Vegan Vanilla Custard Cupcakes

This recipe makes 18 cupcakes that are perfect for any occasion! And they only cost 25p to make each? Let's get into the recipe:

Cupcake Batter
You’ll need:

Wet Ingredients:

270g plain soya yogurt
65g almond milk
25g lemon juice
1 tbsp vanilla flavoring
Sweetener to taste (optional)
100g melted baking margarine
75g brown sugar
225g caster sugar

Dry Ingredients:

1/2 tsp salt
245g plain flour
35g custard powder
1 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder

Buttercream Icing
You’ll need:

360g icing sugar
225g block butter (vegan)
30g almond milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Decoration:

18 mini jammy wheels (or any mini shortbread biscuits)

How to Make Them
For the Cupcakes: Prepare Wet and Dry Mixes:

1) combine your almond milk and lemon juice to create a buttermilk mixture.
2) In a bowl, whisk together the soya yogurt, vanilla flavoring, buttermilk mix and melted margarine. Adjust sweetness with a sweetener if needed.
3) In a separate bowl, sift together the salt, brown sugar, caster sugar, plain flour, custard powder, bicarbonate of soda, and baking powder.
4) Combine; Gradually fold the wet ingredients into the dry mixture until just combined. Avoid over-mixing to keep the batter light.
5) Divide and Bake; Line a cupcake tray with 18 cases. Divide the batter equally among the cases.
6) Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 18 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
7) Let the cupcakes cool in the tray for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the Buttercream Icing
1) In a large bowl, beat the room temperature block butter until creamy.
2) Add the almond milk and vanilla extract, and whip until light and fluffy. Adjust the consistency with more almond milk if necessary.
3) Gradually add the icing sugar, beating continuously until smooth.

Assemble and Decorate
Use a piping bag to swirl the buttercream on top of each cooled cupcake.
Place a mini jammy wheel on top of each cupcake as a decorative finishing touch.

Tips and Variations
Custom Decorations: Swap the jammy wheels for your favorite biscuits, sprinkles, or fresh fruit.
Different Plant Milks: You can use oat milk or coconut milk instead of almond milk for subtle flavor variations.
Custard powder can be substituted for cornflour. Just adjust your vanilla flavouring accordingly.
Feel free to use whatever sugar you have on hand, as long as you have 300g of it the recipe should still work. Granulated sugar can be blended to create caster sugar, caster sugar can be blended to create icing sugar, brown sugar can be made by adding molasses to regular sugar.

Storage: These cupcakes are best stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to a week.
Freezer Friendly: Freeze undecorated cupcakes for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before icing.

These indulgent vegan cupcakes are soft, fluffy, and packed with the nostalgic flavors of vanilla and custard. Topped with a creamy buttercream and a mini jammy wheel, they’re as delightful to look at as they are to eat. Plus, they are just the perfect blend of fun and flavor. Whether you’re baking for a party or treating yourself, they’re sure to be a hit. Feel free to share your creations and let us know what you thought about this recipe!