Coffee and Walnut Cupcakes (Vegan)

This makes a light and tasty cupcake! If you like a lot of buttercream icing then you may need to make extra…

Ingredients (makes 16 cakes)

  • 200 ml oat, soya or other dairy free milk
  • 2 tablespoon instant coffee
  • 1 tablespoon just boiled water
  • 200 g self raising flour (or 200g plain flour plus 1/2 tsp bicarb of soda and 1/2 tsp baking powder)
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • Optional ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (I didn’t and was happy without)
  • 100 g light brown or light muscovado sugar
  • 100 g golden caster sugar
  • 70 ml walnut oil or a flavourless oil (i used standard sunflower oil)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 50 g chopped walnuts

Vegan coffee icing

  • 1 tablespoon instant coffee
  • 1 teaspoon just boiled water
  • 100 g vegan diary free butter (I used Naturli Vegan Block)
  • 250 g icing sugar sifted

Method 

  • Heat your oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/350°F/Gas mark 4
  • Line your muffin tins with 16 muffin cases.
  • Mix your coffee with your just boiled water and set aside to cool then add your vanilla extract.
  • Sift together your flour, and salt (and bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and cinnamon if using).
  • Add your flour mixture and sugars together and give them a whizz together in your mixer to combine. 
  • If using a stand mixer add your oil, coffee, vanilla extract and milk mixture and beat on a medium high heat until smooth, ie about 30 seconds. If using a hand mixer add the oil/milk mix gradually and beat in as you go.
  • Mix in your chopped walnuts.
  • Add 2 heaped tablespoons of mix to each muffin case.
  • Bake in the centre of your oven for between 15-20 minutes until well risen (probably nearer the 20 min mark).
  • Remove from your oven and tin and place on a cooling rack.

For the buttercream icing:

  • Add your coffee and teaspoon of just boiled water together, mix and leave to cool.
  • Add your dairy free butter and sifted icing sugar and beat until fully combined.
  • Add in your coffee mixture and beat thoroughly.
  • Once the cakes are fully cooled ice your cakes how you choose! A little buttercream can go a long way. I went with dotted small stars and a sprinkle of walnuts, or you can go swirly for a bigger sugar hit!