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.
Kristi says
Can I replace the egg substitute with something else? My daughter is allergic to eggs and egg substitutes! Please help
Madhuram says
This egg substitute does not have eggs in it Kristi. It's an egg free, gluten free vegan product.
Derpy Baker says
I had just finished buying a ton of baking supplies but I didn't have eggs! I tried to find a good Eggless cupcake recipies but all of them had terrible comments. I tried this one and it was a AMAZING! I almost fell backwards when trying these. I made a few more batches, I don't know how you do this but your clearly talented!
Madhuram says
Awww....thanks a bunch Derpy. 😀
Vijaya Chandramouli says
What is this egg- replacer that you use?
I have used flax seeds a few times.Could flax seed powder be used here in your recipe?
Many people use oil instead of butter - what oil would be best for a vegan cake?
Thanking you in anticipation.
Best wishes.
Madhuram says
It's commercial Egg replacer powder available in stores here in North America. I don't know from which part of the world you are. Flax seed powder might not work in this recipe. Any type of oil should work other than extra virgin olive oil. My personal preference is avocado oil because it's healthy fat than other refine seed oils.
Bhairavi says
Hii. The recipe sounds yummy. I would like to know whether there is any substitute other than the egg substitute powder that you are referring to. Like flax seeds for e.g. can you give me the quantity required for the othrr substitute too. Thanks.
Madhuram says
Hmm...I havent tried this recipe with any other substitute Bhairavi, so I'm unable to suggest you one. Sorry.
Lisa says
My son is turning 2 and is allergic to eggs and each time we would be at a gathering or what not the other kids would eat cake/cupcakes while I always have to shield him. So when I found this recipe I was thinking.. there is no way these could be good. BOY was I wrong! HE/WE LOVED THEM! Could not believe they were eggless! Thank you so much for this recipe you really helped me find a safe option for my son and I will be making these cupcakes again for his 2nd birthday on 12/20! God bless & Merry Christmas!
Madhuram says
You're very welcome Lisa. I'm very glad that your son can also enjoy these cupcakes. Thanks for the feedback. Happy baking and Merry Christmas to you too.
Suraksha says
Hi, I don't have a hand blender, can I still make this cupcake recipe without it?
Madhuram says
Yes you can. Just stir it with a spatula or wooden spoon. It should be fine.
payal says
Hey i hv tried this recipe few times now. N love it everytime. Thnx
how do i change this if i wanted a chocolate cupcake
thnx
Payal
Madhuram says
Thanks Payal. You can use maybe 1/2 a cup of unsweetened cocoa powder instead of all-purpose flour or better yet try my other simple chocolate cake recipes, especially the whacky vegan chocolate cake recipe.
Julie says
Can this same recipe make a cake instead of cupcakes? If so, what would the baking time be?
Thank you & thanks so much for posting eggless recipes!
Madhuram says
You're welcome Julie. I think about 30-35 mins should be fine if you are baking it in two 8/9 inch pans.
Chowringhee says
i am a south indian guy... and i love to eat cupcakes...
but i cant believe cup cakes can make without eggs but u done this...
thanks for sharing this madhuram.... now saw this recipe i am a big fan of yours...
Madhuram says
Thanks and you're welcome. 🙂
Prachi says
Hi,
I am a big follower of your recipes. I have tried few of them and they have turned out quite well. Specially because I do eggless baking, your recipes are a hit.
This is my next recipe that I want to try.The only issue is I do not want to use Ener-G egg replacer powder, since it contains potato starch in its ingredients. Can you suggest me some other substitute ? Will Bob’s Red Mill egg replacer work ?
Madhuram says
Thanks for the compliment Prachi. You can try and see if it works. I haven't tried that brand of egg replacer so far.
Sharadha says
Hello Madhuram,
I am following your blog for sometime now and it's been very heloful for me. I am planning to try out the eggless vanilla cup cake recipe and I need one clarification. If I substitute cake flour for all purpose flour, should I increase the quantity? Because a cup of cake flour weighs roughly 10 gms lesser than a cup of all purpose flour. when you tried out, did you substitute 1:1 or increased the quantity of cake flour? . Pl let me know. Ty
Madhuram says
I would suggest that you try it with all purpose flour itself because sometimes using cake flour and over mixing it too much results in flatter cupcakes.
etch says
Can i use something else other than Ener-g egg as a substitute? we dont find it in dubai thats why
also can i use the same recipe for cakes? probably by doubling it..
thanks 🙂
Madhuram says
I haven't tried this recipe without egg replacer. Why don't you try the other easy eggless cupcake recipe. That turns out good too.
Apoorva says
Hey,
What is the substitute for Egg Replacer Powder. I don't get it here.
Madhuram says
I guess you can try 1/4 cup of yogurt or pureed tofu.
Pooja says
Actually I have a doubt regarding baking, I have to bake 200 cup cakes, and I'm using oven continuously, first batch took 23 minutes and they came out well , then at once I pre heated oven n placed the next batch n set the same timing bt within 5 mins the cup cakes raised n flunked( same batter which I used in first batch) I didn't open the oven also...I'm tensed now regarding the timing if m using the oven, I would really be very thankful to you
Madhuram says
Hmm...do you think the oven temperature dropped for some reason?
Jennifer says
I made this recipe for my sons birthday cake last year. I had to make more than one batch but it worked great and tasted great! His birthday is next month so it's time once again to make another great eggless cake.
Madhuram says
That's great Jennifer. Thanks for the feedback.
Bhavini says
Hii..can I use condensed milk instead of egg replacer as I won't get in my nearby market...thnx....like ur recipe tempting to make but jus because of egg replacer m not able to try out....plzz suggest me for that...or can I put baking powder or baking soda instead of that
Madhuram says
I haven't tried it with any other substitute Bhavini. But why don't you try using 1/4 cup of yogurt or pureed silken tofu and see.
Tara says
Where do I add the 3 TBSP of warm water? It does not say in your recipe directions at all.
I made these tonight omitting the above. It was just the right thickness. Will let you know how they turned out. I made 12 muffins and small cake in an 8" round pan.
Madhuram says
I have asked to whip the egg replacer powder and the water in a blender, in point no.2, Tara.
Chinmayee says
Hi,
I can't thank you enough for this recipe. Its a keeper for sure. I have tried so many eggless vanilla cupcakes recipes (yes so much effort, time and raw material wastage like you did earlier). I am so glad that it came out so well, just like with egg - super soft and springy. I just made a batch today and will do more soon and try out variations with them too
Madhuram says
You're welcome Chinmayee.
Preeti says
Please give a recipe with ener-g egg replacer to make a regular cake in a pan. Coz birthdays are incomplete without a cake cutting
Madhuram says
I must have a couple of cake recipes, Preeti. Please check the eggless cakes page.
Taylor says
Hi I am planning on making these for my Halloween party because I have a younger cousin who is allergic to eggs. I found a really cute "candy corn cupcake" idea on Pinterest that calls for using food coloring and layering the batter, then removing the cupcake liners after baking. I've never tried it but it looks pretty simple. Do you think there would be any reason for that not to work with these? I've never cooked with an egg replacer, only bananas or applesauce, so I wasn't sure how they would turn out.
Madhuram says
Hi Taylor, this recipe has been getting mixed reviews, so I think it's better you try it with the other eggless cupcake recipe I have. http://www.egglesscooking.com/2012/03/26/easy-eggless-vanilla-cupcakes-recipe/
Susannah says
Am going to try this but have to use other alternatives - as well as egg intolerant I am wheat, gluten, yeast, barley and dairy!!
Madhuram says
Baking gluten-free is quite a task Susannah.
Chelsie says
I am SO GLAD I found this!!! My Son is extremely allergic to eggs and for his Birthday I had no idea what to do for Cake.. So I called a place that makes these but they want $60 for them.. Heck no I'll just bake them myself! Thank you SO MUCH!
Madhuram says
Hope it turns out good for you Chelsie. You could try this one too: http://www.egglesscooking.com/2012/03/26/easy-eggless-vanilla-cupcakes-recipe/
vanyda says
Actually I read one of the comments on what using a mixer could do so I did not use a mixer. I did open the oven once after they rose and they sunk shortly after. I was wondering if that caused it.
Madhuram says
Yes that could be it.
Josephine says
The cupcakes are very nice they turned better than I expected we used honey instead of sugar a I think this is a better alternative.I have also used the recipe vegan pancakes and I have them every breakfast.Thank you
Madhuram says
Thanks for trying the recipes and the feedback, Joesphine.
Rishika says
Thanks for this wonderful recipe! I've made these cupcakes many times, and everyone has loved them. Today, I want to use this recipe to make mini cupcakes (about 1/3 the size of regular cupcakes). How should I adjust the baking temperature and time?
Madhuram says
Thanks Rishika. You don't need to change the temperature but just reduce the baking time. I'm thinking 10-12 minutes should be fine.
Zaira says
What can I use instead of the egg replacer powder in the vanilla cupcakes.
Madhuram says
I'm not sure Zaira. 1/4 cup of yogurt might work Zaira.
Jenna says
Any idea of how long to bake when using mini cupcake pan? Thanks!
Madhuram says
I'm thinking 12-15 minutes. Just keep checking after 12 minutes.
Toni says
I'm soooooo excited to find this recipe - we have two children in our family with allergies (dairy, nut, gluten & of course, egg). Guess what I'm going to make this afternoon??!! 🙂
Aanchal says
Hi, I made some using this recipe, and they are great, and I plan to make them for a party next week. Any idea on how long before I can make them, and frost them at least a day before? I tried frosting and keep them refridgerated, but they became dry, and the frosting became uhhh after few mins. I would really appreciate your help. PS Love your blog - it is a lifesaver.
Madhuram says
Thank you very much Aanchal. I guess what you can do is bake it 2 days before the party. Do the frosting 1 day before. I think you should be fine storing the frosted cupcakes in an air-tight container on the counter itself without refrigerating it, unless you are using whipped cream frosting. Buttercream frosting won't go bad if you keep it out.
vanyda says
Mine rose after the first 10 minutes then they sunk. What happened?
Madhuram says
Did you use an electric beater for mixing the batter? I'm guessing that you over mixed it Vanyda.
Nikha .. says
Can you tell me where to find Ener-G? Thanks.
Madhuram says
If you live in US/Canada try it in the organic/baking aisle of major grocery stores or Whole Foods etc.
Ushma says
Hi
Great recipe. However, the bottom of the cake came out 'rubbery' texture. I used cake flour instead of all purpose flour. I followed all the steps as you mentioned. Can you suggest any reason why it came out like this? I used hand mixer to mix the batter.
Thank you.
Madhuram says
Maybe the baking time was more or did you by any chance over mix the batter?. If you did everything else right, I'm not able to guess what went wrong.
parool karsan says
please advise if ener-g-egg replacer powder is not available in
south African what else can I use
await to hear from you
Madhuram says
I have not tried any other substitute with this recipe. Why don't you try this Easy Eggless Vanilla Cupcakes instead.
Rashieda says
Hi
Thanks for a fantastic recipe! Just tried it now and it came out perfect! I only had self raising flour so used that instead with 1.5 tsp baking power. I used Orgran no egg powder available at Diskem in S.A. Only issue was the batter stuck to cupcake holders, so just used non-stick spray without the holders for second batch. Oh, I got 24 cupcakes out of this recipe 🙂
Thanks again!!
Madhuram says
You're welcome Rashieda. You can spray the cupcake liners with non-stick spray too if you want to remove the cupcakes quite immediately. If you leave the cupcakes for about an hour or two you will be able to peel off the wrapper without any problem.
Kiran says
Hi, can you tell me if you use castor sugar or granulated sugar or this recipe please. Thank you
Madhuram says
I used granulated sugar, Kiran.
Kiran says
Hi,
Can you please tell me if castor sugar or granulated sugar is required for this recepie?
Thank you
Madhuram says
Granulated sugar is used Kiran.
Suja says
I tried this recipe for kids 'bake a cupcake' afternoon. It was an instant hit!! I have made numerous eggless cakes, cupcakes and muffins, but the texture never matched that of an eggless cake. For the first time porous structure held up amazingly well..it was light and fluffy and most delicious! I used self raising flour and reduced baking powder to 1 tsp and the result was wonderful!! Thank you so much for at last I got full satisfaction of eggless cooking..adding it to my favourites!! Keep up the good work
Madhuram says
You're welcome Suja.
vaidehi says
Hi
This is the link to the recipe I want to replace flaxseed.
http://www.indianrecipevideo.com/Pages/EgglessChocolateCake.aspx
Pls let me know.
Madhuram says
I would suggest using 1/4 cup of applesauce and reducing the milk to 1/2 cup.
vaidehi says
Hi
Made these cupcakes last sat for a baby shower and the kids loved it. Personally I wished they were more fluffy. I loved the outer but inside it was little sticky so we could know its eggless. Can u suggest what can I add more next time to make it more fluffy as I want. Also I don't have electric mixer so all I did with a whisk. Is that the reason for the stickiness? Can u recommend me a electric hand mixer.
I have a recipe which calls for 11/2 tbsp flaseed powder but I don't have it so can I use apple sauce but how much quantity will equal 11/2 tbs flax powder.
Thanks for all these lovely recipes..
Madhuram says
Hi Vaidehi, I'm thinking that it required just a minute or 2 of extra baking time so that the inside didn't end up being sticky. But I feel that this recipe is quite tricky when it comes to the texture. 50% of the reader get it right and the others not that much. Personally I don't prefer using electric mixer with cake flour recipes because it messes up the texture. Reg. flax seed powder is it used as an egg replacement? If possible send me the link to the recipe and I will give my suggestion.
Karen says
Hi Madhuram!
I absolutely love this recipe and will be trying it over the weekend.
I'm a seasoned cook and baker and have a co-worker that I try to include when bringing baked goods in to share. So, yesterday I made eggless, dairyless chocolate cupcakes that were stellar. The recipe is "Aunt Martha's No egg, No Milk Cake". It is made with cocoa powder and is very good and the silkeness of it is unreal. I served them with fresh berries tossed in melted strawberry spreadable fruit (Smuckers). And, I substituted melted butter flavored crisco for the salad oil. I left a few cupcakes at home for us dairy consumers, but decided to add a frosting. I used 3 heaping tablespoons of cocoa, 2 tablespoons of evaporated milk, 1 1/4 cup of powdered sugar and 3 tablespoons of butter. The cupcakes are so rich...I ate 2! Thanks for your website (that I just discovered today). You are The Boss! 🙂 Blessings to you!
Madhuram says
Thank you very much Karen.
Naomi says
Madhuram love your recipes your chocolate cake I use for my sons birthday cake he is allergic to egg and milk which makes baking hard but your great recipes have helped so much.
I noticed on this thread someone looking for energ egg replacer it is available in some countries outside USA . I am in UK and we can get it by mail order from amazon with local suppliers so shipping fee is not astronomic one seller does free shipping.
Madhuram says
Thank you very much for the feedback and also for the tip about Ener-G. I really appreciate it.
Laura says
Hello!
I am looking to make these cupcakes, but I have a different egg replacer (Red Mills). Is that okay?
Thank you,
Laura
Madhuram says
I hope it works Laura. I have never tried Bob's egg replacer. Hope you can share with us the feedback once you are done.
Ashwini says
Hi!
Looking for a great fool proof vanilla cupcake recipe and wld love to try this, but no clue where I can find the egg replace powder, never seen one! Help!
Thanks!
Ashwini
Madhuram says
Where do you live Ashwini? This is available only in the US.
Triguna says
Finally a great non-vegan recipe! I am a along standing veg but I very much disagree with today's unhealthy vegan craze so it was great to find this. Keep up the good work!
Madhuram says
Thanks Triguna.
Tiffany says
I am going to make this tonight. My son has egg, soy, peanut and tree but allergies and I am always looking for excellent cake recipes. His birthday is tomorrow and I am making cupcakes to take to class and will be making a larger cake for his actual birthday cake.
Madhuram says
All the best Tiffany. Hope it turns out as good as you expect.
yazdan says
what is the cost of each cup cake ?
and how is weight of each ready cup cake/
Madhuram says
I'm not selling any of it and I don't know how much it weighs.
Preeti says
Hi,
I recently tried this recipe but to my disappoint the result was dismal. After going though the chain of comments, I realize 2 things that could have gone wrong- One that I tried to bake cake using just one 8 inch pan and thus the baking time got messed up and hence even after keeping the cake in oven for 30minutes, there were parts which were undercooked, second that I might have over mixed the batter. I will definitely try rectifying these. However I had a few questions and would be great if you could respond:
1) I use kitchen aid mixer to mix and beat all the ingredients. Does this lead to over mixing? Is there any suggestion on how to avoid this?
2) When I mix the energ with warm water, the mixture is more of a semi-solid and refuses to mix well with the milk and water? Am I doing something wrong here?
3) you mentioned yogurt could be used instead of energ and water but does this refer to half cup of water that is mixed with energ and milk to create the frothy mixture or are you referring to the teaspoons of water used to mix energ at the start?
I am quite new to baking and more so to eggless baking so any guidance/tip would be really helpful 🙂
Thanks,
Preeti
Madhuram says
Hi Preeti, the one mistake novice bakers do (I hear quite a lot of it) is changing the pan size and substituting one ingredient for the other and expecting the recipe to work perfectly. But don't get disheartened with these baking disasters because this is how I learned too. This recipe is quite big to be baked in an 8-inch pan. That's why it didn't work out for you. Do you mean a stand mixer or a hand held beater? If it's a stand mixer, yes it's too much mixing, especially if you had used cake flour. Just a wood spatula/spoon is enough for the mixing job if you don't have a beater. I generally blend together the Ener-G and warm water in my Magic Bullet until it's frothy. I can't figure out where I have mentioned that yogurt can be used instead of Ener-G. I'm guessing that I would have said it might work possibly but I haven't tried it myself. In that case you would still be using the water and milk but not the 3 tablespoons of water to whip up Ener-G.
Jillian Dalton says
Hi! Thank you for sharing your recipe! I would really like to try this tonight. We also need to leave out the dairy. Do you think this recipe would work with rice milk instead of soy milk? We don't really like the taste of soy here. Thank you!
Madhuram says
Yes it would Jilian.
Claudia says
I tried both flours and for the cake flour one you have to check after 15 min otherwise the cupcakes are over cooked, not burned.
Both versions taste so good!
Madhuram says
Thanks for the tip, Claudia.
Beryl says
This is the best eggless vanilla cupcake I have tried. Came out perfectly when I used all your hints. I doubled the recipe because I needed to make 24 cupcakes, but I got 24 cupcakes and still had enough to make a whole cake left over. I have to say, so much better than making cupcakes using a box mix plus soda. The cupcakes holds together so much better and tastes yummy too!
Madhuram says
Thank you very much Beryl.
Nina says
Do you know if the recipe will turn out the same if I use a different brand egg replacer? Thanks!
Nina
Madhuram says
I don't know Nina. You've got to try it.
Ravz says
This worked a treat for me... Didn't have any issues with it great
Madhuram says
That's great Ravz.