vegan buttercream

Name: Banana Cupcakes with Dairy-Free Vanilla Buttercream
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 2 h 20 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 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); 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; 1/2 cup white granulated sugar; 1/4 cup water; 1/4 cup coconut cream (from a shaken can); 1 cup whole pecans

Banana Cupcakes with Dairy-Free Vanilla Frosting

May 1, 2020 by Rachael Ng 1 Comment

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

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:

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.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon; set aside.
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.
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.
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):

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).
Set up a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside (to cool the caramel pecans later).
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).
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!
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.
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:

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.
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.
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.
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

Chocolate Orange Cupcakes (DF + vegan option)

March 16, 2020 by Rachael Ng Leave a Comment

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

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

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.
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.
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.
Finally, add the hot oat milk and fresh orange zest and stir until totally combined - the batter will be very thin.
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.
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

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.
Sift in 1 cup of the powdered sugar and the cocoa powder and beat until well combined.
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.
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.
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.
Top cupcakes with your choice of toppings. I chose a spoonful of melted chocolate (thinned with olive oil*), orange zest, and a chocolate ball.
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)

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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)

Orange Loaf with Almond Buttercream (DF)

January 17, 2020 by Rachael Ng Leave a Comment

It’s citrus season – yay! – and I have been on an orange kick. Pregnancy related? Perhaps. Nonetheless, give me ALL the orange juice and orange desserts, please! I was craving my Orange Almond Muffins but also wanted cake (because frosting), so I re-created my muffin recipe in a loaf pan and then topped it off with a delicious, simple buttercream flavored with almond extract. Talk about good.

I’ve been really into almond extract frosting since eating an almond cupcake at a local bakery. And creating my own, dairy-free almond frosting was a no-brainer since I only needed to swap out the standard vanilla extract for almond. So easy. And such a perfect pairing with the orange loaf.

For this quick bread, you’ll mix the liquid and dry ingredients separately, combine them, and bake them all up in a loaf pan. Once cooled, you’ll whip up a simple vegan buttercream (of course you can use regular butter, too!) to spread over the top. It’s like cake, but less sweet. And you can control how much frosting you use, so feel free to add as little as you like. Or, if you’re like me, slather the whole batch onto that loaf and don’t look back.

Some of the ingredients I like for this recipe + how you can substitute some of them:

Coconut sugar is my go-to sweetener for most baked goods. It’s unrefined, low GI, and doesn’t taste like coconut. If you prefer, you can use granulated white sugar or brown sugar in its place.

Olive oil is a staple in my pantry, and I love the fact that it’s always in liquid form, making it quicker and easier to use than coconut oil or vegan butter. It adds moisture to this recipe, so feel free to swap it out with your favorite oil. Be aware that if you melt down coconut oil as as substitute, your other ingredients must be room temperature.

Unsweetened applesauce adds additional sweetness and moisture to this loaf. It’s another of my go-to ingredients for my quick breads and cakes because I love the moist texture it helps me achieve. Plus, it’s not loaded with extra sugar, nor does it create any apple taste in the final product.

Whole wheat pastry flour is my absolute favorite flour for muffins. I promise it makes a huge difference in the fluffiness of this recipe. I’ve made my quick breads with both WWPF and regular all-purpose flour, and I’m always disappointed in the texture the AP flour creates since it’s simply not as light or fluffy. However, you can use regular all-purpose flour if you’d like (or if it’s more convenient) – your loaf just won’t be as fluffy.

Orange juice + orange zest are both necessary for the wonderful orange flavor of this bread. The fresh orange zest is where it’s at, and I’m really not sure you can add too much!

Vegan butter (in stick form!) helps create the best, like-the-real-deal vegan buttercream. Along with a little bit of vegetable shortening, you’ll get a spreadable but firm buttercream perfect for swirling. If you’d prefer to not use shortening, you can use more vegan butter instead, but your frosting will not be as stable.

Almond extract is another necessary ingredient! I love how it tastes in both the bread and the frosting in this recipe. If you know you’re not the biggest fan of almond extract, you can easily turn this into an orange vanilla loaf by swapping the almond extract with vanilla extract in both the loaf and the frosting.

Yield: 8 Slices

Orange Loaf with Almond Buttercream

Orange almond quick bread flavored with fresh squeezed OJ, orange rind and almond extract! An easy and delicious loaf paired perfectly with a fluffy vegan almond buttercream - a mouth-watering twist on standard vanilla frosting.

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Additional Time 1 hour

Total Time 2 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

Orange Loaf

2 large eggs, room temp (or 2 flax eggs*)
1/3 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup plant-based milk
1/4 cup orange juice
2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 1/2 tsp almond extract
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose flour**)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp fresh orange zest (3-4 medium oranges)

Almond Buttercream

1/4 cup vegan butter stick, room temp
2 Tbsp vegetable shortening (or more vegan butter***)
1/4-1/2 tsp almond extract, to taste
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2-4 tsp plant-based milk

Instructions

Make the Quick Bread

Preheat your oven to 350°F and generously spray an 8x4" loaf pan with non-stick spray (I used olive oil spray). Bring your eggs to room temperature by placing them in a glass of warm water for around 10 minutes. Now is also a good time to set your vegan butter out on the counter to soften.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs (or flax eggs), coconut sugar, olive oil, "milk", orange juice, almond extract, and applesauce; set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry and gently mix until nearly combined. Add in the orange zest and mix until no four pockets remain.
Pour batter into your prepared loaf pan and bake at 350°F for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out with a few crumbs.
Allow loaf to cool in the pan for 10 minutes then turn it over onto a cooling rack, flipping the loaf right side up once it pops out. If your loaf seems stuck, use a butter knife to loosen the edges before turning the pan over. Allow your loaf to totally cool before making your frosting.

Make the Frosting

In a medium bowl, beat together the softened vegan butter and shortening until smooth. Beat in 1/4 tsp of the almond extract, and then the powdered sugar. Taste the frosting to see if you'd like to add the extra 1/4 tsp of almond extract (I did), and then beat it in. Finally, beat in the plant-based milk 1 tsp at a time until you reach a thick but spreadable consistency.
Top the cooled loaf with the frosting as much as you'd like!) and use a small icing spatula to evenly spread it over the top, swirling as desired. Top with more orange zest or sprinkles. If your frosting seems at all melty, pop the entire loaf in the refrigerator for 10 minutes. Slice and enjoy!
Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator if your home is warm.

Notes

*2 Flax Eggs = 2 Tbsp flaxseed meal + 6 Tbsp warm water. Mix and allow to thicken for 5 minutes

**All-purpose flour will yield a less fluffy bread

***Using all vegan butter will result in a softer, less firm buttercream

Hummingbird Cake with Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting

April 17, 2019 by Rachael Ng 7 Comments

You may know by now that I try to make desserts that are both delicious and (a bit) better for you than traditional baked goods. But when it comes to cake, I simply can’t accept any substitutes for a sugary, buttery frosting. Keep your whipped cream and coconut butter, I NEED BUTTERCREAM. Or in my case vegan buttercream.

I’ve attempted vegan buttercream frostings in the past, and this one is by far my favorite. It’s devilishly sweet, buttery tasting, and stable enough to frost a 3-layer cake in an 80°F apartment. The secret? Add a bit of vegetable shortening. Yes. I know. Maybe you think it’s gross or too unhealthy. But the shortening really helps to stabilize this frosting. You could leave the shortening out and replace it with vegan butter, but I can’t vouch for the results.

As for making the vegan buttercream, it really is so simple. You’ll need vegan butter (I used Earth Balance Buttery Sticks), vegan cream cheese (I used Trader Joe’s brand), vegetable shortening, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar. Lots of powdered sugar. You’ll want the vegan butter to soften to room temperature, but you’ll keep the vegan cream cheese in the refrigerator until you’re ready to make your frosting. Before you add the cream cheese to your mixing bowl, pour out any liquid that has pooled at the top.

The cake itself is pretty straight-forward. I made an 8″ 3-layer cake, but this amount of batter will work for a 9″ 2-layer cake or even a thick 6″ 3-layer cake. For 8″ or 9″ pans, the cake layers will be thin and flat enough that you won’t need to trim the tops off. For a totally vegan cake, check the “notes” section below.

Some of the ingredients I love for this recipe:

Banana and pineapple make up a classic Hummingbird Cake. I like my bananas mashed and my pineapple crushed but feel free to chop your banana or use pineapple chunks!

Toasted pecans have a more prominent flavor than non toasted pecans, and it takes so little time to pop them in the oven and let them toast.

Extra light olive oil gives this cake moisture while maintaining a low flavor profile.

White whole wheat flour is a whole wheat flour that’s lighter in color and sweeter in taste. It’s milled from the whole hard white wheat berry, so it has more naturally occurring nutrients than all-purpose flour.

All-purpose flour helps keep this cake soft. It balances out the white whole wheat flour.

Cinnamon and nutmeg add a bit of cozy spice. Feel free to play with your spices, adding more or less to suit your tastes.

Yield: 12 Slices

Hummingbird Cake with Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting

A classic hummingbird cake made dairy-free (or vegan)! With bananas, pineapple, toasted pecans, and thick layers of you-can't-tell-it's-vegan Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting, this cake will not disappoint!

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Additional Time 2 hours

Total Time 2 hours 50 minutes

Ingredients

Hummingbird Cake

1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
3/4 cup coconut sugar
5 Tbsp unsweetened almond milk
6 Tbsp extra light olive oil
3 large eggs (or 3 flax eggs, if vegan - see notes)
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups mashed ripe banana (~2-3 bananas)
1 cup (8oz) crushed pineapple (with juice)
3/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted

Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2 cup vegan butter, softened to room temp (I used Earth Balance Buttery Sticks)
1/4 cup shortening
8oz vegan cream cheese, straight from the refrigerator (I used Trader Joe's brand)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/2-2 lbs powdered sugar

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F and prepare your cake pans. Spray each pan with olive oil and then line the bottoms with a parchment paper circle. If your pecans aren't already toasted, now would be a good time to toast them - spread them out on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F for around 10 minutes or until toasted. If you plan to frost your cake the same day, you can set out your vegan butter.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and coconut sugar. Stir in the toasted chopped pecans.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond milk, olive oil, eggs, and vanilla extract. Add in the mashed banana and pineapple. Add liquid ingredients to dry and gently mix until no flour pockets remain.
Divide the batter equally into your pans. For three 8" pans, bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the middle comes out with a few crumbs, being sure to rotate your pans halfway through baking.
Allow cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to a cooling rack. Run a butter knife around the edges, invert a cooling rack over the top, and then flip over. Your cakes should all come out easily. Gently remove the parchment paper circles and throw away.
Once your cakes have cooled completely, you can make your frosting. Drain liquid from the vegan cream cheese, and then, in a large bowl, beat together the vegan butter, shortening, and vegan cream cheese until smooth. Beat in the vanilla extract. Add 16oz of the powdered sugar and beat. Continue adding powdered sugar until you've reached the desired consistency. If you end up adding too much sugar, you can add water or nut milk 1 tsp at a time to thin the frosting out.
Now you can begin frosting your cake! I added 3/4 cup of frosting between each layer and then smoothed the rest onto the sides and top of the cake. Decorate your cake with pecans and enjoy! Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator if your home is warm.

Notes

For vegan cake: use 3 flax eggs in place of the eggs. 1 flax egg = 1 Tbsp flaxseed meal + 3 Tbsp water. Let thicken for 5 minutes.
For 2-layer cake: this recipe will also work for two 9" cakes. Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes, check cakes, and continue baking until done.
To make ahead: Cakes can be made in advance. Once totally cool, wrap each cake in plastic wrap and then wrap in foil, being sure to seal totally. Refrigerate until ready to frost.
For less sugar: you can use less frosting between the layers and make a "naked" cake.

vegan buttercream

Banana Cupcakes with Dairy-Free Vanilla Frosting

How to make the caramel pecans:

Some of the ingredients + substitutions for these Banana Cupcakes:

Ingredients

Banana Cupakes

Vanilla Buttercream

Caramel Pecans

Instructions

Make the cupcakes:

Meanwhile, make the caramel pecans (optional):

Once the cupcakes are cool, make the frosting:

Notes

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Did you make this recipe?

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

Ingredients

Chocolate Orange Cupcakes

Chocolate Orange Buttercream

Instructions

Notes

Did you make this recipe?

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)

Some of the ingredients I like for this recipe + how you can substitute some of them:

Ingredients

Orange Loaf

Almond Buttercream

Instructions

Notes

Recommended Products

Did you make this recipe?

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Some of the ingredients I love for this recipe:

Ingredients

Hummingbird Cake

Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting

Instructions

Notes

Recommended Products

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

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