Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

This is the recipe that made me fall in love with Vegan baking from the start - the basic Vanilla Cupcakes from Isa & Terry's Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World.  I'm sure it is a recipe that many people have come across if you're into vegan baking or baking cupcakes as it has been posted in multiple places all over the web.  There are 75 dairy-free cupcake recipes in the book, and it is really cheap to purchase at Amazon or your local bookstore, so I highly recommend that you check it out if you haven't already!

After I initially baked these cupcakes, of course I had to run out and buy the book, and then proceed to bake copious amounts of different cupcakes on my own and with friends.  So, let's get baking, and whip up a batch of super sweet and yummy, light and fluffy vanilla cupcakes with vanilla buttercream frosting!

1 cup soymilk

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar 
1 1/4 cups flour 
2 tablespoons cornstarch\
3/4 teaspoon baking powder 
1/2 teaspoon baking soda 
1/4 teaspoon salt 
1/2 cup margarine
3/4 cup sugar 
2 teaspoons vanilla 
1/4 teaspoon almond extract or 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract 

This recipe makes 12 cupcakes.  Preheat oven to 350F and line muffin pan with paper liners.  Whisk the soy milk and the vinegar together and let sit a few minutes until curdled.

Sift the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a large bowl and mix.
In a separate large bowl,use a handheld mixer at medium speed to cream the margarine and sugar for about 2 minutes until light and fluffy, but don't beat past 2 minutes. Beat in the vanilla and other extract, if using, alternate beating in the soy milk mixture and the dry ingredients, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl a few times.

Fill cupcake liners two-thirds of the way and bake for 20 to 22 minutes till done. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting (you may want to half this recipe unless you want twice as much icing! This will frost 24 cupcakes):



1/2 cup nonhydrogenated shortening
1/2 cup nonhydrogenated margarine
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted if clumpy 
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 
1/4 cup plain soy milk or soy creamer


Beat the shortening and margarine together until well combined and fluffy. Add the sugar and beat for about 3 more minutes.
Add the vanilla and soy milk, and beat for another 5 to 7 minutes until fluffy.