Eggless Vanilla Cupcakes: Eureka! Eureka! I'm very happy to let you all know that I have found something that I have been looking for the past 3 years. I really cannot contain my excitement!
I guess you all are wondering what I'm talking about. If you were like me you too will join me to celebrate the discovery of an amazing recipe for eggless vanilla cupcakes.
You guys cannot believe how many recipes I have tried so far to find the perfect eggless white/vanilla cake. Now I can confidently tell you that my search has ended. This is it!
Many many thanks to Colleen Patrick - Goudreau for creating this awesome vanilla cupcake recipe. I found this in her Joy of Vegan Baking cookbook.
I had bookmarked this nearly 2 years back but got a chance to try it only this week.
I wish I had tried it earlier which would have saved me a lot of time and ingredients. I'm glad that I baked it at least now.
As the original recipe is vegan, I substituted dairy butter for the vegan butter and 2% milk for the non-dairy milk. Other than that I followed the original recipe. I cannot wait to try the vegan version too.
The version I tried with butter gave the cupcakes a very good buttery flavor. Other than the few minor changes I have suggested in the My Notes section, I wouldn't change anything else about the recipe. This is a keeper.
Do try it and I'm sure you are going to get a ton of compliments. For the frosting I followed the vegan buttercream icing recipe but used all butter instead of shortening.
How to make eggless vanilla cupcakes?
1. Preheat the oven at 375F/190C for 15 minutes. Grease the muffin tins lightly or line it with paper liners. I brushed the inside of the liners with melted butter which gave a nice color on the sides of the cupcakes.
2. Whip the egg replacer powder and 3 tablespoons of water, preferably in a blender for better results. Or just do it hand. The mixture should be frothy.
3. Add the milk and ¼ cup of water to the egg replacer mixture and stir it well.
4. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set it aside.
5. In another large bowl, put the melted butter.
6. In another bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. This may take up to 2-3 minutes.
7. Add the vanilla extract and remaining ¼ cup of water, and beat well.
8. Add the flour mixture and the egg replacer/milk mixture in parts alternating. (See My Notes). Beat until combined.
10. Fill in the muffin cups ¾th full and bake for about 20-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Mine was done around 24 minutes (See My Notes).
11. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Then apply frosting as needed.
If you tried this Vanilla Cupcakes recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
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Recipe
Vanilla Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons Ener-G egg replacer powder
- 3 tablespoons lukewarm water
- 1 and ¾ cups Milk (I used 2%)
- ½ cup Water, divided
- ½ cup Butter, melted
- 1 and ¼ cups Sugar (See Notes)
- 1 and ½ teaspoons Vanilla Extract (See My Notes)
- 2 and ½ cups All Purpose Flour
- 2 and ½ teaspoons Baking Powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven at 375F/190C for 15 minutes. Grease the muffin tins lightly or line it with paper liners. I brushed the inside of the liners with melted butter which gave a nice color on the sides of the cupcakes
- Whip the egg replacer powder and 3 tablespoons of water, preferably in a blender for better results. Or just do it hand. The mixture should be frothy.
- Add the milk and ¼ cup of water to the egg replacer mixture and stir it well.
- In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set it aside.
- In another bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. This may take upto 2-3 minutes.
- Add the vanilla extract and remaining ¼ cup of water, and beat well.
- Add the flour mixture and the egg replacer/milk mixture in parts alternating. (See My Notes)
- Beat until combined.
- Fill in the muffin cups ¾th full and bake for about 20-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Mine was done around 24 minutes (See My Notes).
- Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool.
My Notes
- The original recipe called for 1 and ½ cups of sugar and that's what I used too and we felt that the cupcakes were very sweet. So I would definitely recommend to scale it down to 1 and ¼ cups, especially if you are going to frost it.
- I would increase the quantity of vanilla extract to 2 teaspoons.
- The original recipe mentioned to "just" mix together the flour and the egg replacer mixture with the creamed butter and sugar. I did the same (even though I was thinking at the back of my mind that I should not) and the batter had a lot of small lumps. Had I done that in parts alternating between the flour and milk mixture I could have avoided the lumps and would have got a smooth batter. I was hesitant to beat the mixture further to dissolve the lumps fearing it would toughen the cupcake. I expected the lumps to dissolve while baking but it did show up in the cupcakes but fortunately, it did not mess up with the taste or texture.
- The toothpick came out clean at the 24th minute but I left the cupcakes in the oven for another minute or so, which I think slightly hardened the tops. But it softened after a couple of hours. Anyhow the next time I try these I will check for doneness around the 22nd minute itself.
- I'm also thinking of using cake flour instead of all-purpose flour when I try it the next time. I think it will give even softer cupcakes.
- The serving size mentioned in the original recipe was 10-12 cupcakes but I got about 15.
Karen says
Hi Madhuram,
Thank you, thank you, thank you!! This recipe is just brilliant. My little 2 yr old is allergic to eggs but now I can bake wonderful treats for him.
Thanks again,
Karen (from Sydney, Australia)
Madhuram says
You're welcome Karen.
Darcy says
I tried this today for a friends 21st birthday. As per your suggestion, I swapped egg replacer for an extra 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder, I also used self-raising flour and reduced the amount of baking powder initially used to a 1/4 teaspoon. I made a victoria sandwich of it, with vegan buttercream icing in the middle. It looks amazing, but is a little dense. I thank you for the recipe though, it's so hard finding a decent one, this is the best so far! So, thanks!
I rated four stars because it's a tad dense, but I think that can be rectified with more baking powder.
Madhuram says
Thanks Darcy. This particular recipe has to be followed exactly to get the desired result. I think without the EnerG one can't get the best cake. Thanks for taking the risk of trying another variation.
Cheryl says
Hi - I'm looking forward to trying this recipe today! I have an egg-allergic child, so I was also just happy to find your site. I already have a great chocolate cupcake recipe, but never found a good vanilla one. I am always stocked up on Ener-G, so I'm ready to roll. I'll rate the recipe as soon as I try it!
Madhuram says
Sure Cheryl. Do drop in a line after trying it.
Cheryl says
We liked them. Overall, very tasty.
Madhuram says
Could you rate the recipe Cheryl?
Nita says
Thank you for this receipe, my family really enjoyed the cupcakes they were awesome 🙂
Madhuram says
You're welcome Nita.
Gudrun says
Hi! I'm rather new to vegan baking, and am having some beginners trouble! I just tried out your exciting recipe and have tried two other cupcake recipes with egg-replacement powder in them, and I just can't seem to get it right. They always end up unbaked on the inside, and hard on the outside. Could you give me a tip as to what I could possibly be doing wrong? Thank you!
Madhuram says
Gudrun, always use lukewarm water to blend the egg replacer powder. Also blend it in a mixer, simply whisking it with a fork does not give desired results. I use a very small blender jar (from my precious Magic Bullet) for this purpose and it works like a charm each and every time. The water and powder mixture froths ups just like eggs.
Gudrun says
Thank you much, I'll try that! 🙂
Kate says
I just made it using vanilla soya milk, melted margarine and spoon of mashed banana and additional 1\4 of baking powder instead of milk replacer and.... It didn't raise at all 🙁 I made it as a flat baking tray as looking for a recipe for a birthday cake. What did I do wrong???
Madhuram says
Soy milk makes the cake very sticky (or yucky). I have tried it a couple of times and haven't been successful at all. So I only use rice milk or almond milk these days. As for this recipe, you have to follow it exactly to get the desired result. I tried a few variatios myself and was not satisfied at all.
Mansi says
Hi i want to try it now want to impress my husband, i just want to know what if i don't use paper liners? Can i just grease the cupcake pan?
Madhuram says
Sure Mansi. You have to grease it well or the muffins might stick to the pan.
Anu says
Hi Madhu want to try this recipe tomorrow can u please let me know where I can get egg replacement powder here in us?
Madhuram says
http://www.ener-g.com/where
Meenakshi says
Hello Madhu
I had a midnight craving (literally at 12) for cupcakes and this was my recipe! Added some chocolate chips too..although I added only 1 cup of the milk mentioned it was still awesome!:) cheers..
Madhuram says
Thanks for trying it Meenakshi. Adding chocolate chips is a neat idea. Could you rate the recipe?
Jennifer says
I made this yesterday as the eggless part of a large cake as one of the boys is allergic.I halved the recipe and used a 7 inch pan. it came out perfect, I think I actually prefer the taste of this to my usual vanilla sponge cake! Thanks for sharing!
Gurbinder says
how much is one cup eqiuvelent to in grams??
Madhuram says
Check this page: http://www.egglesscooking.com/baking-101/baking-measurements/
Gurbinder says
Thank you. 🙂
Cynthia says
Can I use this in a cake pan instead of doing cupcakes?
Madhuram says
Yes you should be fine using two 8 or 9 inch pans. Try it and let us know how it comes out.
Sree says
Can the Ener-G be avoided to still get good and fluffy cakes?
Madhuram says
Try increasing the quantity of baking powder by another 1/4 teaspoon and use cake flour instead of all purpose flour.
Radhika says
I tried them out just now!! I just wish they were a li'l softer and fluffier, like condensed milk cakes. Mine probably wasn't 5 stars because I can't find ener-G in India :'(
Madhuram says
Radhika, did you increase the quantity of baking powder by another 1/4 teaspoon like I had mentioned in one of the previous comments? Somebody else had tried it and said that it came out good.
Nikita Vasa says
Hi Madhuram, thanks for this recipe 🙂 I'm a beginner in baking and don't know the abc of icing. Can you give me the icing recipe , preferably with butter? I live in India so would not have access to the egg replacer for the icing. So kindly advice accordingly. Thanks a bunch!
Madhuram says
Nikita, I haven't used EnerG in the icing but in the cupcake recipe. So try adding another 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder to replace EnerG. Also follow the link for the Vegan buttercream icing and use butter instead of the shortening I have used. The only problem using only butter is that it does not hold its shape like shortening. It starts to melt even with little humidity. So you can't make much of a design, maybe just spread it on the cupcakes.
Also you can check this buttercream frosting recipe: http://joyofbaking.com/VanillaCupcakes.html
Madhulika Dev says
Hello Madhuram,
You are doing absolutely fantastic job. Keep up the good work. Your website is a great resource for eggless baking .
I wanted to try your eggless vanilla cupcakes,but i have bob's red mill brand's egg replacer , i couldn't find ener g brand in my grocery store. Will that work for this recipe and many other recipe that calls for an egg replacer?
I am passionate about baking cakes and i have a lot of friends who ask for eggless cakes so far i have been making eggless pineapple cake for them but now i want to bring some vairety in my cakes and i really want that light and airy texture in my eggless cakes that professional bakery's have.
Thanks in advance
Madhulika
Madhuram says
Thank you very much for your compliments Madhulika. Even though I haven't used Bob's Mill egg replacer, I'm pretty sure that it should work alright in the recipes using Ener-G. Hope you can try it and share your experience here.
Madhulika Dev says
I will definitely post my experiences,and let you know how the cake turned out.
Madhulika Dev says
Hello Madhu,
I tried this recipe twice but both the time i wasn't successful.
1st time i went wrong and i forgot to add the required amount of water, i added only half and forgot to add the other half. But i got the perfect texture shown in the picture light and airy, however the cake was under baked, so i thought of giving the recipe another shot. This time i was very careful and i baked it till the top of my cake got a nice color and it bounced back, this time i added the prescribed amount of water also. But unfortunately this time i didn't get the light and airy texture in fact my cake was too dense . I don't know where i went wrong.
Anyways I have seen your blueberry pound cake recipe which is next in line for me, may be that's the magic recipe for me. I read your views very carefully, I am also hunting a very very good eggless cake recipe .Recently i have bought Kris Holechek book "have your cake and Vegan too". Have you heard about this book?
Madhuram says
I don't know what went wrong Madhulika. Maybe I should try the exact same recipe again and will let you know how it comes. I have'nt heard about that book.
star says
Thanks a lot for the info madhu.
Will try it with either with paneriso egg replacer or flax seed meal.
Will come back to u with the feedback soon.
Thanks once again.
star says
Dear Madhuram,
AM a silent follower of ur blog for a very long time.
To be frank,afer seeing ur blog only,i got inspired in baking and nowdays am doing a lot of baking too.
I have joined wilton course 1 too
Am going to complete it by this weekend.Am planning to make ur vanilla cupcake recipe in a round cake pan.But i was not able to find Ener-g replacer in canada in my nearby shops.What else can i use a substitute for Ener-g replacer?
Can u plz help me in this?Sorry for the trouble.
As well as am planning to buy a hand mixer,will u able to suggest me a nice brand.So many brands are there in the market.Am confused about which one to buy.Thanks in advance.
Madhuram says
Hi Star, I'm glad to know that I have inspired you to bake. I too live in Canada and found a Egg Replacer powder in Bulk Barn. It's not Ener-G though, but PaneRiso. I have got that one but yet to try it. Also if you have a Highland Farms nearby, they have Bob's Red Mill brand of Egg Replacer in the organic products aisle.
If you are not able to locate either, then try increasing the quantity of baking powder by another 1/4 teaspoon (one of the visitor did it and she said that it worked) or try substituting flax seed meal (another visitor did this). See the comment by Minu.
Archana Bajoriya says
Highly recommended....:) tried this recipe and it turned out superb....Thank you very much for the wonderful recipe...btwn i have been following your recipes since a year...and almost all of them came out good..:)....wonderful blog and tips are so helpful...
Madhuram says
Thanks Archana.
Minu says
Hello Madhu... thanks for great cupcakes/cake recipe. I wasn't able to get the egg replacer on a short notice, so used flax seed meal instead. It was delicious. I love baking your recipes and my family enjoys eating it (it's hard job, but someone has to do it, right!!). Our favorite is the Vegan Cranberry Nut Quick Bread using Flax Seed Meal. I must make it at least once a month. Thanks again... I appreciate your dedication.
Great job.
Madhuram says
Thanks for trying the recipe, Minu. Its great to know that flax seed meal works too. But I guess the the cupcakes had brownish flecks in it. Could you please rate the recipes so that it will benefit others who want to bake it.
Minu says
Yes, there was brownish tint to the cupcakes, but so worth it (if you can't find the egg replacer - also the egg replacer can be little pricy, so this perfect substitue). I added 2 tablespoon ground flaxseed plus 6 tablespoons warm water. Since I used skim milk, I used 2 cups and not the 1/4 water as called for, also used cake flour. It turned out really great. My boys enjoyed it very much. This goes on my top 10 cake recipe list. I will look further for the egg replacer at my local stores and try this recipe again.
Madhuram says
Thanks Minu. Yes, EnerG is also not easily available in many places. So knowing that flax seed works is great news.