Lemon Curd Cupcakes - Vegan

 I was asked to make some cupcakes for an intimate wedding ceremony. They wanted something light and fresh, so we decided on half strawberry and half vegan lemon cupcakes. The bride and groom relayed that vegans and non vegans alike enjoyed the desserts, which is always a compliment! After a few requests on instagram I thought I'd share the recipe here.

Now, this is not a traditional lemon curd but instead a thickened, sweet and tart lemon spread, but delicious nonetheless. Everything is a breeze to whip up and the only specialty ingredient is a vegan butter. I used soy free Earth Balance.

NOTES

Vegan frosting: I don't have a recipe but instead just go by flavor. I start off with how much frosting I might need, like, "2 sticks worth of earth balance sounds about right," and then add powdered sugar until it's sweet enough. For this batch I added a bit of the vegan lemon curd for some more lemony flavor. If you need a recipe, here's one to start off with.

Making filled cupcakes: Just scoop a bit of the cupcake out in the middle and fill it with whatever you want. I use a small paring knife and cut a little wedge out. Just make sure you don't cut too wide that the frosting doesn't cover up the hole! Make sure your cupcakes and your filling are room temperature so the filling doesn't melt into the cupcake.

Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes

12 standard or 24 mini cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup organic raw cane sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 c alternative milk (I used almond)
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp vanilla
• 1 tbsp vinegar

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare baking tin by greasing or lining with paper liners.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until thoroughly combined and aerated.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, vinegar, oil, and vanilla.
4. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in wet mixture. Mix until just combined.
5. Divide batter into prepared baking cups and bake for 12-15 minutes or until a cake bounces back and a skewer comes out clean.

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Vegan Lemon Curd

Fills 12 standard or 24 mini cupcakes.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• zest of 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup water
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• pinch of salt
• 1/3 cup alternative milk (I used almond)
• 2 tbsp vegan butter (I used earth balance)

Instructions:

1. In a small saucepan whisk together lemon juice and zest, water, sugar, cornstarch, and salt.
2. Place over medium heat, stirring occasionally until thickened and translucent, about 3-5 minutes.
3. Take off stove and whisk in milk and vegan butter. Set aside and let cool.