These light & fluffy Eggless Cupcakes with a vanilla buttercream frosting are super tasty & made with store cupboard ingredients! Dairy free and gluten free options too.
I wish I could take credit for this recipe, however, this all falls to my wonderful Mother in Law.
She is a fabulous baker and when my daughter was diagnosed with an egg allergy she set to work to create a cupcake recipe without eggs.
After lots of trial and error and countless testing over the years, she perfected the recipe and these eggless cupcakes were born.
The sponge is moist & fluffy and I have topped the cakes with a sweet & buttery vanilla buttercream frosting. You will also find different frosting ideas further down in the blog post.
If this has made you get your “bake on” you may want to try my Vegan Oreo Brownies or Gluten & Dairy Free Banana Bread too.
Jump to:
- ❤️ Why You Will Love This Recipe
- 🥘 Ingredients Needed
- 🥛 To Make This Recipe Dairy Free
- 🍞 To Make This Recipe Gluten Free
- ✏️ How to Make Eggless Cupcakes
- 💡 Tips & Tricks
- ⚡ Different Frosting Ideas
- ⚡ Make this recipe into an eggless Victoria sponge cake!
- 🔪 Equipment Used
- 🥡 How To Store
- 💬 Recipe FAQs
- 📖 More Egg Free Recipes
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
❤️ Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Egg Free: This cupcake recipe is made without eggs, making them an ideal alternative if you are following an egg-free diet.
- Store Cupboard Ingredients: You can make these eggless cupcakes with simple ingredients that you will have in the cupboard at home.
- Dairy Free & Gluten Free Options: Making them suitable for a range of dietary requirements. They are also nut free and soy free too! (if using a soya free butter and milk)
- Perfect Sweet Treat: They are a perfect option for birthday parties, an afternoon tea or to eat with a nice cup of tea!
🥘 Ingredients Needed
These cupcakes only need 9 ingredients (for the actual cakes) and they can be easily adapted depending on which allergens you need to avoid. See below for options.
✋ Be sure to double check all packaging for allergens. ✋
For the cupcakes:
- Flour - Plain flour can be used as long as you add the baking powder, but due to there being no egg in the recipe, I find self-raising flour gives the cakes a better rise.
- Baking Powder - Used to help give the cakes their rise.
- Bicarbonate of Soda - Is used as a leaving agent. This reacts with the vinegar to help form bubbles and is used instead of the egg.
- Vanilla Extract - Always try and use vanilla extract and not essence, as it tastes so much better!
- Caster Sugar - White caster sugar is best, I wouldn’t recommend using brown sugar.
- White Wine Vinegar or Cider Vinegar - Mixed with the bicarbonate of soda, this replaces the egg's function in the cake.
- Milk - Whole (full fat) milk will make the creamiest batter.
- Vegetable or Sunflower Oil - Or any other neutral tasting oil can be used.
- Salt- This enhances the flavour of all the other ingredients.
For the vanilla buttercream frosting:
- Icing Sugar
- Butter - This will need to be at room temperature to make it easier to beat the butter with the icing sugar.
- Vanilla Extract
Scroll to the recipe card at the end of the post for quantities.
🥛 To Make This Recipe Dairy Free
- Replace the milk in the cake batter for a dairy free milk. I would recommend either a soy or oat milk as these are both quite neutral tasting. Replace the butter in the buttercream frosting with a dairy free spread.
I like Flora Plant Butter. Be aware that some dairy free spreads do contain soya.
🍞 To Make This Recipe Gluten Free
- Swap the flour for a gluten free self raising flour blend. I love using Doves Farm Freee Self Raising Flour. I wouldn’t recommend using a single flour blend like almond flour, as this can affect the texture of the cupcakes.
✏️ How to Make Eggless Cupcakes
⬇️ Here you will find an overview of how to make the recipe. For full information on ingredients and quantities please see the recipe card at the bottom of the page ⬇️
Step 1- Combine the dry ingredients: In a mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda (bicarbonate of soda), baking powder, and salt. Mix together well until evenly combined.
Step 2 - Mix the wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, combine the milk, vegetable oil, white wine vinegar and vanilla extract. Stir until well combined.
Step 3 - Combine the mixtures: Make a well with a silicone spatula in the centre of the bowl that contains the dry ingredients. Slowly pour the wet ingredient mixture into the well in the middle, folding the mixture in with a spatula as you go until combined.
Do not over mix the batter as this releases the gluten which stops the cakes from being light and fluffy.
Step 4 - Fill the cases: Spoon the vanilla cupcake batter into the cupcake cases, being careful not to over-fill them.
For a general rule, fill each case about half way to two thirds up.
Step 5 - Bake the cupcakes: Place the cupcake pan in the preheated oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick or metal skewer inserted into the centre of a cupcake comes out clean.
Step 6 - Leave to cool: Once baked, remove the cupcakes from the oven and allow them to cool in the pan for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 7 - Make the vanilla buttercream frosting: Beat the butter with a silicone spatula until it’s smooth. Then add in the icing sugar. Add this gradually, otherwise, it ends up all over the kitchen!! Keep mixing until the butter and icing sugar are combined.
Finally, add the vanilla extract and food colouring (if you are using it) and give it one final stir.
Step 8 - Pipe the buttercream onto the cupcakes: Spoon the mixture into a piping bag, then pipe whichever pattern takes your fancy onto your cupcakes!
💡 Tips & Tricks
- Make sure the cakes are placed in a pre-heated hot oven. This ensures they cook correctly & evenly. Every oven is different and you may need to keep checking the cakes through the oven door to see how they are looking.
- Don’t skip the sifting step! The flour needs to be sifted to break up any lumps there may be in the flour.
- Pop a metal skewer or toothpick through the middle of a cupcake to see if it is cooked. If it comes out clear and there is no mixture stuck to the skewer, they are done!
- Allow the cakes to cool fully before piping on the frosting, otherwise, the frosting will melt.
⚡ Different Frosting Ideas
If you are short on time or prefer not to make your own frosting check out these alternative frosting toppings >>
Cream Cheese Frosting - contains dairy
⚡ Make this recipe into an eggless Victoria sponge cake!
Pour the cake batter into two 8” cake tins and bake for 22-25 minutes in a pre-heated oven at 170˚ Fan / 190˚ C / 375˚F. Check the middle of the cake with a metal skewer after 22 minutes. If it comes out clean, the cake is cooked.
Turn the cakes onto a cooling rack, then once the cakes are cool, spread some jam over the flat side of the two cakes, followed by half of the buttercream. Sandwich the two cakes together. Either dust the top of the cake with icing sugar or top with more frosting.
🔪 Equipment Used
A sieve is a kitchen staple.
Silicone spatulas are a must have in the kitchen and can be used for a variety of things.
Since originally creating this post back in 2020, I now use these brilliant silicone muffin trays, they are fab! They hold the cupcakes in their cases really well.
I love these Rainbow Cupcake cases, they are so pretty!
I use this piping bag from Amazon which is really reasonable and works really well.
Leaving your cakes to cool on a cooling rack will help them cool quicker and prevent that soggy bottom!
🥡 How To Store
These eggless vanilla cupcakes can be stored frosted in an airtight container for up to 2 days. If the weather is really hot, you may want to store them in the fridge to stop the buttercream from melting, however, this will dry them up more quickly so is not ideal.
If you do store them in the fridge, they will keep here for up to 5 days.
The cupcakes can be frozen (unfrosted) for up to a month. Wrap the cakes in clingfilm or place them in a freezer-safe container. To defrost, remove from freezer and allow to defrost at room temperature and then pipe on your frosting.
💬 Recipe FAQs
I would only recommend baking the cupcakes 2 days in advance and then preferably frosting them on the day you wish to eat them. If you want to make them ahead of time any longer than 2 days, I would recommend freezing them unfrosted and then frosting them once they have fully defrosted.
In short, yes! The fridge sucks all the moisture out of the cakes and will cause them to dry out really quickly. Buttercream frosted cupcakes will keep at room temperature in an airtight container for a couple of days. If the weather is hot you can place them in the fridge, but be sure to let the cake return to room temperature before eating.
📖 More Egg Free Recipes
Check out these other egg free sweet treats..
If you loved this recipe, please leave me a 5🌟 rating or comment below. I really do appreciate it. 😊
📖 Recipe
Eggless Cupcakes
Equipment
- Cooling Rack optional
- Silicone muffin tray optional
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 225 grams ( 8 oz) Self Raising Flour For gluten free use a gluten free flour.
- ¾ teaspoon Baking Powder
- ½ teaspoon Bicarbonate of Soda
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 195 grams ( 7 oz) Caster Sugar
- 1 tablespoon White Wine Vinegar or Cider Vinegar
- 250 ml ( 8.5 fl oz) Milk For dairy free used a plant based milk
- 85 ml ( 2.8 fl oz) Vegetable or Sunflower Oil
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Buttercream Icing
- 500 grams ( 17.5 oz) Icing Sugar
- 250 grams ( 9 oz) Butter for dairy free use a dairy free spread.
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Instructions
For The Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 180˚ Fan / 200˚C / gas mark 4
- Sieve all the dry ingredients together into a bowl.
- Mix all wet ingredients together in a separate bowl.
- Create a well in the dry ingredients bowl.
- Slowly pour in wet ingredients and fold in with a spatula. Don't over mix.
- Spoon the mixture into cupcake cases. Fill to around half full
- Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, checking after 15 minutes. Poke a metal skewer or toothpcik into one of the cakes, if it comes out clear they are ready.
- Leave to cool on a baking rack.
For the Buttercream Icing
- Beat the butter in a bowl until soft.
- Slowly add the icing sugar and mix until fully combined.
- Add the vanilla extract and mix again.
Decorating
- Once the cupcakes are completely cool, fill your piping bag with the buttercream icing and pipe swirls on top of the cupcakes.
Notes
- Make sure the cakes are placed in a pre-heated hot oven. This ensures they cook correctly & evenly. Every oven is different and you may need to keep checking the cakes through the oven door to see how they are looking.
- Don’t skip the sifting step! The flour needs to be sifted to break up any lumps there may be in the flour.
- Pop a metal skewer or toothpick through the middle of a cupcake to see if it is cooked. If it comes out clear and there is no mixture stuck to the skewer, they are done!
- Allow the cakes to cool fully before piping on the frosting, otherwise, the frosting will melt.
- Replace the milk in the cake batter for a dairy free milk. I would recommend either a soy or oat milk as these are both quite neutral tasting. Replace the butter in the buttercream frosting with a dairy free spread. I like Flora Plant Butter.
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