Eggless Vanilla Cupcakes
If you're craving something sweet that is quick, easy, and delicious, then my dear friends, you have come to the right place. Incredibly moist, rich, and decadent eggless vanilla cupcakes topped with a luscious whipped cream frosting are perfect for birthdays, special occasions, or just for that special day in your life!
Plus, these eggless cupcakes come together in less than 30 minutes to satisfy those dessert cravings.
Do you love fruity cupcakes?
If the answer is YES, then you're straight-up going to L-O-V-E these eggless vanilla cupcakes.
I think there is something extraordinary about a cupcake that fascinates me.
Maybe there is something special about peeling off that liner before eating a cupcake that's so satisfying or the swirls of frostings that beautify a cupcake is what makes my mouth water!
Seriously, I can't decide which one is my favorite! What's your favorite?
Either way, these cuties are absolutely fantastic.
Honestly, if I had to bake one dessert for my kids, it has to be cupcakes. Why, because first of all, they are so cute,
- Perfect portions sized
- Can be created with different colors,
- Flavor combinations are endless, and
- Not to mention all those pretty frostings. Heavenly!
The best part, you can get creative and have fun with these cupcakes, just like I created these eggless key lime cupcakes, eggless marble cupcakes, eggless red velvet cupcakes, etc.
Eggless Baking!
Eggless baking is something that either discourages people or ultimately directs them away. But trust me, egg-free cakes or cupcakes can turn out as good as the real stuff with just the right ingredients.
And this recipe is one of those! It did require a lot of trial and error or my part. But over the years of practice, I can confidently say this eggless vanilla cupcake is my favorite go-to recipe that is fail-proof and ultimate.
It has been tested and tried in my kitchen endless time - every time with perfect results. Serve it to your friends, who relish cakes baked with eggs, and they would never tell the difference.
So here is my recipe for the perfect, most effortless, moist and easy eggless vanilla cupcakes. The best part is that these cupcakes have no artificial colors (minus the frosting) or flavors—just the pure taste of vanilla and a secret ingredient in every bite.
I had initially published this eggless vanilla cupcake recipe in 2015. Yes, it's a pretty old one.
But then I decided it demanded a face-lift. Here I am with a step by step tutorial on making egg-free vanilla cupcakes with better pictures and all the tips and variations.
Ingredients for Eggless Vanilla cupcakes!
These eggless cupcakes use basic ingredients to create tender and moist cupcakes, and they are-
» All-purpose flour- Flour provides structure to our cupcakes. Make sure you measure the flour correctly. I personally use a cup measurement to measure the flour. Then use a knife to scrape off the excess to get an even cup measurement.
» Baking powder - a chemical leavening agent adds bubbles to the batter that helps our cupcakes to expand (rise) during baking. It also gives these cupcakes the feather-like texture it needs.
» Salt - It balances the sweetness in the cupcakes and deepens the flavor.
» Sugar - well, of course! How can we forget about that? Sugar helps make our cupcakes tender, adds sweetness, and tons of flavor.
» Butter - Butter tenderizes our cupcakes. Use soften unsalted butter. Soft butter can properly cream with sugar.
» Milk - it provides moisture to the batter.
» The secret ingredient - is unsweetened, unflavored applesauce. It is an excellent substitute for eggs in baking. Not only it helps bind all the ingredients, but it also lends a wonderful texture and adds tons of moisture to our cupcakes. You don't have to add a whole lot; ¼ will do the trick.
» Vanilla essence - It will add richness and a nice vanilla flavor to these eggless cupcakes.
» Yogurt - Helps lighten the cupcakes and produces a moist and tender crumb.
» Now, do you need a simple frosting to top these vanilla cupcakes? Try making a super easy and stable frosting with heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, cornstarch, and agar-agar powder.
How to make Eggless Vanilla Cupcakes?
Preparations-
Preheat the oven at @350 degrees F.
Line your cupcake pan with cupcake liners and set aside.
Dry Ingredients-
In a large mixing bowl, sift together all-purpose flour, salt, and baking powder. Make sure you spoon and level the flour from the container.
Set aside.
Wet ingredients-
Combine sugar and butter in a separate mixing bowl. Beat the two until butter turns pale yellow, light, and fluffy.
While beating the mixture, use a rubber spatula to scrape the bowl's sides a couple of times.
Add milk, yogurt, and vanilla essence to the sugar mix. Mix to combine.
Add in the sifted dry ingredients and beat until a smooth batter forms. Do not over mix the batter.
Mix just until the wet and dry ingredients are incorporated together, and no dry flour is visible in sight. Overmixing will result in dense- textured cupcakes. So if you are in doubt, mix the ingredients by hand.
Add in the secret ingredients - unsweetened applesauce. Gently fold the applesauce until incorporated. Be careful not to over mix the batter.
Using a spatula, scrape the bowl's bottom and sides and make sure everything is thoroughly combined and smooth.
The batter may look curdled at this point. Don’t worry; it’s absolutely fine. This curdling of ingredients will not affect the cupcakes.
To prevent liners from sticking to cupcakes, spray them with nonstick cooking spray or brush with a little melted butter.
Use an ice cream scoop and add the eggless vanilla cupcake batter to the lined cupcake pan.
Fill each mold ⅔ of the way up with the batter. Give them some room to rise.
After filling the cupcake liners with batter, tap the pan on the kitchen counter a couple of times. This tapping will help get rid of air bubbles.
Bake the eggless vanilla cupcakes in the preheated oven for about 18-20 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean.
The baking time was 20 minutes for me. But every oven is different; therefore, keep a watchful eye on the cupcakes and make sure they don't burn.
Remove from the oven and allow the cupcakes to cool for 10 minutes in the pan. After the resting time is over, remove the cupcakes from the pan.
Cool them on a cooling rack.
What kind of frosting Should I use to frost my eggless cupcakes?
As for the frosting, I have topped these eggless vanilla cupcakes with homemade whipped cream frosting. This whipped cream frosting is unbelievably creamy, fresh, and delicious!
Pipe this homemade whipped cream frosting over the cooled cupcakes, decorate with fresh fruits or sprinkles, and serve.
I have used whipped cream frosting to frost many of my cupcakes on the blog, such as Eggless mango cake, Eggless pineapple pastry, Eggless key lime cupcakes, and many more.
Give it a try, and I am sure you will like it.
Recipe Tips to make the Best Eggless Vanilla Cupcakes
» Baking a cake is not complicated at all. But it does require some planning and forethought. So, here are some tips for creating the best eggless vanilla cupcakes without fail.
» Follow the recipe carefully - Measure your ingredients correctly. If the ingredients are not measured well, cupcakes will not turn out as expected.
» Don't skip the sifting of ingredients - This will not only keep the lumps out, but it also helps to incorporate air into the flour. Sifting results in fluffy cupcakes.
» Ingredients should be at room temperature - Cake batter will blend easily when all the ingredients are at a similar temperature, and the cupcakes will have a uniform texture. Make sure you set out your butter and yogurt 45 minutes ahead of time before mixing the ingredients.
» Makes sure you use the unsweetened, unflavored applesauce. If you only have sweetened applesauce on hand, reduce the sugar in the recipe by 2 tablespoons.
» Prevent over mixing - To avoid overmixing, wet and dry ingredients need to be mixed separately before combining. Overmixing will produce dense cupcakes. When in doubt, combine the ingredients by hand.
» Use an ice cream scoop to fill your cupcake liners.
» Tap your cupcake pan a couple of times on the counter before putting it in the oven. This will bring the trapped air bubbles to the surface.
» Be patient - keep that oven door closed during the entire baking time. Cupcakes require consistent heat to rise. Therefore, checking again and again on how your cupcakes are doing in the early stages of baking can cause the cupcakes to sink.
» Do the toothpick test - To tell if the cake is done, always perform the toothpick test. Meaning, insert a toothpick in the center of the cupcake. If it comes out clean with a few crumbs attached, it is ready. If not, then your cupcakes need a few extra minutes in the oven.
» Let the eggless vanilla cupcakes rest - Once baked and out of the oven, let the cupcakes cool for 8-10 minutes in the baking pan.
» Frosting cupcakes - Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before you begin frosting.
Can I replace applesauce?
You sure can! Applesauce adds a ton of moisture and produces a wonderful soft crumb. But if you are not an applesauce love, you can swap applesauce for an egg.
Can I replace yogurt?
Of course! Simply swap yogurt with sour cream. It will give the same results.
Let Me Know What You Think!
This eggless cupcake recipe is genuinely the simplest recipe, I have ever made.
Should you make these eggless vanilla cupcake or any variation of it, please let me know your thoughts by sharing your comment below.
And don’t forget to share it with your family and friends.
Craving for more, try my other eggless delicacies -
| This recipe post has been updated from the archives, first published on July 19th, 2015 |
Eggless Vanilla Cupcakes
INGREDIENTS
FOR CUPCAKES
DRY INGREDIENTS
- 1¼ cups All purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons Baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon Salt
WET INGREDIENTS
- ¾ cup Sugar
- ¼ cup Unsalted Butter or oil
- ½ cup Milk
- ¼ cup Unsweetened applesauce
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla essence or Almond essence
- ½ cup Yogurt
FOR FROSTING
- 2 cups Heavy whipping cream
- ¾ cup Powdered Sugar
- 1 tablespoon Cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon Agar-Agar powder
INSTRUCTIONS
CUPCAKE PREPARATION
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Heat the oven 15 minutes before baking.
- In a large mixing bowl, sift together all-purpose flour, salt, and baking powder. Make sure you spoon and level the flour from the container. Set aside.
- Combine sugar and butter in a separate mixing bowl. Beat the two until butter turns pale yellow, light, and fluffy.While beating the mixture, use a rubber spatula to scrape the bowl’s sides a couple of times.
- Add milk, yogurt, and vanilla essence to the sugar mix. Mix to combine.
- Add in the sifted dry ingredients and beat until a smooth batter forms. Do not over mix the batter.
- Add in the secret ingredients – unsweetened applesauce. Gently fold the applesauce until incorporated. Be careful not to over mix the batter. Using a spatula, scrape the bowl’s bottom and sides and make sure everything is thoroughly combined and smooth.
- To prevent liners from sticking to cupcakes, spray them with nonstick cooking spray or brush with a little melted butter.
- Use an ice cream scoop and add the eggless vanilla cupcake batter to the lined cupcake pan. Fill each mold ⅔ of the way up with the batter. Give them some room to rise.
- After filling the cupcake liners with batter, tap the pan on the kitchen counter a couple of times. This tapping will help get rid of air bubbles. Do not let the batter-filled-cupcake-pan sit on the counter for long.
- Bake the eggless vanilla cupcakes in the preheated oven for about 18-20 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean. Do not overbake. Overbaking will result in dry cupcakes.
- The baking time was 20 minutes for me. But every oven is different; therefore, keep a watchful eye on the cupcakes and make sure they don’t burn.
- Remove from the oven and allow the cupcakes to cool for 10 minutes in the pan. After the resting time is over, remove the cupcakes from the pan. Cool them on a cooling rack.
- Allow the cupcakes to cool completely, before unwrapping the liner. Unwrap the liner and reveal the inner beauty.
- You can bake a cake out of this recipe. This cake is baked in a 8" x 1½" round cake pan. It's a thin cake pan; therefore, bake the cake for 30-35 minutes @ 350 degrees F.
- Or until the toothpick comes out clean. Top with your favorite frosting and enjoy!
- This recipe also bakes into a delicious 6-inch round cake.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean. This recipe has not been experimented with a 8 X 3 inch round cake pan.
I tried the recipe to the exact specifications and the cupcakes came out nice. Thank you for the recipe 🙂
Hi Ruchi, I am planning to bake cup cakes in my new OTG, it has several modes, so can you pls suggest which mode should I use while baking them? both the rods ON or a single rod ON?
Also, is cake flour available in store? I heard about of it for the first time? Where would I get it?
Thanks!
Nisha, I have no idea about baking in an OTG. From what you have mentioned, the bottom rod (element) is what you need. Please refer to your appliance manual for more details.
This recipe doesn't use cake flour, but if you're still looking for a cake flour recipe, then you can make that home. Use 2 cups of all-purpose flour mixed with 1/4 cup of cornstarch. Whisk to sift the mixture together. Proceed as directed in the recipe.
Hi Ruchi
Is this granulated sugar or caster sugar that you used in this cupcake recipe?
Many thanks
Chi
Chi, I have used superfine sugar. This sugar has the smallest crystal size of white granulated sugar.
Hi! Thank you for posting! I was going to try this recipe this weekend as my daughter is allergic to eggs. Quick question…what kind of yogurt should I use?
Thank you, Amy!
Any whole milk yogurt works great with this recipe.
I have convection microwave oven. As ur recipe says 350deg. C then at what temperature I should bake in convection mode. Secondly if I can use cooker as oven, then what flame n time should be used.
Kavita, the temperature is in farenheit. In celsius, the baking temp would be 180 degrees C.
If baking in a cooker or kadhai, keep the flame to medium-low and bake for 16-18 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean.
These cupcakes were the best eggless cupcakes I have tried!! Simple ingredients, light but not crumbly, sweet but not too sweet. Just perfect for my son’s birthday!! I used oil instead of butter which I liked.
Thank you, Belles and Roses, for sharing your experience with me. So glad you liked the recipe. 😊
Absolutely loved this as an eggless recipe. So much so I preferred it to regular egg cupcakes!
I just have one question...what are the measurements in grams? I'm in the UK so I do have cups but it gets confusing with US cup sizes too.
Thanks
Thank you for your kind words, Navreet! So glad you liked the recipe. 😊
The gram conversions are given at the end of the ingredient list in the recipe card. Please click that, and it will convert the recipe for you in grams/ml.
1. no baking soda?
2. i tried this as a cake (with a pinch of baking soda) and it was the softestttt cake everrr. thank you so much for this recipe.. never gonna look back.
but 4 stars.. because it shrunk in a lot after cooling! was it just me or does this happen with this batter?
Hello Kashish,
Glad to hear that you liked the recipe. You got it right; this eggless vanilla cupcake is made without baking soda, still so soft and moist.
Now coming to the last part of your query, I am not sure what went wrong at your end as this cake bakes into a beautiful 6-inch round cake. What cake pan size did you use as this cake has not been experimented with an 8-inch regular cake sized pan (as stated in the recipe).
eeee.. it was in a 8 inch pan😅
thank you so much for replying. definitely gonna try other recipes now.
Sure, try again, and you will get great results. 😊
Hii Ruchi...May I know if I could replace condenced milk in place of applesauce
Manisha, I haven't tried condensed milk as a substitute, so I am unable to comment on the result.
Can I skip apple sauce?
Hello Prem,
Applesauce adds moisture to these cupcakes. Skipping that will disturb the whole recipe.
You can try a banana instead.
mam i am a bit confused, what about cream cheeze that u have asked for in vanilla eggless cup cakes its not mentioned to add in cup cake baking or in frosting its asking for 283.75 grams . please advise.
Jaina, under frosting preparation, I have mentioned - "In a mixer combine unsalted butter, cream cheese, essence, and powdered sugar. Blend until smooth and creamy."
The cupcake came out perfect. Best i baked so far.
Thank you, Shubhi!
So glad you liked the recipe. 😊
Hi could I make with all purpose flour and arrowroot flour instead of cornstarch? If not can you recommend any other starch?
Thank you
Ashley,
I haven't tried this recipe with arrowroot starch. But feel free to give it a try. Arrowroot flour is the closest substitute for cornstarch.
Please do share your feedback.
Hi Ruchi, tried eggless vanilla cupcake . Came out good .
Only thing i added more is milk, because it was not looking like the photo that you shared. Taste wise cup cake was awesome . I added small babana puree. I have 1 question , when we eat the cupcake it was not dry quite moist I dont know how to explain 🙁 but it was like forming a lump in the mouth. Can you tell me why it is likw that?
Thank you for your feedback, Mrinalini!
How much extra milk did you add? If extra milk was added to the batter then the cupcakes needed additional baking time in the oven. That's the reason cupcakes are sodden and heavy and tastes sticky/lumpy in the mouth.
Also, did you replace applesauce with banana puree or that was additional?
Hi Ruchi.. can same quantity of cake flour is replaced with wheat flour.. please suggest
Substituting cake flour with wheat flour will require a lot of adjustments in this recipe and without experimenting I can’t comment on the results.
Sorry about that!
Thank you for the reply.. let me have a try on this.. will you please let me know how much time needs to be beat the cake batter as am new for baking.. some of my bakes went wrong as is like chewy and short in hight
You are welcome Veena.
Mix the dry ingredients into the wet, until combined. Do not over-beat the batter. Over-beating pumps in more air into the batter resulting in flat cupcakes/cakes.
Thank you for your quick reply Ruchi..To make sure do you mean only better combining is enough not to beat more than that. I was thinking for dropping consistency it has to be beat more even after mixing up dry and wet ingredients without lumps.
In a cake/cupcake recipe, beating refers to the process of creaming sugar, eggs, and fat (butter) together. This step incorporates air in the batter.
For dry ingredients - You just fold the dry ingredients along with wet ingredients and stop mixing just when everything is combined well. Meaning - you stop mixing when you can't see any more of dry ingredients in the batter.
If you overmix or overbeat the batter at this point - you will end up with dense cupcakes/cake. Because the gluten in the flour is over-activated.
Hope this answers your query. Feel free to reach out to me if you have any other questions. 🙂
Hi. I wanted to check if we can use homemade apple sauce which had some sugar in it ? Thanks
Sure you can.
Reduce the sugar quantity by 1 tablespoon (1/2 cup sugar minus 1 tablespoon).
I used oil instead of butter and they came out quite moist! I also didn't have applesauce and I substituted it with mashed bananas and I liked the texture and the flavour of the cupcakes! Everyone liked them!!!
Thanks Bernice for sharing your experience with me.
Glad you liked the recipe. 🙂
Hi Ruchi, inspired by your recipes I am making more and more cupcakes 😀..but for that I have to buy a hand mixer..any suggestions?
And also I want to know does hand mixer suffice the need for making batters and frosting or should I go for stand mixer?
Thanks Shilpa for your kind words.
The difference between having a Stand mixer and Hand mixer -
1. Stand mixers have much more power than a hand mixer.
2. You don't have to babysit the stand mixer but with hand mixer you can't leave it to do the job (mixing) on its own.
3. Stand mixer provides a hands-off convenience and have 3-4 attachments to do various jobs (kneading dough, mixing batter, making buttercream and frosting and many more)
Hand mixers are equally good. Plus points to have a hand mixer -
1. It's portable and needs less storage space as compare to a stand mixer.
2. Less buttons and only 1-2 attachments to do the job.
But for me it's definitely Kitchen-aid. 🙂
Hi Ruchi... just too curious to know why do u use cake flour for vanilla cup cakes and all purpose flour for chocolate cupcakes?
Shilpa, among all flours - cake flour is my favorite. I love to bake with cake flour because of its low protein content. Cake flour bakes light and fluffy cupcakes/cakes. It adds a tender delicate crumbs to a baked product.
Other option would be – use 1 1/4 (one and one fourth cup ) cup + 2 tablespoon of all purpose flour mixed with 2 tablespoon of cornstarch.
But why not for chocolate cupcakes....you used all purpose flour for chocolate ones
Shilpa, I like to experiment with different flours. If cake flour is used in every cupcake then all the recipes (eggless) will be very repetitive.
But you can surely give cake flour a try with chocolate cupcakes and I am sure you will love the end results. 🙂
Thank you so much Ruchi for replying 😊
My pleasure. 🙂
Hi Ruchi, can I know what is currently? Is it beancurd tofu? Lots of recipe mention curd..just wondering what is this? Thanks
Currently??
Didn't get your question.
Could you please clarify in order for me to help you better. Thanks!
Hello, I am planning to use this recipe for my daughter's birthday celebration and was wondering whether cake flour is a must, or whether I can use all-purpose flour (I generally use all-purpose flour for my cakes, and they have come out well, so was wondering what the difference is). Thanks!
Because of its low protein content I have used cake flour. Cake flour adds a tender delicate crumbs to these cupcakes. Other option would be – use 1 1/4 (one and one fourth cup ) cup + 2 tablespoon of all purpose flour mixed with 2 tablespoon of cornstarch/cornflour for this recipe.
I’m confused now.. cake flour is 1 cup of all purpose flour minus 2tbsp all purpose flour plus 2tbsp corn flour. OR 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour plus 2 tbsp all purpose flour plus 2 tbsp corn flour....
Vandana, please use 1 and 1/4 cup of all purpose flour + 1/4 cup of Cornflour/cornstarch as a substitute to Cake flour.