I don’t know of anything more birthday-ish than vanilla cupcakes.
Last month, we celebrated two birthdays.
Hyrum turned 7, Mali turned 4. Since their birthdays are less than 2 weeks apart, to cut down the work load, we threw a dual birthday party.
A quote from Hyrum: “Mom, this was the best birthday ever.” I think he was right.
Guests present included a dozen of cousins, both sets of grandparents, aunts & uncles, & Joseph’s grandma (who is nearing 90 years old).
Sequence of events:
Swimming,
water balloons,
a relay race (courtesy of Joseph) that involved jumping on the trampoline, hula hooping, & popping a water balloon by sitting on it,
veggie dogs & cupcakes,
party favors,
a pinata (!),
& presents.
Moist, rich, vanilla cupcakes, perfect for a birthday celebration. No dairy, no eggs (can be made gluten-free).
Ingredients
- 3 1/3 c. white flour OR 3 1/3 all-purpose GF flour
- 1 1/2 TBS. baking powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 c. evaporated cane juice or organic sugar
- 3/4 c. non-dairy butter (I used vegan Smart Balance)
- 1/4 c. ground flaxseed
- 1/2 c. water
- 1 3/4 c. full fat non-dairy milk (soy works well in this recipe)
- 1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla
- 1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
- 3 TBS. non-dairy butter (not melted)
- 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
- 1 tsp. non-dairy milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Sift flour, baking powder, salt. Set aside.
- Whip flaxseed & water in electric mixer or by hand, until slightly stiff & thick, similar to consistency of an egg.
- In electric mixer (or by hand), cream butter & sugar. Add flax mixture, milk & vanilla.
- Add flour & mix on high for 2 minutes (or about 50 strokes).
- Line cupcake pan with cupcake papers & pour mixture into cupcake holders.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until it passes "toothpick" test.
- Remove from oven, & let cool before frosting.
- Using an electric mixer, food processor, or by hand, mix sugar, butter, vanilla, & milk until smooth.
I did not make these gluten-free or low fat, but they can be made both gluten-free & lower in fat. You can replace butter in cupcakes with applesauce, but it will give it a "healthier" flavor. Use a gluten-free all-purpose flour in place of white flour, to make gluten-free.
If you make 18, fill empty cupcake spaces halfway with water so that cupcakes will cook in a uniform fashion. If you make 18, cupcakes will have "muffin-tops." I like them this way. If you want smaller cupcakes, that have a flat top, make 24 with this recipe.
Additional Nutrition Information: Per large cupcake: 3 g protein, 1 g fiber, 41 g carbs, 200 mg sodium. Frosting adds additional 50 calories per cupcake & 3 g fat.
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