Ask a Vegan Baker

Hi Jenny,

Welcome to Veganbaking.net! I've been doing lots of experimenting and research on cupcakes also lately and I feel your pain. I had pretty good results with the VCTOTW cupcakes in the fluffy department but I found them to be on the bland side. Not having an interest in cupcakes that are a vehicle for frosting, I carried on and did everything I possibly could to make a quick bread version (mix the wets and the drys in separate bowls then combine at the end) of a cupcake that had the flavor I wanted and I just couldn't get it to be anything but a little bland. I had major leavening issues as soon as I increased the sugar past a certain point. I then did tests on the vanilla cupcakes from VCTOTW and had the same issue with the sugar. That's why they're not sweet enough. This cupcake is similar to the VCTOTW vanilla cupcake. It's good when you want something airy, fluffy and easy to make where flavor isn't the first priority.

Vanilla Cupcakes - Quick Bread Method

I then did more research and came up with another cupcake recipe based on the cream method (beat margarine and sugar, add egg replacer then mix in flour and water in alternating amounts) and had the sweetness and flavor I wanted. This is because the leavening is more aggressive due to the air bubbles being trapped in the batter and more sugar can be added. There's also the benefit of the margarine contributing a more complex flavor. The cream method vanilla cupcakes had a teensy bit less rise than the quick bread vanilla cupcakes but in my opinion it's worth it. The cream method vanilla cupcakes is now my go-to recipe for vanilla cupcakes. I'm working on making more flavor variations out of them that I'll post on Veganbaking.net later.

Vanilla Cupcakes - Cream Method

Let me know when you find your preferred cupcake recipe and good luck!