe on your favourite frosting recipe and allow to cool and set.
  8. Serve immediately or store for up to three days. Enjoy!


  • This recipe uses the Australian metric system. So, 1 cup = 250ml, 1 tablespoon = 20ml and so on.
  • Decorate with any of your favourite icings or frostings.
  • You could add chocolate chips, berries, nuts or anything else that you desire!
  • A lovely edible gift for Valentines day.


The nutrition information above is an approximate guideline and does not include the optional frosting ingredients.  

123 comments :

  1. Beauty..pinning it right away on my eggless baking board!

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  2. Easy and lovely to look at! I love the short list of ingredients, these look amazing : )

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    1. Hi Abby! Thanks so much... they look so pretty and taste amazing :) I always feel a bit guilty eating them because they are quite fattening hehe

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  3. how adorable are these cupcakes, lady?! i love the wrapper and the way you frosted them! i definitely must try these, using gf flour, and see how they work. i will report back ;)

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    1. Hi Caitlin! Thanks so much. Definitely tell me how they go :)

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  4. That is such a simple recipe! I am surely trying this.

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    1. Hi Chinmayie! Thanks... I try to use things that are normally found in every pantry :)

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  5. Thank you , thank you Madison for a vegan cupcake receipe with ingredients that I currently have in my pantry!

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    1. Hi Susan,
      My pleasure! I try to use common ingredients in my recipes when I can :)

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  6. Hi Madison,

    What is the name of the white sugar you use?

    Thanks :)

    Monay

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    1. Hi Monay,
      Bundaberg Sugar does not use animal bone char in their refining process. Also, I believe that CSR sugar is vegan too as their animal bone char refining process ceased in 1990. :) I am assuming that you are in Australia?

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    2. Yes, I'm in Australia.

      Thanks heaps :)

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  7. Let me just start by saying that I am very inexperienced with vegan and gluten free baking, but I was dying to make something for my friends (one if GF and the other vegan), so I tried these with white sorghum flour! I also had to sub water for the milk, and I also added shredded, sweetened coconut. They didn't rise all the way in the middle, and they had NICE flavor!! But they tasted a little grainy. My fault, not yours. Keep up the good work!

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    1. Hi Julie! Thanks for trying our recipes and I am glad that it still tasted amazing even with your changes :)

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  8. Made these today. Used white vinegar because I didn't have apple cider vinegar. Put a pitted cherry in the middle and glazed with a bit of melted vegan white chocolate. Was very good, thanks for the recipe!

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    1. Hello! Thanks for your feedback. I am so happy to hear that you liked them! :)

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  9. Made these last night. AMAZING. Partner took them to work too! He loved them. Thjanks again! =]

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    1. Thanks for telling me Emily! I am so glad that you both loved them :)

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  10. Didn't take long to make as I thought it would, and it tasted as good as non-vegan Cupcakes, 10/10 on this one!

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    1. Hi Chris! Thank you for your feedback. It made me smile to wake up and see a nice comment like yours :)

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  11. Hey, these look great! Can't wait to try them! Did you actually bake the cupcakes in those wrappers? I got some for Christmas and don't have a clue how to use them!

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    1. Hi Tess! Thanks for your comment. I baked them in normal patty pans first and then sat the cupcakes in the little shells :) I didn't think they would be OK under high heat.

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    2. Hi there. I have used those type of cupcake wrappers before. They are designed to be a free standing cup cake wrapper, which means you don't need to put them in a pan. You just pour in the batter and bake straight in them. They tear away quite easily when you wish to eat them. I love them, because they often have pretty patterns and make lovely gifts.

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    3. Hi Sophia! Yes I agree... I have been doing the same since the first batch :)

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  12. Can you substitute rice or almond milk for soy milk?? I am a soy-free vegan :) Your website is beautiful! Thanks for all of the helpful info on here. :)

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    1. Hi Amy!! Thanks so much :) I have only used soy milk but I am sure that rice or almond milk would work too! Tell me how they go :D

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    2. I used Almond milk with no problems - also add cocca to one batch and still perfect!

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  13. What is the vinegar for exactly?

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    1. I find that it makes them fluffier. When I leave the apple cider vinegar out, they are never as fluffy. :)

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    2. Hi madison, thanks fthe reply. I don't have apple cider vinegar. Can I use regular white viegar lemon juice?

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  14. Best cupcakes ever! So easy and were so fluffy. Thanks a lot!

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  15. Hi,

    This is a fantastic recipe, and great fun to make with the kids. Thanks so much for posting it.

    All the best, Alex

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  16. Just went Vegan and i LOVE your website. I made these and my mom and hubby could not stop eating them. They are so good. I'm making more today and wanted to ask If i wanted to use your recipe as a base and add banana in one batch and chocolate chips in another batch. Will they turn out the same?

    Thanks
    Chelsea

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    1. Hi Chelsea! I am so happy that you loved these as I love them so much too! The banana may alter the taste as it is adding a heavy component, you could always try it! Chocolate chips should be fine... I have added chocolate chips to this recipe before and it turned out amazing! Thanks so much :)

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  17. Hi

    First off let me say I love this recipe. My mom,hubby and myself could not stop eating these. This is the best cupcake I have ever had. I am making another batch today and wanted to ask could I use your recipe as a base? If i wanted to make one batch with mashed banana and one batch with chocolate chips do you think they will turn out the same?

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    1. Hi Chelsea! I am so happy that you loved these as I love them so much too! The banana may alter the taste as it is adding a heavy component, you could always try it! Chocolate chips should be fine... I have added chocolate chips to this recipe before and it turned out amazing! Thanks so much :)

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  18. Just made these and they were the best cupcakes. So happy with them. WIll make them again, Thanks.

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  19. This looks like a great recipe. I am going to try them today. It seems very similar to another one I have used in the past but for some reason the website is down and I can't get to it. Pesky internet :P So it caused me to do a search and I found your site. Thanks so much, I will let you know how it turned out. :) Cheers!

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  20. Hi! I tried making these today, and I followed the recipe word for word but they didn't rise at all - they were flat, dense, and pancake-like. Could I get your advice on this?

    PS: even though they didn't turn out quite right, they were still very tasty c:

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    1. Hi Miriam,
      I am not sure why they didn't work out for you. The only thing I can think of is if you are using the right measurements. I am using the Australian metric system, so 1 cup = 250ml and 1 tablespoon = 20ml... is this the same for you? If you are using a different system I can see why they may have not worked out. Thanks for the comment :)

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    2. Also, did you add in the baking powder? The baking powder makes them rise and fluffy.

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    3. maybe the baking powder has expired?

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  21. My wife and I made these today with our kids and they turned our brilliantly. Thanks for the recipe. Our kids had tonnes of fun.

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  22. Oh I am going to try these today ! I am on search of a perfect nondairy vanilla cupcake:). I will repost lter on how they come out. so excited to try them

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    1. Hi Laura! Yay, please tell me how they go. I think they are amazingly delicious :D

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    2. okay so me and my friend made different cupcakes this weekend and these were by far the best cupcakes!! We made these with a cinnamon vanilla frosting and YES they were amazingly delicious!! Thank you so much for such an awesome and easy recipie!!!

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    3. My pleasure! Thanks for telling me. I love hearing feedback :)

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  23. I really liked the outcome of this cake. I'm not vegan, but I'm really impressed. Unfortunately there was a bit of sticking, and I think in my stove I could have cooked for a minute or two longer to help. Otherwise its amazing!

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    1. Hello Andrea, I am so glad that you enjoyed them. I love these :)

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  24. I just made these cupcakes tonight and they are actually amazing. They're so light and fluffy!
    Also, I just want to say that I love your site. I only just discovered it the other day and it's really helped me as I've only just recently changed to the vegan lifestyle. So now, instead of stumbling through Woolworths and examining every label, I have your handy list of 'accidentally vegan' foods to help me.
    And I should compliment Jerome on his photography skills and the lovely layout of the site, it's so cute and easy to navigate.

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    1. Hello Nartee,
      I am happy that you enjoyed them. These are really fluffy and delicious cupcakes :) I know... the list is so handy and it is amazing how many people contact us and add to the list. Oh I will tell him that you said that... he will appreciate it :)

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  25. I made these cupcakes, and they are really light and moist, but the only problem I had was that I couldn't get them to rise very much when they baked. I thought maybe I did something wrong, but other than that, these were really good!(-:
    thanks

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    1. Hi Ruth! I am not sure why... did you use Australian metric measurements?

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    2. I measured by cups, as shown in the recipe, so I think I probably just made a mistake.(-;

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    3. Oh, well at least they tasted yummy? :) Hehe.

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  26. These were the best! All my friends and family loved them. Thanks for the recipe :)

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    1. Thanks Sandra! I am really glad that you loved them :)

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  27. These cupcakes are fantastic, very fluffy :) So relieved I found your website!

    It is my daughter's birthday tomorrow and I am sending these cupcakes with her to daycare, I made a double batch. I used coconut sugar and it worked great :) Thanks

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    1. Hello! Thanks for your comment. I love these cupcakes... they are such a great basic and trusted recipe. I am glad that you enjoyed them :) I hope she loves them!

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  28. Im so happy to have stumbled upon your website. My daughter is turning 1 soon and with a dairy/soy free diet ive found myself searching for a super yummy first cake experience for her.
    I was wanting to make this into a 6' smash cake. Im not an impressive baker so I figured id ask, would that change baking time?

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    1. Hello! Thanks so much :) I have never tried it as a cake but tell me how it goes!

      Yes, it would probably be longer as it will be a larger mass. Just keep checking and when it looks slightly browned on top poke a skewer in the centre and make sure it is clean :)

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  29. Really is a nice simple recipe this...

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  30. Hey Madison! I made these this morning and they were awesome! I was just wondering, if you could use nuttelex instead of oil? What do you think the ratio change would be to that?
    Thanks! Shilo

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    1. Hi Shilo! Thanks for the comment. I know... they are such yummy cupcakes!! Well, I would melt it down first and maybe add 1/4 cup melted margarine? Try it and tell me how it goes! :)

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  31. Hi - I am impressed with the waves of cupcake love here! I have just been to a wonderful wedding and experienced my first vegan cupcake in 9 years of being vegan...so now I HAVE to have more! How would you suggest altering the recipe so still as fluffy and delightful but:
    1) sugar free? Would agave do the job do you think?
    2) using a different flour e.g. wholemeal? Any chance that would work?

    Thanks for the motivational style and your presence on your forum!

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    1. Hehe.. I love vegan cupcakes!

      1) We use granulated sugar here so you would need to find a healthier version of a granulated sugar so the mixture isn't too liquidy

      2) I haven't tried it with wholemeal flour. It would probably make it a little bit dense. But definitely try it out and see!

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  32. Hi MAdison, these are in oven right now! I bought the soy milky lite as you suggest (fed up of subbing in recipes that doesn't work!) but i wondered, have you ever made with a more healthy organic soy milk without all the additions that soy milky has? i wondered if the gums etc in the soy milky would have an impact. i normally use bon soy or another organic australia's own and i nearly just used that, but having had a tray full of vanilla cupcakes not work last night (not your recipe!) i wanted to be cautious!!!
    I don't really like using non-organic soy products though so would appreciate your opinion! Cheers, Jane

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    1. Hi Jane, Oh yay... I hope you love our cupcakes!! Vitasoy has a number of different soymilk products available, including some that are made from Australian-grown organic soybeans (look out for the brightly coloured packs). Vitasoy High-Fibre (the green pack) is a low fat soymilk that should work in this recipe. The taste may be a little different as it has a more authentic soybean flavour but should give you a similar result. Either way, I hope you love our cupcakes and please tell me how they go! :) Hope this helps!

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  33. Hallo!!
    I'm newly vegan and this was my first attempt at vegan baking! The recipe is lovely - although I only had brown sugar, which was great anyway :) I used a vanilla bean instead of extract which gave them a cute speckled look and super fragrant flavour. Turns out I didn't have any confectioner's sugar for the icing (I can't begin to think why) so I made some caramel with water and sugar mixed it with desiccated coconut, pinch of salt and some vegan margarine. It made a sort of textured and caramel-y topping - they didn't look that fantastic but wow they tasted good!!
    Thanks again for the recipe - It's gonna be a staple in my vegan repertoire!

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    1. Hello! Yay! I am so happy that you enjoyed them. It is such a great basic recipe to change and add things to :)

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  34. Just made these, and they were amazing! Makes me wonder why 'normal' cupcakes contain egg, milk and non-vegan margarine when you can make them so lovely without. Thanks for this recipe :)

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    1. Thank you so much. I know! I think about that too every time I eat any vegan baked deliciousness :)

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  35. Wow! these were great. I just had some right now and had to write in and thank you for this easy recipe that even I could make! I've tried other vegan cupcake/cake recipes and I've had a really tough time getting it right even after following the recipe so I am so grateful for this one!!! I cant wait to make your other recipes!

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  36. These were AMAZING. Best cupcakes ever. So fluffy and easy to make. Thank you

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    1. Thank you! I am so glad that you loved them as much as we do :)

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  37. Such a Pretty Cake.
    This is a perfect gift for someone special.
    Your Pic looks fantastic.

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  38. I really loved these, thank you for this great recipe. They are fluffly, moist, and just yummy!
    Do you have a chocolate version of this recipe? Or could I simply add cocoa powder to it to make it chocolatey?
    I am a new baker, sorry for all my silly questions : ) !

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    1. Hi Sammy,
      Yay! I am so glad that you enjoyed them. They are such an amazing basic recipe. I have added a little bit of cocoa powder and melted dark chocolate to make a chocolate version in the past. It worked well! Oh you're not silly :)

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  39. Are the measurements exact any where? Im in the US. I want to try these tonight but i dont want to mess them up. Thanks

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    1. Hi Natalie! This recipe uses the Australian metric system. So, 1 cup = 250ml, 1 tablespoon = 20ml and so on. :)

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    2. Im a little comfused now lol. It says 1 cup so its just 1 cup for me? Is there a website to convert it because im about to make them now ty

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    3. You could use this converter here:
      http://www.asknumbers.com/CookingConversion.aspx

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  40. Hi Madison
    I tried this recipe using same amount of homemade almond milk, replaced 1/2 cup white sugar with 3/8cup of raw cane sugar, added 1/2cup raisin and 1/2 cup chopped walnut. The result was amazing! Many thanks for this wonderful recipe.

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  41. can this be made as a cake? what would change?

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    1. Hi there! I haven't tried it as a cake... I would probably add some more baking powder to give it a bit more lift! Hope it works out :)

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  42. This is the first vegan recipe I have tried that actually ended up tasting and looking like real cupcakes!

    I have gotten such positive feedback every time I have made them and have shared your site with quite a few people (and now they know my secret to awesomeness).

    Thank you for sharing!

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    1. Hehehe yay! I am so glad. They truly are amazing cupcakes. Thanks for sharing the recipe :)

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  43. hi, i wanted to try these and i was wondering if i could substitute the soy milk with regular milk and the apple cider vinegar with white distilled vinegar?

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    1. Hi there! I haven't tried this recipe with regular milk due to being vegan. You could use normal vinegar yes!

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  44. Hi Madison,

    Do you use unbleached flour in the above recipe? If not can unbleached flour be substituted for the flour used in the recipe?

    Your site is cool. Great work!!!

    Thanks,
    Guru

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  45. Wow. This recipe is awesome! I admit, I had always thought of vanilla cupcakes as being kind of boring but I guess I've just never had a really good one before. I especially love that the ingredient list only contains things I usually have on hand! Perfect for the sudden vegan-cupcake-fever... Thank you for this!

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  46. These turned out perfect with gf flour!! I'm usually bad at baking, thanks for the fool proof recipe ;)

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    1. Oh that is so good to know! I am always asked if they work with GF flour!

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  47. Hiii, I made the cake yesterday and left you a post sometime back... I;m so tempted to make it again and going to make cup cakes out of the batter now :D:D:D:D ...this is the BEST eggless cake i have ever tasted !!!!

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  48. oopess..I posted under the wrong recipe..I had made the birthday sponge cake and going to make cupcakes out of the same batter !!! :D:D

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  49. Hi Madison,
    My five year old is vegan due to severe food allergies. I have tried a number of vegan cupcake recipes and this one is, by far, the most superior. Thank you for sharing it! I have a question: have you ever tried to make this recipe for a whole size cake? If so, do you have any recommendations? Thank you so much!
    Maki

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    1. Oh yay! So glad you love it! I haven't tried. Let me know if you do!

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  50. I made these using my breastmilk. Very yummy thanks!

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  51. What oil did you use ? :) thanks so much

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  52. What oil did you use? thank you :)

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  53. These were fantastic! Turned out absolutely perfect. Thank you!

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  54. These were fantastic! Absolutely perfect for my daughters 2nd birthda! Thank you :)

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  55. Beautiful,Yummy
    Thnaks for sharing recipe with us.

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  56. So, so, so ,so so, SO, very nice. I never said this for a recipe : these don't even taste the tiniest bit like they were vegan. I love them more than normal cupcakes too because I hate the egg flavour in non vegan cupcakes. By far, the best vegan cupcake recipe I have ever tried. Will definitely make them for a bake sale coming up !!

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    1. Yay! So glad that you love them :) Good luck with your bake sale!!!

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