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Banana Cupcakes with Dairy-Free Vanilla Frosting

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Fluffy and moist Banana Cupcakes topped with a simple vanilla buttercream and mouthwatering (and optional) caramel pecans! These dairy-free cupcakes can easily be made vegan or gluten-free, and if you like banana bread then you will love these!

Banana Cupcakes with Dairy-Free Vanilla Frosting

Who doesn’t love a fresh piece of banana bread? Top that with a delicious buttercream frosting and portion it into individual little cakes? Yes, please! These banana cupcakes are the perfect way to utilize your browning bananas, and they’re made extra special with the frosting and caramel pecans.

If you’ve made banana bread before, then you’ll find this recipe to be very similar. The dairy-free frosting comes together like any other American buttercream – you’ll beat the plant butter with vanilla extract, powdered sugar, and plant milk. I promise it’s very simple!

How to make the caramel pecans:

For the caramel pecans, you’ll whip up a simple dairy-free caramel by boiling water and sugar until it reaches a deep amber color. You’ll want to use a medium heavy-bottomed sauce pan, and once the water and sugar are in your pot, you don’t want to stir it or touch it at all (this prevents unwanted crystals from forming).

Once the water and sugar caramelize to a deep amber color, you’ll remove your pot from the heat and immediately (and slowly) pour in the coconut cream. I like to shake my can of coconut cream and have it all measured out and ready to go.

Then you’ll put the caramel back on the heat and bring the temperature up to between 235°F and 245°F (soft ball stage) – this will make the caramel set to a chewy texture. Immediately toss your pecans in the caramel and then lay them out on a parchment lined baking sheet to set. Do your best to separate the individual pecans while the caramel is still hot, so separate them right away – I like to use a fork (don’t touch the hot caramel!). The caramel will cool/set quickly, so your pecans will be set by the time you’re ready to frost your cupcakes.

Some of the ingredients + substitutions for these Banana Cupcakes:

All-purpose flour can be replaced with a GF all-purpose blend. For extra fluffy cupcakes, you can use 3/4 cup AP flour + 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour (one of my faves!).

Cinnamon adds depth to these cupcakes and I don’t recommend skipping it! I like to use Saigon cinnamon.

Sugar adds necessary sweetness. You can use coconut sugar, raw cane sugar, or white granulated (cane) sugar.

Eggs add fluff to these cupcakes. For vegan or eggless cupcakes, you can use 2 flax eggs instead. Mix 2 Tbsp flaxseed meal with 6 Tbsp warm water; mix and allow to thicken for 5 minutes.

Coconut cream (for the caramel pecans) is my favorite dairy-free milk for caramel. If you don’t follow a DF diet, you can use regular cream.

Yield: 12 Regular Cupcakes

Banana Cupcakes with Dairy-Free Vanilla Buttercream

Banana Cupcakes with Dairy-Free Vanilla Buttercream

Moist and fluffy banana cupcakes topped with a classic vanilla frosting and mouth-watering caramel pecans! These simple cupcakes are just the excuse you need to put those bananas on your counter to use.

Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 20 minutes
Additional Time 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes

Ingredients

Banana Cupakes

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar (or cane sugar)
  • 2 large eggs, room temp
  • 1/4 cup plant-based milk
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil (I used olive oil)
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 heaping cup mashed banana (3-4 medium bananas)

Vanilla Buttercream

  • 1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) plant-based butter, softened
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 4-5 Tbsp plant-based milk

Caramel Pecans

  • 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/4 cup coconut cream (from a shaken can)
  • 1 cup whole pecans

Instructions

Make the cupcakes:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and prepare a 12-count muffin pan with cupcake liners. Bring your eggs to room temperature by placing them in a glass of warm water for around 10 minutes.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon; set aside.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the coconut sugar and eggs. Whisk in the milk, oil, vanilla, and mashed banana. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry and gently mix until no flour pockets remain.
  4. Fill the cupcake liners/wells 3/4 full with the batter. Bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out with a few crumbs.
  5. Allow cupcakes to cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then carefully pull them out and transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Meanwhile, make the caramel pecans (optional):

  1. Prepare your coconut cream by shaking the can or (if solid) heating it until it's liquid. Measure out the coconut cream and set it up next to a folded dish towel/hot pad holder and wooden spoon (to mix the hot caramel).
  2. Set up a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside (to cool the caramel pecans later).
  3. In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, add the sugar and water, swirling gently until the sugar is soaked. Bring the mixture to a boil and heat until it reaches a deep amber color - this can take up to 20 minutes. Keep a close eye on the sugar because once it begins to darken, it cooks quickly and can easily burn. Do not, at any point, stir or agitate the sugar while it's boiling (this prevents crystals from forming).
  4. Immediately remove from the heat and place on your folded towel. Slowly pour the coconut cream into the mixture, stirring gently as your pour. Be careful as the hot caramel will bubble up!
  5. Once the coconut cream is mixed in, place the caramel back on the burner and bring to a boil, using a candy thermometer to monitor the heat. Bring to the soft ball stage, 235°F to 245°F, and then immediately remove from the heat.
  6. Add the whole pecans and gently toss in the caramel. Spoon them onto your parchment-lined baking sheet and use a fork to separate the pecans. Allow the pecans to set.

Once the cupcakes are cool, make the frosting:

  1. In a large bowl, beat together the softened butter and vanilla extract. Beat in the powdered sugar. Beat in 3 Tbsp of the milk until combined.
  2. Continue adding milk by the teaspoon until your frosting reaches a smooth, pipe-able, and stiff consistency. I like to take a knife or icing spatula and swirl the frosting in the bowl to test the consistency. If you're able to create swirls that stay in place, then your frosting should be good to go. If your frosting isn't stiff enough, add a little more powdered sugar, or add a little more milk if you can't easily swirl it.
  3. Pipe or spread the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes and immediately top with the caramel pecans or other toppings. I recommend frosting and decorating these cupcakes the day you plan to serve/eat them.
  4. Store leftover cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature.

Notes

  • For a stiffer frosting, replace 2 Tbsp of the butter with vegetable shortening
  • For less frosting, cut the recipe by 1/3: 1 stick butter + 3 cups powdered sugar + 1 tsp vanilla extract + 3-4 Tbsp plant-based milk
  • For vegan cupcakes, use flax eggs in place of eggs. Mix 2 Tbsp flaxseed meal with 6 Tbsp warm water; mix and allow to thicken for 5 minutes
  • For gluten-free cupcakes, replace the all-purpose flour with a GF all-purpose blend

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© Rachael | Sugared & Stirred
Cuisine: American / Category: Cake

Did you make this recipe?

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Lemon Cake Donuts with Lemon Icing (dairy-free)

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Sweet and tangy lemon cake in donut form! These Lemon Cake Donuts are topped with a simple (and equally tangy!) Lemon Icing. They’re quick and easy to make, and they’re a perfect treat any day of the week. Donuts on a Wednesday, anyone?

Lemon Cake Donuts with Lemon Icing

These lemon donuts are everything you want in a lemon dessert: tangy, light, and perfectly sweetened, and I love them. You all know how much I love chocolate (see here), but these donuts are irresistible – even for a chocolate lover like me! If you like lemon, then I have a feeling you will love these and also find them hard to resist!

These donuts come together by mixing the dry and wet ingredients separately and then combining them. If you’ve made baked donuts before, then you may be used to a thick, pipe-able batter. This batter, however, is thin enough to easily pour into your greased donut pan. I promise these donuts couldn’t get easier! And if you’re wondering, yes, these donuts are basically cake, which makes them totally delicious (and more fun to eat!).

Some of the ingredients + substitutes to make Lemon Cake Donuts:

All-purpose flour is the only flour I’ve tried for these donuts. If you’re wondering how to make them gluten-free then I recommend a GF all-purpose flour blend.

Cornstarch creates a more tender, cake-like donut. Instead of looking or feeling like a muffin, these donuts really are like cake!

Eggs bring fluffiness to these donuts. I haven’t tried any egg alternatives in this recipe, but I recommend using flax eggs if you’re looking for a vegan/egg-less recipe. 2 flax eggs = 2 Tbsp flaxseed meal + 6 Tbsp water; mix and allow to thicken for five minutes.

Oil adds much needed moisture. I’ve tested this recipe with melted coconut oil and olive oil. Feel free to use your favorite vegetable oil. If you decide to use melted coconut oil, it’s important that the rest of your ingredients be room temperature, including the eggs and milk.

Agave adds both moisture and sweetness. It’s sweeter than cane sugar and has a low GI. It’s better for you than honey or maple syrup, though either of those liquid sweeteners would be a fine replacement.

Sugar adds necessary sweetness. Feel free to use your favorite granulated sugar – raw cane, refined white cane, coconut, etc.

Lemon juice + zest add lots of natural lemon flavor! I recommend buying 5 or 6 lemons to juice and zest for this recipe. Zesting involves using a microplane or fine grater to grate/zest the yellow lemon peel, avoiding the bitter white underneath. Feel free to add as little or much as you’d like – you can even add it to the icing.

Yield: 12 Regular Donuts

Lemon Cake Donuts with Lemon Icing

Lemon Cake Donuts with Lemon Icing

Sweet and tangy baked donuts flavored with fresh lemon juice and zest! These irresistible lemon cake donuts are topped with a simple lemon icing and couldn't be more delicious!

Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Additional Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

Lemon Donuts

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 Tbsp corn starch
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 large eggs, room temp
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup plant-based milk
  • 6 Tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1/4 cup agave
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice (2-3 lemons)
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • Zest from 2-3 lemons

Lemon Icing

  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 3-4 Tbsp lemon juice (2-3 lemons)

Instructions

  1. Bring your eggs to room temperature by placing them in a glass of warm water for around 10 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 350°F and spray your donut pan(s) with nonstick spray (I used olive oil spray).
  2. In a large bowl (I like to use a large glass bowl with a pour spout for easy transfer of the batter to the donut pan), sift the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix together with a large whisk and then set aside.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar. Whisk in the milk, oil, agave, lemon juice, and vanilla until well combined. Add liquid ingredients to the dry and gently mix with a large spoon or spatula until no flour pockets remain; stir in the lemon zest.
  4. Pour the batter into the donut pan wells, filling them nearly to the top. Bake donuts at 350°F for 8-9 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a donut comes out with a few crumbs.
  5. Let donuts cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then turn the pan over onto a cooling rack, banging the pan lightly on the rack (or in the air) until all of the donuts release. Turn donuts right side up and allow them to cool. If you have more batter, bake the rest of the donuts now.
  6. Once your donuts are totally cool, you can make the icing. In a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar with 2 Tbsp of lemon juice. Mix until no sugar lumps remain, adding more lemon juice 1/2 tsp at a time until you have a thick but pourable icing. When you lift your spoon up, the icing "ribbons" should take around 3 full seconds to disappear.
  7. Dip the top of each donut into the icing, submerging it until the icing fills the hole. Lift up, shake the excess icing off, and then flip the donut right side up to set on the cooling rack. Alternatively, you can spoon the icing over the tops of each donut (this method is definitely easier!).
  8. Top your donuts with lemon zest (I used dried lemon zest that had been zested the day before), sprinkles, or coconut flakes and enjoy!
  9. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.

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© Rachael | Sugared & Stirred
Cuisine: American / Category: Cake

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @sugaredandstirred on Instagram and hashtag #sugaredandstirred

Chocolate Orange Cupcakes (DF + vegan option)

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I’m back at it again with the chocolate and orange, because it’s one of my favorite combos and I just can’t get enough. These cupcakes are moist and fluffy and topped with an amazing chocolate orange buttercream frosting made with vegan butter! Swap the eggs out for flax eggs in the cupcakes, and you’ll have delicious, can’t-tell-they’re-vegan vegan cupcakes!

The cupcakes are made with oil instead of butter, and you’ll hand mix the batter. No stand mixer or beaters required for the batter. And no alternating ingredients. Just simple mixing. The buttercream comes together easily (with a hand mixer!) and is one of my favorite non-dairy treats – that’s because it tastes just like regular, indulgent, and totally delicious buttercream!

Some of the ingredients I like for these cupcakes, along with possible substitutes:

Coconut sugar is a low GI, unrefined sugar. It tastes nothing like coconut, and it’s better for us than regular cane sugar – it’s my favorite, go-to sweetener for baked goods! If you don’t have this on hand, feel free to replace it with any kind of cane sugar (raw, white, or brown).

Raw cane sugar is just an unrefined version of the white sugar we all know and love. It’s less processed and usually organic. Again, this can be replaced with more coconut sugar or another kind of cane sugar.

Coconut oil adds much needed moisture to these cupcakes. You can replace it with your favorite oil – I recommend avocado or olive oil.

Eggs can be replaced with flax eggs. For three flax eggs, mix 3 Tbsp flaxseed meal with 9 Tbsp of warm water; allow to thicken for 5 minutes.

Oat milk has become my absolute favorite plant-based milk. It’s creamy and sweet, and I’ve been loving it in everything. Of course, you can use whatever plant milk you’d like.

Orange zest, extract, and juice all add to the wonderful orange flavor we love in these chocolate cupcakes. Don’t skimp!

Dutch process cocoa powder is richer in flavor and darker in color than regular (natural) cocoa. I like it for the frosting here because it helps balance the sweetness of all that powdered sugar and creates a beautiful color. Feel free to use natural cocoa powder in its place OR, for a richer frosting, replace some of the powdered sugar with more cocoa powder.

Vegetable shortening helps thicken the vegan buttercream, stiffening it a bit to allow for melt-free piping. You can use more vegan butter in its place, but your frosting may be a little melty after piping.

Yield: 18 Cupcakes

Chocolate Orange Cupcakes

Chocolate Orange Cupcakes

Super moist, naturally flavored chocolate orange cupcakes topped with a decadent, can't-tell-it's-vegan chocolate orange buttercream!

Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 15 minutes
Additional Time 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients

Chocolate Orange Cupcakes

  • 1 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup natural (regular) cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar
  • 1/2 cup unrefined (raw) cane sugar
  • 3 large eggs, room temp (or 3 flax eggs if vegan - see note)
  • 2/3 cup coconut oil, liquid
  • 1/2 cup orange juice
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp orange extract
  • 1 cup oat milk, hot
  • Zest from 3 medium oranges

Chocolate Orange Buttercream

  • 1 cup vegan butter (2 sticks), softened
  • 1/4 cup vegetable shortening
  • Zest from 3 medium oranges
  • 3/4 tsp orange extract
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 7 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 cup Dutch process cocoa powder
  • 6-8 Tbsp orange juice

Instructions

For the Cupcakes

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a regular cupcake pan with paper liners. Bring your eggs to room temperature by placing them in a glass of warm water for around 10 minutes.
  2. In a large bowl, sift the flour and cocoa powder. Whisk in the baking powder, baking soda, and salt, whisking until ingredients are uniform in color; set aside.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugars and eggs. Whisk in the liquid coconut oil, orange juice, and vanilla and orange extracts. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry and gently mix together.
  4. Finally, add the hot oat milk and fresh orange zest and stir until totally combined - the batter will be very thin.
  5. Fill the cupcake liners 3/4 full (you should have about 18 cupcakes). Bake at 350°F for 13-15 minutes or until the cupcakes spring back when lightly tapped. Alternatively, you can insert a toothpick into the middle of a cupcake - you'll know they're down when there are a few crumbs on the toothpick.
  6. Allow cupcakes to cool in the pan for five minutes, and then gently transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Prepare the Frosting

  1. In a large bowl, beat together the vegan butter and vegetable shortening until smooth. Beat in the orange zest, and the orange and vanilla extracts.
  2. Sift in 1 cup of the powdered sugar and the cocoa powder and beat until well combined.
  3. Beat in the remaining powdered sugar and the orange juice, alternating between the two. For example, beat in another 3 cups of powdered sugar, then beat in 3 Tbsp of orange juice, add the rest of the powdered sugar, and then add orange juice until the frosting reaches a thick and stiff consistency that's still easily spreadable.
  4. Add frosting to a piping bag (or gallon plastic bag) fitted with your choice of piping tip - I used a Wilton 1M tip. I like to place the piping bag, with the tip, into an empty glass, folding the excess bag over the edge of the glass. Then you can easily fill the bag with frosting.
  5. Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes, starting from the outside edge and going toward the middle as you work your way up. Keep the pressure steady and the bag upright as you pipe.
  6. Top cupcakes with your choice of toppings. I chose a spoonful of melted chocolate (thinned with olive oil*), orange zest, and a chocolate ball.
  7. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for maximum freshness.

Notes

  • This frosting recipe makes enough to pipe 18 regular cupcakes with some frosting leftover.
  • For a chocolate drizzle, melt ~1/4 cup of chocolate chips and then stir in olive oil, a small splash at a time, until the chocolate is thin enough to drizzle - you want it to stream continuously off of a spoon.
  • For vegan cupcakes, use 3 flax eggs: (mix 3 Tbsp flaxseed meal + 9 Tbsp warm water, allow to thicken for five minutes)

© Rachael | Sugared & Stirred
Cuisine: American / Category: Cake

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @sugaredandstirred on Instagram and hashtag #sugaredandstirred

More orange + chocolate recipes:

Orange Dark Chocolate Chunk Cookies (dairy-free + vegan option)
Grain-Free Orange Brownies (dairy-free)
Orange Cranberry Chocolate Chunk Cookies (dairy-free)

Mini Chocolate Bundt Cakes with Brown Sugar Icing (DF)

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These Mini Chocolate Bundt Cakes have to be one of my favorite recipes. The cake batter is so easy to get together, and it comes out perfectly moist and tender every time! And the Brown Sugar Icing on these cakes is the perfect compliment to the chocolate flavor! I don’t eat all of most of the sweets that I bake, but I’ve been snacking on these the past couple of days, keeping them all to myself. They’re good. And I just can’t resist the convenient, “grab-and-go” size of the mini bundts!

For this recipe, getting the icing drizzle/drip just right can be a bit tricky. The Brown Sugar Icing will begin to set pretty quickly, so you’ll have to move fast and spoon a liberal amount of the icing around the tops and sides of each cake. If you try to go back over a spot, it won’t blend in with any previous drizzle, so I recommend spooning too much than too little. For the chocolate curls on top of my cakes, I tempered some dark chocolate and followed this video tutorial. If you’ve never tempered chocolate before, feel free to check out the post I made recently: Tempered Chocolate Bark.

Some of the ingredients I like for this recipe:

Olive oil makes for a delicious and moist cake! Feel free to use your favorite vegetable oil. If you choose to use melted coconut oil, you’ll need to make sure your other ingredients are room temperature (including your eggs).

Eggs add fluffiness to these mini cakes. I haven’t tried any vegan egg replacements for this specific recipe, so I can’t vouch for how the texture would turn out.

Instant coffee granules help deepen the chocolate flavor in these cakes. You don’t taste the coffee at all, and if you keep a jar of the granules on hand, you can use them in future chocolate recipes (muffins, brownies, etc)!

Brown sugar makes the brown sugar icing! I don’t recommend any substitutes. 

Powdered sugar thickens up the icing and gives it that classic icing texture.

Yield: 6 Mini Bundt Cakes

Mini Chocolate Bundt Cakes with Brown Sugar Icing

Mini Chocolate Bundt Cakes with Brown Sugar Icing

Perfectly moist and tender mini chocolate bundt cakes topped with a simple brown sugar icing. Totally dairy-free and delicious, these decadent little cakes are the perfect mini dessert!

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Additional Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes

Ingredients

Chocolate Cake

  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar (or cane sugar)
  • 2 large eggs (or 2 flax eggs if vegan)
  • 1/4 cup plant-based milk
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp instant coffee granules (optional)
  • 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup regular cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Brown Sugar Icing

  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup plant-based milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and generously spray six mini bundt pans with non-stick spray (I used olive oil spray).
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the coconut sugar, eggs, milk, oil, vanilla, and instant coffee granules. Whisk in the applesauce and set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, sift the flour and cocoa powder. Whisk in the baking soda, baking powder, and salt until mixture is well combined. Add in the wet ingredients and use a large utensil to mix until batter is totally combined and lump-free.
  4. Divide cake batter evenly amongst the prepared bundt pans. Bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into a cake comes out clean or with a few crumbs. Allow cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Turn each cake over onto a cooling rack, banging the pan once it's flipped - your cakes should pop right out. Allow cakes to totally cool.
  5. Once your cakes are cool, you can make the icing. In a medium saucepan, add the brown sugar and milk. Whisk together and bring just to a boil. Immediately remove from the heat and whisk in the vanilla. Allow mixture to cool for 5 minutes. Sift in the powdered sugar and whisk until icing is smooth and no sugar lumps remain.
  6. Your icing should be thin enough to drizzle, but it will set quickly. Use a spoon to generously drip icing over the tops and down the sides of each bundt. The icing will begin to harden right away, so you only have once chance to get the perfect drip! If your icing starts to set before you get all of your cakes iced, hold the pan over a hot burner and whisk until the mixture is thin/warm again.
  7. Allow your cakes to totally set before enjoying!
  8. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

Notes

  • If vegan, 2 flax eggs = 2 Tbsp flaxseed meal + 6 Tbsp warm water, allowed to thicken for five minutes
  • The bake time of 15-20 minutes is based on mini bundt pans 4" in diameter. You may need to adjust the bake time depending on the size of your mini pans.
  • For homemade chocolate curls, check out this video tutorial that I followed. To temper your dark chocolate, follow the steps in my post about tempering.
  • You may or may not use all the icing, which is why I don't provide generated nutrition information for this recipe.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

© Rachael | Sugared & Stirred
Cuisine: American / Category: Cake

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @sugaredandstirred on Instagram and hashtag #sugaredandstirred

Other cake recipes you might like:

Chocolate Sheet Cake with Dark Chocolate Frosting (DF)
Mulled Apple Cider Cake with Penuche (brown sugar) Frosting (DF)
Banana Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Frosting (DF)
Vegan Chocolate Banana Cake Donuts

Mulled Apple Cider Cake with Penuche Frosting (DF)

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It’s apple season! And also one of my favorite seasons for indulging in all things sweet. The air is cooling and all of the upcoming holidays just have me feeling extra happy and eager. I’ve been dying to use apple cider in something for a couple of weeks now, and a simple sheet cake (loaded with frosting!) was a no-brainer. I love cake. And since I’m dairy-free I rarely get to indulge in it. Growing up, my grandma would make layered caked with penuche frosting. I didn’t know what exactly it was at the time, I just knew it was delicious and that she would have a plate of the leftovers waiting in the refrigerator for my mom (and me!) to snack on. Yes, I ate a lot of sugar growing up. Penuche frosting is made with brown sugar, so it’s super sweet with its own distinct (and totally mouth watering) flavor.

I was a bit nervous to make the frosting for the first time as I’d attempted it with coconut sugar before and failed. But it came out perfectly! I used vegan stick butter and almond milk, and I couldn’t be happier with the results. You’ll add all of the ingredients, except the powdered sugar, to a small saucepan, bring to a boil, and then allow that mixture to cool completely. Then you’ll simply beat in the powdered sugar! It’s time consuming since it can take up to 2-3 hours for the mixture to totally cool, but it’s a pretty simple, fail-proof recipe. The cake itself is easy. You don’t have to use mulled apple cider, but you’ll need to reduce the cider for around 20-30 minutes anyway so why not add in a cinnamon stick (or ground cinnamon) and a few orange slices? The result is a spicy, more flavorful apple cider. Then you’ll add lots of spice into the batter for extra fall flavor. For this, feel free to adjust the spices to your liking!

Some of the ingredients I like for this recipe:

Whole wheat pastry flour adds fluff to this cake. This flour is a staple in my pantry for baking cakes and quick breads. I love it, and I highly recommend it for this recipe! You can use all-purpose flour in its place, but I promise the WWPF really makes a difference in the cakes texture.

Coconut sugar is my go-to sweetener. It’s unrefined, low GI, and doesn’t taste like coconut. Plus, it tastes less sweet than regular white sugar, which helps balance the sweetness of the penuche frosting.

Mulled apple cider is a delicious and spicy warm cider that bring in lots of fall flavor to this cake. Feel free to reduce your apple cider without the added spice/orange.

Applesauce brings moisture and sweetness to this cake! Plus, it goes along with the apple theme, so I felt it was perfect.

Light brown sugar is necessary for the traditional penuche frosting. The molasses taste adds a unique flavor to the frosting. I don’t recommend any substitutes as I’ve tried coconut sugar in the past with no luck.

Yield: 18 Slices

Mulled Apple Cider Cake with Penuche Frosting

Mulled Apple Cider Cake with Penuche Frosting

A soft spice cake made with mulled apple cider and applesauce! Topped with a decadent, dairy-free brown sugar frosting, this sheet cake is the perfect fall and holiday dessert!

Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 20 minutes
Additional Time 3 hours
Total Time 4 hours 20 minutes

Ingredients

Apple Cider Cake

  • 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground allspice
  • 1 tsp ground cloves
  • 3/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1 1/2 cups apple cider, reduced
  • 1 cinnamon stick (optional)
  • 1/2 an orange, sliced (optional)
  • 3/4 cup coconut sugar (or light brown sugar)
  • 1/2 cup neutral oil
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 large eggs, room temp (or 3 flax eggs)
  • Heaping 1 cup applesauce

Penuche Frosting

  • 3/4 cup vegan butter (or butter)
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3-4 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

  1. Add the apple cider, cinnamon stick, and sliced orange to a small pot. Bring to a boil and then simmer until liquid reduces to a 1/2 cup. This can take up to 30 minutes. Once reduced, set aside to cool and remove cinnamon stick and orange slices. This is also a good time to bring your eggs to room temperature - place them in a glass of warm water until you're ready to make the cake batter.
  2. While the mulled apple cider is cooling, preheat your oven to 350°F. Prepare a 9x13" cake pan with non-stick spray and (optional) line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
  3. In a medium mixing bowl, add the flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices. Whisk until well combined; set aside.
  4. In a large bowl, beat together the mulled apple cider, coconut sugar, oil, vanilla, eggs, and applesauce until combined. Beat in the dry ingredients until batter is smooth - about 1 minute.
  5. Bake cake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out with a few crumbs. To frost the cake out of the pan (like I did) allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes. Then invert it onto a cooling rack, remove the parchment paper, and invert the cake onto another cooling rack so it's right side up. OR allow cake to cool completely in the pan.
  6. While your cake is cooling, start the frosting. Add the vegan butter, brown sugar, and almond milk to a medium saucepan. Bring mixture to a full boil then immediately remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Transfer to a medium mixing bowl to cool completely - the cooling process can take up to a couple of hours.
  7. Once your cake and brown sugar mixture have totally cooled, add 3 cups of sifted powdered sugar to the brown sugar mixture. Beat with a whisk attachment until smooth. Add powdered sugar by the 1/4 cup until you've reached a thick, smooth, spreadable consistency. If it becomes too thick, add a little plant-based milk 1 tsp at a time.
  8. Frost your cake with an icing spatula, swirling it around the cake. The frosting may shift a bit on the cake, but it'll will eventually set up.
  9. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for maximum freshness.

Notes

  • A neutral oil is one with a light taste, like extra light olive oil, refined coconut oil, or avocado oil. For this recipe, I used extra light olive oil.
  • For the penuche frosting, your brown sugar mixture must be completely cool in order for the frosting to turn out. This took a couple of hours for me, so it's important to start your frosting while your cake is cooling!

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© Rachael | Sugared & Stirred
Cuisine: American / Category: Cake

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