Description
Delightfully moist and fluffy vegan raspberry cupcakes made with plant-based milk and sunflower oil, filled with a luscious raspberry compote, and topped with swirl-effect vegan raspberry Swiss meringue buttercream. These cupcakes are perfect for any occasion, offering a vibrant burst of raspberry flavor combined with a creamy, dairy-free frosting.
Ingredients
Scale
Cupcakes
- 236 ml soy milk (or other plant-based milk)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 250 g plain flour
- 170 g superfine sugar (caster sugar)
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 75 ml sunflower oil (or rapeseed oil/light olive oil)
- 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
Raspberry Filling
- 150 g fresh raspberries (or frozen raspberries)
- 30 g superfine sugar (caster sugar)
- 1 tablespoon lime juice (or lemon juice)
- 20 ml water
Frosting
- 1 batch vegan raspberry Swiss buttercream (prepared separately, see recipe instructions)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Tin: Preheat your oven to 180°C (356°F). Line a 12-hole cupcake tin with cupcake liners or 24 small bun cases to prepare for baking.
- Make Vegan Buttermilk: In a medium bowl or jug, combine the soy milk and apple cider vinegar. Stir well and let it sit for 10 minutes to curdle slightly, creating a vegan buttermilk substitute.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the plain flour, superfine sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt until evenly combined.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: Add sunflower oil and vanilla extract to the vegan buttermilk mixture, stirring to blend. Pour this wet mixture into the dry ingredients and whisk gently until just combined. Avoid over mixing to keep cupcakes tender.
- Bake Cupcakes: Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake liners. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let them cool for 10 minutes in the tin before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely (approximately 30 minutes).
- Prepare Raspberry Filling: In a saucepan, combine raspberries, superfine sugar, lime juice, and water. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, whisking occasionally to prevent sticking. Remove from heat and allow to cool at room temperature for 15-20 minutes.
- Prepare Vegan Raspberry Swiss Buttercream: Make the vegan raspberry Swiss meringue buttercream following your preferred recipe. For swirl effects, mix raspberry powder into half of the buttercream, leaving the other half plain vanilla.
- Core Cupcakes: Using a cupcake corer or apple corer, hollow out the centers of the cooled cupcakes, setting aside the removed pieces for later use.
- Fill Cupcakes: Spoon the raspberry filling into the hollowed centers of each cupcake. Replace the removed cupcake pieces to cover the filling.
- Pipe Frosting: Fill a piping bag fitted with an open star nozzle alternately with vanilla and raspberry buttercream to create a swirl effect. Pipe the frosting generously on top of each cupcake.
- Storage: Serve cupcakes at room temperature. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Remove from fridge 2-3 hours before serving to soften the vegan buttercream.
Notes
- Use fresh or frozen raspberries for the filling; thaw frozen raspberries before cooking.
- For best results, ensure not to over-mix the batter, which helps maintain cupcake fluffiness.
- Allow cupcakes to cool completely before coring and filling to prevent the filling from melting the cupcake.
- The vegan raspberry Swiss meringue buttercream requires aquafaba (chickpea brine) to mimic egg whites; prepare ahead of time if needed.
- To achieve the swirl effect, fill the piping bag carefully with alternating colors without mixing.
- Room temperature serving is recommended to enjoy the buttercream’s smooth texture.
- These cupcakes are suitable for vegans and dairy-free diets.
