Veganism is a type of Vegetarian diet that excludes meat, eggs, dairy products and other animal derived ingredients. Two of my family members are Vegan. One is actually allergic to dairy products and one through choice.

This has given me the opportunity to find recipe alternatives to suite their diets. Recently, I found that 1/4 cup of Club Soda can be a substitute for 1 egg in a recipe. Or, 1/4 cup fruit puree (such as applesauce, mashed banana or even avocado) per egg can be used.

I must admit I too was skeptical when I first found these dairy-free ingredient suggestions for a Vegan wedding cake and cupcakes. To my surprise, I could not tell and either could anyone else. The cake and cupcakes were moist and delicious. I even used them in my Easter Peep cupcakes (pictured above) since I wanted to make sure everyone in the family could have their cupcake and eat it too!

Vanilla Bean Cupcakes (Vegan)

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup club soda (this is replacing 2 egg whites)

1/2 cup non-dairy milk such Silk Soymilk as Open Nature Vanilla Almond Milk

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Seeds scraped from 1/2 vanilla bean or 1 tsp vanilla paste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with 12 cupcake liners. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
3. In another large bowl, add the oil and sugar. Whisk together until combined (it’ll be a grainy texture). Add in the club soda and mix well. Next, add the almond milk and vanilla and combine thoroughly. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the batter and mix.
4. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet batter until there a no lumps and it is smooth.
5. Divide the batter among the 12 cupcake liners, filling each about 3/4 full. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool before frosting.

Dairy-Free Vanilla Frosting

Ingredients:

1/3 cup vegetable shortening such as Crisco

1/8 tsp salt

2 cups powdered sugar

2 to 3 TBSP soy or almond milk

1/4 tsp vanilla extract (you can even add some of the vanilla bean seeds)

Directions:

1. In a medium mixing bowl, cream together the shortening and salt with an electric mixer.
2. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract and almond milk. Whip on high until frosting is smooth and creamy.
3. If the frosting is too stiff, gradually add more milk sparingly 1 tsp at a time.
4. Once the frosting is the desired consistency, put it in a piping bag with decorative tip to frost the dairy-free cupcakes. Pipe onto the cupcakes in a circular motion. Decorate as you wish using sprinkles or spray coloring before the frosting hardens.

Note: You can also add food coloring into the frosting as desired.

Enjoy! XOXO Jill