Lemon Cupcakes with Raspberry-Lemon Buttercream (vegan/plant-based)

Yield: 12 cupcakes or 36 mini-cupcakes

These confections have a beautiful balance between subtlety and vibrancy, both in the cakes and the frosting.

The vegetable shortening added to the buttercream helps it remain stable for beautiful piping that holds its shape even if you have to travel with them for 30 minutes by car as I did.

I was asked to make 8 dozen minis for a celebration of life today, which happened to fall on the deceased’s birthday. His favorite cake was lemon with raspberry frosting, so I was honored to memorialize his birth.

His wife, my husband–who, incidentally, absolutely loved these–and another foodie friend thought they should be left undecorated. But you can add sprinkles, as I did for the photo above, whole raspberries, tiny lemon wedges, lemon zest, or a drizzle of raspberry puree.

Note: the frosting recipe contains enough sugar–which acts as a preservative for the plant-based butter–that you don’t need to refrigerate these unless they will not be eaten for more than 48 hours.

Lemon Cupcakes

1/2 cup oil
1 cup non-dairy milk (I use unsweetened soymilk)
2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt

Raspberry-Lemon Buttercream

1/2 cup vegan butter, very slightly softened
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
4 cups (1 pound) powdered sugar
2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons raspberry jam (with or without seeds)

Cupcake directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners. In large bowl, whisk together oil, non-dairy milk, lemon juice, and vanilla. Add half of flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Whisk just until combined, add remaining flour, and whisk fifty times.

Divide batter evenly among individual lined cupcake cups: about 3 tablespoons of batter for each regular cupcake and 1 tablespoon for each mini cupcake. Bake regular sized ones for 13 to 14 minutes and minis for 9-11 or until a wooden pick inserted in the center of one comes out clean. Remove cupcake tin to a wire rack and allow to cool completely. While cupcakes cool, prepare frosting.

Frosting directions:

With an electric mixer, whip margarine and shortening until fluffy. Add half the powdered sugar and whip until very fluffy, scraping down sides of bowl, as necessary. Beat in lemon juice and raspberry jam. Add remaining powdered sugar, and continue to whip until powdered sugar and jam is fully incorporated, the frosting turns a beautiful pale pink, and the consistency is very fluffy and stiff enough to hold its shape. Frost cupcakes, decorate if desired, and serve or store in an airtight container.