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Eggless Vanilla Cupcakes

4.71 from 34446 votes
Total: 35 minutes
Serves 12

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.

Eggless vanilla cupcakes with yellow frosting and Raspberry

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.

Eggless vanilla cupcake with white frosting and raspberry on top

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. 

Perfectly moist and fluffy Eggless vanilla cupcakes on a stand

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. 

Ingredient list for Eggless Vanilla cupcakes

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; 1/4 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. 

Eggless vanilla cupcakes with whipped cream frosting

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.

Sift dry ingredients

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.

Cream butter and sugar

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 wet ingredients

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.

Add applesauce to Eggless vanilla 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 2/3 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. 

Pour the batter in cupcake pan

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. 

Bake the Eggless vanilla cupcakes in the ovenBaked eggless vanilla cupcakes in a baking tray

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. 

Frosted cupcakes in a tray

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. 

Sliced eggless vanilla cupcakes

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

4.71 from 34446 votes
Incredibly moist, tender, and flavorful Eggless Vanilla Cupcakes topped with luscious whipped cream frosting! Most perfect vanilla cupcakes ever! These beauties are super light and yum!!
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 35 minutes
Calories: 316 kcal
Servings: 12

INGREDIENTS 

FOR CUPCAKES

    DRY INGREDIENTS

    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

    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.
      Sift the dry 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.
      Cream butter and sugar
    • Add milk, yogurt, and vanilla essence to the sugar mix. Mix to combine. 
      Add milk and other ingredients
    • Add in the sifted dry ingredients and beat until a smooth batter forms. Do not over mix the batter.
      Combine dry ingredients
    • 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. 
      Add applesauce
    • To prevent liners from sticking to cupcakes, spray them with nonstick cooking spray or brush with a little melted butter. 
      Line the cupcake tray with liner
    • Use an ice cream scoop and add the eggless vanilla cupcake batter to the lined cupcake pan. Fill each mold 2/3 of the way up with the batter. Give them some room to rise.
      Pour batter in liners
    • 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.
      Baked eggless vanilla cupcakes in a baking tray
    • 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
    • Allow the cupcakes to cool completely, before unwrapping the liner. Unwrap the liner and reveal the inner beauty.
      Sliced eggless vanilla cupcakes
    • 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.
      Eggless vanilla cake in 6-inch pan

    VIDEO

    RECIPE NOTES

     
    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 sugar in the recipe? 
    I would not advise that. In eggless baking, sugar plays a key role. Sugar acts as a tenderizer during mixing. It absorbs water and blocks the flour proteins from producing an excessive amount of gluten that can make a cupcake dense. In addition to that, during baking sugar acts chemically with proteins that help the crust to brown.
     
    Can I use whole wheat flour? 
    You can, but the cupcakes will turn darker in color and be slightly dense in texture. Rather, I would recommend doing 50-50, which means use half wheat flour and half all-purpose flour. 
     
    Can I replace yogurt?
    Of course! Swap yogurt with sour cream.  It will give the same results. 
     
    Can I substitute oil for butter?
    Technically, yes! oil will lend a moist and fluffy texture to these vanilla cupcakes. 
     
    Can I make these eggless Vanilla cupcakes vegan?
    Most certainly! There are many plant-based milk alternatives and soy products available in the market that you can substitute; depending on your dietary needs. For this recipe, swap the butter with vegan butter or oil, substitute milk, and yogurt for plant-based products. 
     
    Can I make these cupcakes in advance!
    Absolutely! You can make eggless vanilla cupcakes 1-2 days in advance and frost them right before serving. 
    Likewise, whipped cream frosting can be prepared 2 days in advance. It can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. 
     
    Storage!
    Frosted eggless vanilla cupcakes are good at room temperature in an airtight container.  These cupcakes can last up to a week in the fridge. 
     

    NUTRITION

    Calories: 316kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 67mg | Sodium: 51mg | Potassium: 151mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 729IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 85mg | Iron: 1mg
    Disclaimer: The nutritional information provided above is approximate. Variations may exist due to the ingredients/brands used. These numbers should be considered estimates, as they are not calculated by a registered dietician.
    Author: Ruchi
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American, Indian

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    Comments

    1. divya jain says:

      Loveyour cupcakes,.,.,, can u tell me alte rnative. Solution for aplesauce

    2. divya jain says:

      Hi ruchi can I replace it with yogurt with milk and vinegar

    3. Tbkat says:

      Can you not put applesauce in the cupcake at all.

    4. Soumya Agrawal says:

      Eggless Vanilla Cupcakes what to say one word SUPER DELICIOUS RECIPE. Made it with buttermilk and so moist and fluffy. divided the batch and added freshly pureed applesauce to one batch and buttermilk to other. Applesauce had that aftertaste but very tasty and buttermilk had no flavor and super yum. Please post eggless blueberry cupcakes recipe.

      Also tried your eggless cake from scratch, it takes a lot of time to bake but end results are tooooooooooo good. So crusty and mosit-yyyy. You are my new eggless baking queen. Presentation is beyond words, I am speechless, am I? Can’t stop talking about my baking success. Thanks a ton!!

    5. C Cooke says:

      Hello
      These cupcakes look wonderful! Am I right in thinking that if I were to substitute the apple sauce for buttermilk in this recipe, I would need 1 -1/4 cups of buttermilk. Also would I omit the baking soda or powder? Would you up the sugar quantity?
      Thank you!

      • RK says:

        Hello,
        Thanks for stopping by! Yes, you got it right you can substitute applesauce for buttermilk. But rest of the recipe stays the same, baking soda and baking powder quantity remains the same. These cupcakes had 1/4 cup of sugar which was on the low side as I had finished them off with icing which took care of the sweetness part. I would suggest adding 1/2 cup of sugar instead of 1/4 cup and that will balance the sugar level.

        Thanks!
        Ruchi

    6. Salina says:

      Great! great recipe. Wow eggless cupcakes and that to so so moist. Tried with applesauce and with buttermilk. I have to say applesauce one’s are extra moist but have a apple aftertaste, that leaves a nice taste in your mouth. Buttermilk ones are moist but have no taste. Both are equally good. Thanks Ruchi for sharing such easy recipe.

      • Megha says:

        Hi Salina! I was wondering if you could tell me how much buttermilk you used? Was it one cup buttermilk instead of one cup of applesauce? Thanks so much! Hoping you see my question soon as I want to make these cupcakes today! Thanks so much!

      • RK says:

        You are welcome Salina! Glad you liked the cupcakes and thanks for sharing your experience with me 🙂

    7. Maddy says:

      I loved the flavor of these cupcakes and they baked up beautifully, spongy and very light. It was my first time baking cupcakes and after going through all your reviews I thought of trying my hands on it and these were really simple. It was a huge hit with everyone in my family. Thanks for this simple step by step recipe,

    8. Nila says:

      A bit confused. I cant use applesauce as allergic to fruits so i replace the applesauce with buttermilk 1 1/2 cups? All else remains same including milk? Thanks!

      • RK says:

        Thanks for stopping by Nila! Replace applesauce with buttermilk and rest of the recipe remains exactly the same including milk. Hope that helps!

    9. Pavitra says:

      After a lot of ifs and buts I made this recipe. I had tried so many cakes but all failed. Finally I made this and was a hit! Very spongy and soft.My mother in law loved it! Thanks for sharing Ruchi. I am really happy I tried this. Next time going to try with buttermilk instead of applesauce.

    10. Mom's baking addiction says:

      I’ve been on a quest to find a good eggless cupcake recipe as my oldest son playmate has an egg allergy and I my heart breaks to see all the rest of the kids munching on cupcakes I made while he cannot eat those cupcakes made with eggs. Searched for eggless cupcakes and I found your website. Tried these and they were amazingly delicious, beats the egg one. Now I can take cupcakes to my kids play dates guilt free. Thanks honey!

      • RK says:

        Thanks for trying out the recipe and sharing your experience with me. I am glad you found something of your liking. Will see you around on the blog! 🙂

    11. Nicole says:

      Hi I would like to know if i could used ener-g egg replacer instead of apple sauce .

    12. Nicole says:

      Thank you for reasponding to me so quickly. I would also like to know if by using the ener-g egg replacer if the recipe would stay the same and would the baking soda,baking powder,or cake flour effect it in anyway ? Also i dont like chocolate so would the frosting taste good without the coca powder and just vanilla ?

      • RK says:

        Nicole, you can leave out baking powder and use 3 teaspoon of egg replacer mixed with 4 tablespoon warm water. Despite this, you MIGHT need to adjust liquid quantity in the recipe to get a thick consistency of the batter.(as shown in picture 6)
        Hope that helps!
        Regarding the eggless vanilla cupcake frosting – you can skip cocoa powder, it’s absolutely fine. Keep me posted and good luck! 🙂

    13. Paula says:

      Whoah this blog is magnificent i love reading all your posts. Lot of us are looking for such a help in cooking. Where we can relate to a step not just read the recipe and assume how it will shape up. I am going to try these cupcakes. Looks delicious. Thank You Ruchi!! Keep up the great work!

      • RK says:

        Thank you for such a sweet compliment, Paula. Do give these cupcakes a try and I am sure you are going to love them. 🙂