Anna Olson’s frosted vanilla cupcakes

Fluffy, sweet and moist,
these cupcakes are a hit at
birthday parties. Added
sprinkles or coloured sugars
can tailor these cupcakes to
suit any party theme. Anna notes
that while many cake and cupcake
recipes call for a fair bit of
sugar, this recipe requires more
than the average, adding more
than just sweetness. Because
there are no eggs, the sugar also
adds moisture and tenderness.
With less sugar, the cupcakes
would be dry and crumbly.

Reprinted with permission from Back to Baking,
by Anna Olson (Whitecap)

Ingredients:

Cupcakes:
2 1/4 cups (560 ml) all-purpose flour

1 3/4 cups (435 ml) sugar

2 tsp (10 ml) baking powder

1/2 tsp (2 ml) baking soda

1/4 tsp (1 ml) salt

1 1/2 cups (375 ml) almond or soy milk

1/2 cup (125 ml) vegetable oil

1 tbsp (15 ml) lemon juice

2 tsp (10 ml) vanilla extract

Frosting:
1 cup (250 ml) dairy-free margarine

7 cups (1.75 L) icing sugar, sifted

1/2 cup (125 ml) almond or soy milk

2 tsp. (10 ml) vanilla

Directions:

1.
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two
muffin tins with paper liners.

2.
Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder,
baking soda and salt into a large bowl.
In a separate bowl, whisk the almond
or soy milk with the oil, lemon juice,
and vanilla. Make a well in the centre of
the flour and pour in the liquids. Whisk
vigorously until well blended (the batter
will be quite liquid). Pour the batter into
the paper-lined muffin tins, filling the
cups two-thirds of the way full.

3.
Bake the cupcakes for about 25
minutes, until a tester inserted in the
centre of one comes out clean. Let the
cupcakes cool in the tin, then remove
them before frosting.

4.
To make the frosting, beat the margarine
with half of the icing sugar,
until blended, then beat in the almond
or soy milk and the vanilla. Add the
remaining icing sugar and beat until
the frosting is smooth and fluffy, about
three minutes. Pipe or spread the
frosting onto the cupcakes and store at
room temperature. The cupcakes will
keep in an airtight container for up to
two days.

Makes two dozen cupcakes.

Per cupcake (made with plain soy milk):

351 calories, 12.3 g fat (1.8 g saturated fat,
6.6 g monounsaturated fat, 3.8 g
polyunsaturated fat), 0 mg cholesterol,
60 g carbohydrate, 1.7 g protein, 0.3 g fibre

Originally published in ParentsCanada magazine, April 2013.