Eggless Vanilla Cupcakes: Eureka! Eureka! I'm very happy to let you all know that I have found something that I have been looking for the past 3 years. I really cannot contain my excitement!
I guess you all are wondering what I'm talking about. If you were like me you too will join me to celebrate the discovery of an amazing recipe for eggless vanilla cupcakes.
You guys cannot believe how many recipes I have tried so far to find the perfect eggless white/vanilla cake. Now I can confidently tell you that my search has ended. This is it!
Many many thanks to Colleen Patrick - Goudreau for creating this awesome vanilla cupcake recipe. I found this in her Joy of Vegan Baking cookbook.
I had bookmarked this nearly 2 years back but got a chance to try it only this week.
I wish I had tried it earlier which would have saved me a lot of time and ingredients. I'm glad that I baked it at least now.
As the original recipe is vegan, I substituted dairy butter for the vegan butter and 2% milk for the non-dairy milk. Other than that I followed the original recipe. I cannot wait to try the vegan version too.
The version I tried with butter gave the cupcakes a very good buttery flavor. Other than the few minor changes I have suggested in the My Notes section, I wouldn't change anything else about the recipe. This is a keeper.
Do try it and I'm sure you are going to get a ton of compliments. For the frosting I followed the vegan buttercream icing recipe but used all butter instead of shortening.
How to make eggless vanilla cupcakes?
1. Preheat the oven at 375F/190C for 15 minutes. Grease the muffin tins lightly or line it with paper liners. I brushed the inside of the liners with melted butter which gave a nice color on the sides of the cupcakes.
2. Whip the egg replacer powder and 3 tablespoons of water, preferably in a blender for better results. Or just do it hand. The mixture should be frothy.
3. Add the milk and ¼ cup of water to the egg replacer mixture and stir it well.
4. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set it aside.
5. In another large bowl, put the melted butter.
6. In another bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. This may take up to 2-3 minutes.
7. Add the vanilla extract and remaining ¼ cup of water, and beat well.
8. Add the flour mixture and the egg replacer/milk mixture in parts alternating. (See My Notes). Beat until combined.
10. Fill in the muffin cups ¾th full and bake for about 20-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Mine was done around 24 minutes (See My Notes).
11. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Then apply frosting as needed.
Recipe
Vanilla Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons Ener-G egg replacer powder
- 3 tablespoons lukewarm water
- 1 and ¾ cups Milk (I used 2%)
- ½ cup Water, divided
- ½ cup Butter, melted
- 1 and ¼ cups Sugar (See Notes)
- 1 and ½ teaspoons Vanilla Extract (See My Notes)
- 2 and ½ cups All Purpose Flour
- 2 and ½ teaspoons Baking Powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven at 375F/190C for 15 minutes. Grease the muffin tins lightly or line it with paper liners. I brushed the inside of the liners with melted butter which gave a nice color on the sides of the cupcakes
- Whip the egg replacer powder and 3 tablespoons of water, preferably in a blender for better results. Or just do it hand. The mixture should be frothy.
- Add the milk and ¼ cup of water to the egg replacer mixture and stir it well.
- In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set it aside.
- In another bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. This may take upto 2-3 minutes.
- Add the vanilla extract and remaining ¼ cup of water, and beat well.
- Add the flour mixture and the egg replacer/milk mixture in parts alternating. (See My Notes)
- Beat until combined.
- Fill in the muffin cups ¾th full and bake for about 20-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Mine was done around 24 minutes (See My Notes).
- Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool.
My Notes
- The original recipe called for 1 and ½ cups of sugar and that's what I used too and we felt that the cupcakes were very sweet. So I would definitely recommend to scale it down to 1 and ¼ cups, especially if you are going to frost it.
- I would increase the quantity of vanilla extract to 2 teaspoons.
- The original recipe mentioned to "just" mix together the flour and the egg replacer mixture with the creamed butter and sugar. I did the same (even though I was thinking at the back of my mind that I should not) and the batter had a lot of small lumps. Had I done that in parts alternating between the flour and milk mixture I could have avoided the lumps and would have got a smooth batter. I was hesitant to beat the mixture further to dissolve the lumps fearing it would toughen the cupcake. I expected the lumps to dissolve while baking but it did show up in the cupcakes but fortunately, it did not mess up with the taste or texture.
- The toothpick came out clean at the 24th minute but I left the cupcakes in the oven for another minute or so, which I think slightly hardened the tops. But it softened after a couple of hours. Anyhow the next time I try these I will check for doneness around the 22nd minute itself.
- I'm also thinking of using cake flour instead of all-purpose flour when I try it the next time. I think it will give even softer cupcakes.
- The serving size mentioned in the original recipe was 10-12 cupcakes but I got about 15.
Pallavi says
Ener-G doesn’t offer an egg replacer anymore (the boxes offered by third-party sellers online are expired). Do you recommend another brand?
Madhuram says
Oh really! I was not aware of this. I have an EnerG egg replacer box have to check the expiry. Once it's done I will have to look into other options. I haven't tried this recipe with any other brand but I think other brands will work too. Maybe you can try halving the measurement for a small trial.
Surya says
Thank you for the wonderful recipe. I made this recently for my daughter’s birthday and everyone loved it. No one could tell that there was no egg in it.
Madhuram says
You're welcome, Surya.
Sahithi Chaganti says
Hi,
Can we use your eggless vanilla cake recipe to make the cup cakes?
What is the difference between cake and cup cake?
Thankyou
Madhuram says
Yes, you can make it as cupcakes, Sahithi. The difference is the shape and size and the baking time will also vary. With cupcakes portion control and serving is easy because it's done individually.
Brooklyn says
Hello, what non-dairy milk do you suggest ?
Madhuram says
I prefer rice milk and almond milk, Brooklyn.
geeta says
is it okay to use any brand of egg replacer?i am not able to findthe Ener-G egg replacer. can this be used for making donuts too? Have you tried and got goodresults?
Madhuram says
I have tried only Ener-G and another local brand so far. Don't even remember the name now. Both work fine for me. I'm not sure about other brands. You can try using the same batter to bake donuts as well. I'm guessing it should be ok.
Diva says
The recipe looks interesting but i dont have oven. Can i use microwave for this recipe?
Also, is there any substitute for egg replacement powder?
Madhuram says
I have not baked in a microwave oven, so not sure how it works. You can try this easy vanilla cupcake recipe if you can't find Ener-G.
Kelly says
I did this as a cake, the taste was good but it turned out very dense both times. Any tips on how to fix this?
Madhuram says
Oh ok. I have not tried this as a cake, Kelly. Probably a teaspoon of vinegar might make it less dense.
Tressie says
This recipe really is the best I have found and used. I have been baking these cupcakes for seven years for my eldest daughter and now my youngest. I always have so many compliments on them. Thank you for sharing.
Madhuram says
You're very welcome, Tressie. I'm glad that this recipe is working for you and your family.
Isabel says
What size cake pan would you recommend for this recipe?
Madhuram says
You can bake it in a 13x9 inch pan or two 8 inch pans.
Anusha says
Hi Madhuram,
Thank you very much for the cake recepies with egg replacer.
The egg replacer is not available in my area. I found a homemade substitute in the following site;
https://wholenewmom.com/recipes/energ-egg-substitute-egg-replacer-without-eggs/
Check this site, if you can't find the ingredients;
http://www.pennilessparenting.com/2015/06/making-homemade-potato-starch-tapioca.html
Madhuram says
Thank you very much Anusha. Will check the links.
Anshika says
Hi can you tell me a substitute for egg replacer ?
Madhuram says
I haven't tried this recipe with any other substitute Ansihika. Sorry.
Courtney says
Thank you for this recipe. I just made the cupcakes since my daughter has an egg allergy. I have been pouring over so many eggless recipes. I normally use applesauce as a replacement but when I tried in cakes the middle tend to sink.
The taste came out great. My family loved it. The texture came out spongy but sticky. When unwrapped it a lot of the cupcake was left on the wrapper and there were small holes. I can probably attribute this to maybe my oven as I know it doesn't cook evenly, unfortunately. With the batter I made 1 - 6" cake and cupcakes. The cake came out great, still with slight holes but it came out nice. Thanks again for the recipe!
Madhuram says
Thanks for trying this recipe Courtney. I spray the cupcake liners with non-stick cooking oil and the muffin/cupcakes peel off easily. Also let it cool completely before you try to get the cupcakes off the liner.
Courtney says
Okay, I realized I didn't allow for the cake to cool before I peeled off the liner because when we ate a few hours later it was PERFECT! The taste, the texture is EVERYTHING. We have some friends over last night and everyone LOVED it. I know I might be a bit dramatic but I am just so excited I found a great recipe for my daughter who has went to many birthday parties unable to eat cake. So today I let her indulge a bit. ha Thanks again! Your website is awesome.
Madhuram says
Oh yes you have to let it cool completely before removing the paper. Please be dramatic, your excitement is so contagious and I'm loving it. 😀 Thank you very much for taking the time to leave your feedback.
AnaLee says
I had the same initial experience. I used cake flour and it came out really spongy almost like angel food cake. I’m not sure if it’s the flour or just the recipe, but like you most of the cupcake is on the liner. The recipe said it buttered the liners for looks so I didn’t do that because the look didn’t matter too much to me.
Also, I was thinking the egg replacer would work better if added to the sugar and butter bowl not the milk bowl since typically in baking recipes that is where eggs are added. I wondered if that would make a difference in the rise?
Growing several hours from now when they are even more cool everything will be perfect like you experienced!
AnaLee says
Hoping, not growing :). I tried them out this morning and the texture is still like angel food cake but the cupcake does come off of the liner with some good pealing. I’m going to try these again to see if I can get it better next time! The flavor is great.
Niksam says
Hi Can i use this recipe to make a cake?
Madhuram says
Yes you can.
MINIBAKER101 says
I am doing a Science Fair project with, How do substitutes for eggs affect a cupcake and you helped so much.
Madhuram says
I'm glad that this helped you. Thanks for the feedback.
Disna says
Dear Madhuram, I would like to try this recipe. But can't find this egg replacer. What can I substitute for that? Pls reply. Thx.
Madhuram says
Hi Disna, I tried this recipe with yogurt and it didnt work out well. So I'm not able to suggest any other egg substitute for this particular recipe.
Crystal says
My niece is allergic to eggs so I tried this recipe for the holiday. It was absolutely fantastic! For the first time she got to enjoy cake like all the other kids in the family! Instead of making cupcakes, I made two small round cakes. They both came out moist and delicious! Thank you for such a wonderful recipe!
Madhuram says
I'm very glad that your niece was able to have cake for the first time, Crystal. Thank you very much for sharing your joy with me by leaving your valuable feedback.
Monica G says
I followed this recipe precisely. For me, it made 24 standard cupcakes AND a 6" round layer! I'm not complaining. My young daughter is allergic to eggs, so I decided to start experimenting with egg-free cake recipes to prepare for her 1st birthday that is in February. I haven't frosted yet, but I was dying to taste them. This cake is delicious!! My first experiment and we have a hit!! Thank you for this recipe.
Madhuram says
You're very welcome Monica.
Barbara says
How to convert cups to grams please?
Madhuram says
Please check this baking measurements page.
Abha Pradhan says
These were so amazing! I really loved it, especially because I am allergic to eggs. Also do you have a recipe for eggless Brownies that include Ener-G?
Madhuram says
Thanks Abha. I don't have brownie recipes using Ener-G. Check here for other eggless brownie recipes.
Shilpi Lakhera says
I need to know about cookies and muffins also the wheat cake
Madhuram says
Please check my eggless cookies page and eggless muffins page.
Seema says
Thank you for the recipe, may I please clarify in grams what quantity one and a quarter cup of sugar is? Thank you
Madhuram says
About 225 grams.
Ronny says
Great cakes
jenny says
Hi
Would like to try this recipe but we don't get egg replacement powder here. What is the best alternative substitute.
Many thanks
Madhuram says
Hmm...I have tried it once with yogurt and it didn't work out Jenny. So not sure. Why don't you try this eggless vanilla cupcake recipe instead?
Kate says
After baking two days prior to my son's birthday, can I refrigerate them before decorating or will they get hard. If I leave them outside they might go bad right.
Madhuram says
It will get a bit sticky is my guess. Maybe if you freeze them it would be better.
Asha says
Thank you Madhuram for the recipe! I tried it with buckwheat flour and it turn out to be the best cupcakes as ever.
Madhuram says
That's great Asha.
Vic says
I have tried this recipe twice. The flavor is good but the texture is gummy. I don't know if it is me or what. The only deviant was using whole milk and not 2%. The second baking I did use a different brand of egg replacer but got the same results. I can't say that I will make this cake again.
Madhuram says
Hmm..I'm getting mixed feedback with these cupcakes. Some people get it right and some don't. Guess I have to try it once again and see how it turns out.
Rohini says
Have a quick question to ask. Can you give me a half recipe of this?? 1 just need to bake only 1 cake. And i don't really know how to make the ingredients half
Madhuram says
This recipe is a tricky one to begin with. Some people get it right and some don't. So I'm not sure if I would try halving the recipe. But you can try it if you want to:
1 teaspoons Ener-G egg replacer powder
1.5 tablespoons lukewarm water
2/3rd cups Milk (I used 2%)
1/4 cup Water, divided
1/4 cup Butter, melted
1/2 cups Sugar
3/4 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
1 and 1/4 cups All Purpose Flour
1 and 1/4 teaspoons Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon Salt
Pamela says
Hi thank you for the scaled down recipe, I've tried this two times. Both of them had very runny batter. I even didn't add the half 1/4 cup water. How does the batter consistency supposed to be? I was using GF flour, soy milk and vegan butter. I converted all of them into grams and ml. 140 gr flour, 55 grams butter, 150 ml milk....
Madhuram says
My batter was a bit runny too. But I'm not sure if using gluten-free flour makes it even more runny.
Lavanya says
I tried baking cupcakes with whole milk instead of 2% milk. I had around 1 cup milk and eggreplacer mix leftover. Am I missing something there?
We still liked the end result. If I bake it next do I have to add just 3/4 cup of milk.
Thanks
Madhuram says
I guess I have to try this recipe again and blog about it because some of the visitors seems to be facing some issues while baking these cupcakes. Have to see what it is first hand.
Kristen says
Do you think it's better to bake this recipe as a whole birthday cake or should I use the original recipe? The birthday cake will have cream and strawberry filling and buttercream frosting. Thanks so much for your help
Madhuram says
I thought I already answered this. Hmm...Yes you can bake it as a whole cake in a 13x9 inch pan or two 8-inch pans.
Kristen says
If I make this into a full cake would I need to add vinegar and baking soda? Also, what size tin would I need. Thank you so much! It sounds delicious
Madhuram says
A 13x9 inch pan would be perfect one big cake. http://www.egglesscooking.com/eggless-vanilla-cake-recipe/ This is the original recipe and I baked them into cupcakes.
Kristen says
Thank you for reply so do you recommend that I bake this one as a whole cake or use the original recipe? The cake is for a friend's birthday party and will have buttercream and a strawberry/ cream filling. Which one of your recipes would recommend? Thank you for your efforts.
Madhuram says
It's basically the same recipe. The cake recipe uses condensed milk and the cupcake recipe I used milk and sugar instead of it. You can bake it as two 8 inch layers and can fill it with the strawberry filling and frost it with buttercream icing.
Nav says
I tried this recipie and made several trays but each lot turned out different. Why do I get a thick crust on the top of the cakes. I used Self raising flour and no baking powder .
Is the butter weighed after melting or before and how much would this be in grames?
Can you use oil instead ?
Thanks
Madhuram says
Thick crust maybe because it was baked a little too long. The butter is measured and then melted. 1/2 cup butter should be about 112 grams. That's what I see in the baking chart I have got here. Yes, you can use oil too.
Clare says
These are great!!
My boyfriend has an egg allergy, so I usually use my tried and tested banana bread recipe which I convert with other fruit to make cake. Depending on the fruit, this usually works. But to get proper Vanilla cupcakes that don't taste of something else, with that lovely springy soft centre... well, that's a challenge. This recipe is a true gem! saved to my file forever!
Madhuram says
Thanks for the feedback Clare. 🙂
Kavita says
I tried baking these cupcakes & the eggless vanilla cake and refrigerated them overnight. Next day when I cut them, they were a little on the firm side. Is that normal? When I decorate them, should I put some sugar/water syrup in between the layers to soften them or not required? Will they be soft after a while?
Madhuram says
Storing it in the fridge will make it a bit hard. Brushing it with sugar syrup will make it moist. You can do it for better texture.
Cyndi says
Would I double recipe if I want to make a 2-layer cake?
Madhuram says
This recipe should be enough to make two 8-inch layers.
Laura says
How long did you cook the 2 cake rounds for?
Thank you!
Laura
Madhuram says
I think it will take about 25-30 minutes.