Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups (310g) all-purpose plain flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- Pinch of salt (optional)
Wet Ingredients
- 3 cups (360g) ripe strawberries, fresh or frozen then defrosted (weighed after stems removed)
- ⅓ cup (85g) dairy-free milk
- ⅓ cup (85g) neutral flavored oil
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or lemon juice (optional)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
- Few drops of pink or red food coloring or 3 teaspoons beetroot powder
To Decorate
- 1 quantity Vegan Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting, OR 1 quantity Vegan Strawberry Frosting
- Fresh strawberries
- Freeze-dried strawberries or raspberries
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F) and line 1-2 cupcake trays with liners to prepare for baking.
- Puree Strawberries: Add the strawberries to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Set this aside for use in the batter.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients including flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and beetroot powder if using. Mix until well combined with no big lumps.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: Add the strawberry puree along with dairy-free milk, oil, apple cider vinegar or lemon juice, vanilla extract, and food coloring to the dry ingredients. Fold the mixture gently until just combined. Do not overmix; some small lumps are acceptable but avoid lumps of flour.
- Fill Cupcake Liners: Using an ice cream scoop or large spoon, divide the batter evenly into the cupcake liners, filling each about two-thirds full. This should yield 12-16 cupcakes depending on size.
- Bake: Place trays in the oven and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
- Cool: Allow cupcakes to cool in the trays for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. The cupcakes may brown underneath and can be moist right out of the oven but will firm up as they cool.
- Decorate: Once completely cool, frost the cupcakes using vegan strawberry cream cheese or strawberry frosting. Decorate with fresh and freeze-dried strawberries or raspberries as desired.
- Store: Store frosted cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days, refrigerated up to 5 days, or frozen for up to 1 month.
Notes
- Using beetroot powder adds natural color if you prefer to avoid food coloring.
- Overmixing batter can lead to dense cupcakes; fold gently to retain light texture.
- High strawberry content makes the batter moisture-rich and cupcakes slightly sticky when warm.
- These cupcakes can be customized with your preferred vegan frosting recipes.
- Ensure cupcakes are fully cooled before frosting to prevent melting.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Vegan, American
- Diet: Vegan
