Red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting
A tender, fluffy red velvet cupcake topped with a deliciously smooth dairy free cream cheese frosting.
Equipment
- 1 electric whisk or stand mixer
Ingredients
Red velvet cupcakes
- 220 grams plain flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 90 grams vegan butter
- 260 grams caster sugar
- 125 ml soya milk
- 2 tbsp ground flaxseed
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp vegan red food colouring
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp baking soda
Cream cheese frosting
- 110 grams vegan shortening*see notes
- 165 grams vegan butter
- 4 tbsp dairy free cream cheese*see notes
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp cornflour
- 375 grams icing sugar
Toppings
- 100 grams fresh raspberries
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 1 red velvet cupcake
Instructions
Red velvet cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 180•c and line a 12 cup cake tin with liners.
- Using a stand mixer or electric whisk, cream butter and sugar together until smooth and pale in colour. Add in the soya milk and mix briefly to incorporate.
- Sift the flour and salt into a medium size bowl and add to the creamed butter and sugar in three batches, mixing briefly after each addition.
- In a small bowl, mix ground flaxseed with water to form a gel or flax 'egg'. Add vanilla extract, food colouring and cocoa powder to the flax egg and mix well with a fork until incorporated. Add this to the cake batter and process briefly to combine.
- In a small cup, mix apple cider vinegar with baking soda. Allow it to bubble up, then add the cake batter and process until fully incorporated.
- Pour batter into liners until each is 3/4 full and bake for 15-18 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool for 5 minutes in the tin before placing cakes on a wire rack to cool fully.
Dairy free cream cheese frosting
- Add shortening and butter to a bowl and beat until smooth and creamy using a stand mixer or electric whisk.
- Add in cream cheese and vanilla extract and mix again briefly to combine. Sift in the cornflour and icing sugar in two batches and mix until light and fluffy. It should be thick enough to fill a piping bag at this point, but if not, set aside to chill in the fridge for half an hour.
Toppings
- Using a food processor or a knife, process a cupcake into fine crumbs.
- Spoon or pipe frosting on top of each cooled cake, then top with red velvet crumbs, raspberries and rosemary sprigs.
Notes
These cupcakes keep well in the fridge for up to 4 days, just bring to room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
I use 'Trex' for my vegan shortening, but there are plenty of other accidentally vegan dairy free brands of shortening, just check the ingredients list.
I use Asda's own brand of vegan cream cheese, it's a personal favourite for both flavour and price!