Everyone needs the perfect cupcake recipe and here it is!
Chocolate and Vanilla Vegan Fudge Cupcakes
Both varieties are easy to whip up and the fudge icing can be made while the cupcakes are baking.
For two dozen cupcakes in less than 2 hours!
This fudge icing recipe is almost a exact replica of the one I made when I had my bakery.
Only now it’s veganized and reduced sugar so it’s better than ever!
Alternatively you can make up a batch of Ganache Icing instead for a much less sweet and decadent icing for these cupcakes!
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL YOUTUBE VIDEO TUTORIAL FOR HOW TO MAKE THESE CUPCAKES
Not affiliated with any of the products or companies linked below
Notes for Success:
Gluten Free Notes are included on both recipes linked below and both recipes work great with a 1:1 GF sub!
Click through to read more about it on each respective recipe
Additionally sugar free baking can be easily accommodated with both of those recipes!
Vegan Sprinkles are optional and you can even make your own with my easy 3 ingredient recipe!
Fill the cupcake liners slightly more than half full
Each recipe linked for the cake batter will make about 24 cupcakes
Vegan Fudge Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1 Recipe Vanilla Cake
- 1 Recipe Chocolate Cake
- 1 Recipe Fudge Icing
- Sprinkles as needed
Instructions
- Follow the cake recipes according to the recipe linked above and bake the batter in a standard cupcake tin lined with paper liners.
- While they are baking prepare the fudge icing or ganache if you prefer
- Watch the video tutorial for how to ice these!
Video
Notes
These look absolutely lovely! Tender and sweet. I love vegan cupcakes made with flax! I actually love the flavor.
How would you make this recipe gluten free? What would you use Instead of the cake flour?
Vanja, I used a standard 1-1 GF flour mix available to me, and measured by weight, not volume. It worked so well, the club members who ate these cupcakes were raving about them and had no idea they were GF and vegan. They were so fluffy and tender. I also used almond milk with ACV as the vegan buttermilk, half (by weight) of caster sugar and organic coconut sugar, and Nuttelex vegan butter substitute (I’m in Australia). The recipe worked perfectly 🙂
Oh! These cupcakes look too good! Love that shiny chocolate frosting on top!!
Hi Gretchen, when I watch the tutorial on this page, it shows flax seed meal being added to the chocolate cupcake batter. But when I click on the ‘chocolate cake recipe’ link, it does not show flaxseed egg as an ingredient. Where can I get this cupcake recipe with the flax in it? Thank you for all your work, I love all your posts you are so inspiring!
Hi Rose, I am sorry I did not see this comment! CLICK HERE FOR THAT RECIPE
As I said on youtube this is the best vanilla recipe I have ever had. I want to make this into a layer cake with a strawberry filling. Would I use the same baking instructions as far as temps? Is it best to do this as a 7, 8 or 9 inch? Do I triple the recipe for a 3 layer? Sorry for all the questions but I am so excited!!!!!
I would say double for 3-7″ layers is good, temps same times may vary bake until its done 8″ or 9″ triple
This vanilla recipe is so amazingly fluffy and moist!!! I am addicted but having a little bad luck with taste. They were a bit salty and I think. the double flax altered mine a bit. I think my vanilla isn’t strong enough:(. I use Watkins. Hoping you have any ideas what I could do? I have the same scale as you. I used earth balance original in the small tub and almond breeze unsweetened almond milk. Not sure if that would make a difference? Thank you so much for converting your recipes and creating new ones, this is a vegan home baker’s heaven!
Yes I Love this recipe! I find that the earth balance can be salty so if you are using that, it could be that. A pinch of salt would probably do or none at all.
Using a real vanilla extract like this one click here is essential to getting the best flavor. Or even a vanilla paste is great
and thank YOU too! 🙂
oooh ok that’s what I thought , I can’t wait to try them again, they are amazing and going to be epic soon haha! your channel has me obsessed even more with baking! Thank you for the reply xoxo
i forgot to mention i used cornstarch + flour instead of cake flour.. if that could change the flavor
it should not
Hi Gretchen! Thank you so much for sharing your videos and recipes!! I’m loving your Vegan recipes. I have an allergy to eggs, dairy, and soy. It won’t kill me, but I try to avoid it as much as I can.
I like baking and decorating sheet cakes and round cakes for my kids’ and family’s birthdays. Do you have a sheet cake recipe with an egg substitute that will hold up, raise the cake in the middle and not fall, and act as a good replacement for eggs? Have you ever tried Ener-G Foods brand Egg-Replacer in cakes? If so, does it work well for you? Thanks!
Hi Great thanks and welcome!! I have various cake recipes and all an be turned into cake layers like this one, even though I made it into cupcakes, you can double the recipe for 2-8″ layers of 1 -12″ x18″ layer for a sheet cake.
Click here for more CAKE RECIPES
Hi Gretchen. I made your vegan fudge icing recipe this weekend. It’s super good! I’m not vegan but my fiancé and I both have issues eating dairy so I was looking for a good frosting recipe that didn’t have butter or milk. This was great! We both already use earth balance. I found I had to add a pinch of salt to help balance the sweetness. I’ve been watching you on YouTube for years! I also made your pumpkin spice cheesecake with the ginger snap crust last thanksgiving and it got rave reviews as well. You are one of my top go to people for good baking recipes. Thanks!!
awesome! thankyou!
Hello Gretchen!! Could you recommend me a good brand of flax meal/flax seed?? I made mine with the King A’s flax meal and they came out too chewy. And I am sure is not the recipe because I have made lots of your recipes and they ALWAYS come out GREAT!!! Thank You!!
Hi Linda thanks! I have been using either Bob’s Red Mill or Spectrum and I buy it already ground. I get 8g per Tbs so just be sure you are not packing the spoon heavy (if you are not weighing it) since the measure could then get thrown off and quite possibly you are getting more flax meal than the recipe requires CLICK HERE for more info
What is vegetable shortening and ground flex seed. I am from India. Please can u suggest substitute as well
Sure, CLICK HERE for substitutions for the shortening and flax seed is a seed that we grind to meal and when water is added it gets goopy and acts as an egg replacer
hi shipla, flax seeds are called dalda in hindi, any dryfruit wala will have them, also called linseed
sorry i meant alsi, which is flax seeds and daldais shortening.
Hi Gretchen! I made the vanilla cupcakes and they turned amazingly fluffy but the top of the cupcakes cracked and after they cooled it got hard like cornbread but the inside remain fluffy, what I could be doing wrong? I used regular flour and added to it cornstarch, also my oven is a convection, so I started with 350F then went to 325F.
Hmm, sounds odd. I make this recipe all the time for cake layers, cupcakes etc… I have not had anything like that happen. I wonder if it the convection setting making the tops bake faster? If you can turn that function off, try it in just a regular oven and see what happens
Your recipe was really yummy. But i am new to baking i have gas oven and cupcakes top was hard. Can you tell me please how to improve or check whats the jssue qith my oven or any step i did wrong. Thank you ????.
I cannot wait to make these, they looks incredible!!
I do have a few questions tougj- in india we dont get stuff like earth balance so can i replace the butter with the same measurement of a neutral oil or margarine?
I also wonder if I can use a neutral oil instead of coconut oil? thank you gretchen for all that create for us vegans! <3
Hi Yes margarine would be fine! And yes to any oil you like! thanks!
In the vanilla cupcake recipe, i must use cake flour and NOT all purpose flour, is that correct??
Also, for this recipe and your Vegan Buttercream recipe, is it necessary to use the high ratio shortening? Can the shortening be replaced by more butter or anything else? I’m asking because you mentioned it helps with styling purposes and what not, but i only care about the texture and flavour. Does it also contribute to overall taste and texture? I can get my hands on the high ratio shortening at bulk barn in Canada but it is not the sweetex brand, although i assume it would work the same if not very close. Really hope to hear from you as i am looking SO forward to making the vanilla cupcake with either the icing in this recipe or your buttercream one ( https://www.gretchensbakery.com/vegan-buttercream/ )
I have used both and it works fine both ways, the idea is that AP flour will absorb more moisture in the recipe, whereas cake flour does not, cake flour will give a finer texture (some may not even notice though) You can use all butter for the icing, the shortening is for stability however now that sweetex has changed their formula, it is worse than ever, I have used spectrum shortening and it gives a very soft outcome, so all butter works too
Hello Gretchen! Your recipes have been a blessing ♥️ Thank you for taking your time to do this all! I was wondering what your favorite vanilla cake recipe is out of the ones you have here in your blog?
Hi Tammy thank you!! It is this one here for the vanilla cupcakes! This was a veganized version of my favorite Butter Cake from before I went vegan and it is so great, versatile and can be make into cake layers and I even used it to make the lady fingers sponge for my Tiramisu Cheesecake!
Thanks for always teaching Gretchen! What high ratio shortening do you recommend, I’ve see a few different ones online? I live in the US.
I was using sweetex until they changed their formula, then I used Spectrum but it is VERY soft, and thats the opposite of what we expect shortening to do for us, so I resorted back to Crisco
Thanks!
Hello Gretchen. I love all your recipes online and have your book. Could I sub brown rice syrup for the corn syrup in the fudge icing? Thanks for all the great recipes. Aleen
yes sure and thank you!!
Hi Gretchen,
For the fudge icing, can you substitute both the corn syrup measurements with golden syrup?
Thank you.
yes definitely
Hi Gretchen! I would like to check with you, what kind of granulated sugar you’re using? And is it Vegan with char bone free?
Yes ZULKA brand is vegan
Thank you, thank you, thank you! My Mom makes cakes for a lot of family birthdays and she hasn’t been able to find a vegan cake recipe in which the cake stays firm enough and ‘together’ enough to decorate easily. Lately she’s resorted to getting other people to supply a non-vegan cake for her to decorate.
So we asked a baker for tips and she recommended you. I just made this vanilla cake – I used a hand mixer and took it out of the oven twice, just having to put it back in because it didn’t seem done. (I’m not a baker!) And still it turned out wonderfully! I made your vegan caramel sauce and used store bought icing. My non-vegan family was extremely impressed with the taste of the cake and with the caramel sauce.
My Mom is very impressed with how the cake held up to decorating and is even considering using this recipe for a wedding cake! I only hope I can be as successful the next time I use this recipe. The only thing I want to change is to find a different egg replacer that works as well as the flax but doesn’t change the colour of the cake.
I will be recommending your recipes to my vegan community and buying your cook book.
Thank you again!!!
WOW!! I love this! Thankyou so much! I am so happy you are happy with this recipe! It truly is the best vegan vanilla cake! On my To-Do list is plans to make JUST the vanilla cake so I can easily direct people to the CAKE recipe and they wont have to convert it from cupcakes, I think I would LOVE to read your comment on my video so people can get a first hand testimonial from someone who has tried it! thanks again!!
On your fudge icing, what changes would you make if you didn’t care if its vegan or not? Thanks
Yes thanks! Vegan butter= cow butter that’s it!
These recipes are amazing, thankful I came across them!
Out of curiosity have you tried any gluten free flour blends or recommend any to substitute? Aside from a peanut and egg allergy, a student is gluten intolerant. Any suggestions are appreciated, thank you ?
Hi Thank you! I do not do any gluten free baking, and have learned that when it come to GF it’s pretty much a straight up sub 1:1 in NON vegan recipes, but once the vegan aspect comes into play it does change things!
My friend Deborah is GF & Vegan and her website has a lot of great info for this!
CLICK HERE
When you use coconut oil do you like to use refined or unrefined?
I use refined I get this one from AMAZON
Hi Gretchen,
Have you tried the vanilla cupcake recipe with any other milk? I find there is a slught after taste and wondered if it was the soy?
I haven’t found that- but I am not particularly sensitive to soy milk. I have used almond though and it’s totally fine, use any milk you like really (oat is good too)
Hi Gretchen,
Just wondering if these would freeze ok? I’m wanting to make the chocolate one in a 6” tin and freeze.
yes they do
Hello Gretchen, I must say, thanks god for you becoming vegan and making this beautiful recipes. I have your new book and I also did your course online about egg replacers, I love the way you explain every little detail, I do have a question for you, does the texture, flavors or consistency, of the cupcakes or any cake that requires vegan butter, changes if instead I am using margarine? Cause for me is so much easy to find it anywhere, along with a better price…
Thanks again, and I am looking forward for a vegan pastrie school, maybe? If so.. Count me in…!!!
HI Thank you! Yes I also use Margarine at times when I cannot get the EB or it is too expensive! I hear ya! It is a straight sub no changes needed!
My new favorite cupcake recipe, thank you!
Hi Gretchen! I’ve been a fan for a while (before the vegan recipes 🙂
I was wondering, could I use eggs in the cake recipe? If so, how many? And it would replace the flax meal, is that correct? I’d love to bake these for Easter, just not sure if anyone would taste the flax as an off flavor.
Thanks!
Hi Thanks you so much! This recipe has been perfected with the flax (and no, no one would taste it- I have nothing but NON vegans in my life and they all are in awe of how these cupcakes taste, and quite honestly have all said BEST CUPCAKES they have ever tried!) If you do not want to make them vegan though, I would recommend to find a non vegan recipe that is more suitable for you. But I DO hope you try this recipe! You will not be sorry!
Hi Gretchen!
First I just want to say I am absolutely loving your recipes!!! I made a cake with your vanilla cake recipe, and my super non-vegan family loved it!!! I made a raspberry buttercream and lemon curd filling to go with. So yummy!! Thank you so very much!
Second…
Is there any way to tweak the recipe a bit to get more of a done on the vanilla cupcakes? I feel like mine are either flat (which is cool) or go in a little bit. Thank you for your time ??
Hi Gretchen! SO, these look fabulous! Im a vegan of 8 years and admittedly have a serious sweet tooth, white cake happens to be my absolute favorite! Always love to find great new vanilla cake recipe. I Can’t wait to try these for myself BUT FIRST I will be making 132 of them for a customer whom asked for a 100 cupcake cake plus a few extra! Crazy! Lol. However I do have a question, if I were to sub canola or vegetable oil for the EB to cut the cost down for both her and myself would the difference be THAT great? I’ve actually never seen EB or any vegan butter used in vegan cake recipes. But I bet it’s delicious. Thank You!
Hi Thanks! Since this is a creaming method recipe you cannot use oil, as it will not cream.
I really need help with this recipe. I’ve tried making the vanilla cupcakes three different times now, and each time when they come out of the oven they immediately deflate and form a crater in the middle, leaving me with dense and misshapen cupcakes. I’m at my wits end at this point, because I’m following the directions and can’t figure out what could be causing this issue.
Hmm, the recipe is pretty straight forward, so I am not sure what you could be doing wrong.
3X eh? If you say you are following exactly as the video & written directions then I really can’t say what is happening!
Hi Gretchen,
Absolutely love your many recipes! They’re always on point. I have a question on this recipe about the vegan butter. Could I use vegan shortening instead?
Thanks so much!!
Julie
Hi Julie thankyou!! Vegan butter is essentially shortening after all, so YES!
Hi Gretchen!
I would like to do a half vanilla / half chocolate cupcake (for a Neapolitan cupcake). Is that an option with these two recipes? I noticed that the cooking temps and times are different for both cupcake recipes.
Thanks a bunch!
Hi Sorry for the late reply. Yes you can just stick with 350F and bake them until they are done CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO on How to Know When Your Cakes are Done
Hai!
my frosting is very light brown. I would like it darker, would you know how?
Thanks! Anne
yes it will get darker over time (usually the next day)
can I use almond milk instead of soy milk
I used almond milk from Costco. It worked beautifully.
Hi Gretchen,
Vanilla which u hv mentioned in d comments for Ladona. Will that be used in d same qty as described in d recipe or it should be used in less qty ?
Thanks n tc
Mru
I am not seeing all the comments here, sorry so I am not really sure what you are asking. vanilla extract? Could be the same in both recipes, no worries
Hi, could I use lemon juice or apple cider vinegar in place of white vinegar?
Also, I was wondering how your cupcakes are beautifully white? Every recipe I prep with flax eggs, the cakes show brown bits from the flax. ????????♀️
Tia x
yes definitely! I use golden flax, fine grind!
Thank you 🙂 x
I’ve never been satisfied with a vanilla cake recipe but this one… I should’ve looked for vegan ones earlier that weren’t the depression cake (chocolate is fine, but vanilla is ick). This was delicious! I did use a real egg because I didn’t have flax in the house (mainly dairy-free stuff I had on hand), but other than that, great! Sub flax + water for 1 egg if you have chickens. I’ve always used a chocolate vegan recipe because it’s easy. I loved your recipes before being vegan and love them now. Thank you ❤️
I’m not sure if this question has been asked. Instead of baking cupcakes I want to bake a cake instead. How long should I bake it for? I’m not sure if it matters but I bake with a gas oven instead of an electric oven. No matter what I bake the times from any instructions are always off.
Hey sure you can bake this recipe into a cake, this is actually the same recipe that was originally my VANILLA CAKE RECIPE so you may want to check that out and just use that as a reference. I bake in 7″ cake pans though. Because I like 3 layers. But I write more about that on that blog post 🙂
*as for the gas v electric oven, I’m not sure what you mean by “the times are way off” meaning too much or too little?
At any rate, I always set the first timer for 18 minutes for cake layers then I check BY HAND from there. CLICK HERE for HOW TO KNOW WHEN YOUR CAKE IS BAKED
Thank you
Hi!
Thank you very much for your recipe <3
I was wondering if is not too much 900 gr of sugar glass for the vegan fung icing.
Is a lot 🙂
Hi! I know this is a very heavy sugar recipe, but traditional fudge always is! 🙂
You can cut it down slightly, but it can change the consistency- I would recommend for those who want a low sugar option just use GANACHE ICING
Heyyyy Gretchen, I tried the vegan vanilla cupcakes & they were delicious. I used ground flaxseed & you could see the flecks of it in the cupcakes. Should I have used a finer version? Also could I use the plant based egg? If so what plant based egg to water ratio do I use? Thanks.
Hi! I use golden flax to avoid seeing any of the flecks, but yes you can absolutely use the PBE! Since the PBE is added to the dry (2 teaspoons) just be sure to add the liquid that was used for reconstituting the flax back into the recipe with the wet ingredients (typically I forgo the water and just use more plant milk)
Delicious recipe! The flax seeds are quite visible in the final photo (click the link below). Is this normal? Is there anyway to make them less visible? I use bobs red mill golden flax meal.
https://imgur.com/a/NVyzMtr
Unfortunately if the flax has flecks, it will show through- but yours seems really prominent!Are you sure they were golden? Mine are barely visible
At any rate, can always use an egg replacer instead as I do here CLICK HERE for egg replacer version cake recipe
OR– I have a NO EGG REPLACER recipe too! No flax no egg replacer! CLICK HERE
Hi Gretchen! I’ve tried these Vanilla cupcakes out a few times, and each time as they are in the oven they are rising beautifully. Then as I take them out of the oven, the beautiful dome on top falls flat! They still taste absolutely delicious, best vegan white cake I’ve ever tried! But I like domed cupcakes. I make sure not open the oven to soon and to not overmix the batter. Any idea why this is happening?? Thank you!
Hi! I think you could be filling them too much? This is the #1 cause of that, test out another batch and maybe just fill half way to see if that helps
Ooo maybe. I think ‘more batter, higher dome!’ So I will try with less, thank you for your quick reply!
Hi Gretchen! Thanks for sharing your recipes! They are truly the best vegan cakes/cupcakes I’ve ever had, and I am not vegan.
I made the chocolate cupcake twice this week, it was that good. Some I gave to friends and others to family. I noticed that the recipe says 12 cupcakes but both times I ended up with only 9. Was there a typo on the measurement (105g) ? Or is it my baking pan? I got the standard Wilton 12 cupcake pan though. Any thoughts??
Thanks!
Hi Gretchen!! I made these vanilla cupcakes today! They are DELICIOUS!!! So light and fluffy! I did think mine lacked a touch of umph though. I wonder if I didn’t add enough to each muffin tin? I used a 3TBS scoop. How much do you usually put in?
THANKS!
YAY! awesome! I too love this recipe! I also use a 3Tbs scooper but I got really heavy on it, so mine end up being probably 4Tbs per cupcake, whichi s why I never get 12 cupcakes out of it! LOL
OK! Thanks! I used your cake recipe to get 24 cupcakes. BUT, I ended up getting almost 36. So, I think I just needed to add more to each tin. I have been paranoid about adding too much because I often get the puff around the sides when i do. 🙁 I also didn’t see your instruction to do 375 for the first part then reduce the heat. So, I did 350 the whole time. Definitely going to try again!