Description
These Vegan Cardamom Rose Cupcakes combine fragrant cardamom-spiced vanilla cupcake batter with a delicate rose-flavored vegan frosting, creating a beautifully aromatic and elegant treat. Perfect for special occasions or anytime you want a light, floral dessert that is both dairy-free and plant-based.
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- ¾ cup oat or almond milk
- ⅔ cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons olive oil (or any liquid oil)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)
- 1 ¼ cups pastry flour (or 1 cup + 2 tbsp all purpose flour + 2 tbsp cornstarch for similar results)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
Frosting
- ½ cup vegan butter
- ¼ cup shortening
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)
- ½ teaspoon rosewater (adjust to taste)
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar (add more if a sweeter frosting is desired)
Garnish
- 2 tablespoons dried edible rose petals (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven and prepare muffin tin: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a muffin tin with 9 to 10 cupcake liners and set aside.
- Mix wet ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the oat or almond milk, sugar, olive oil, and vanilla bean paste until fully combined.
- Sift and add dry ingredients: Using a flour sifter, gradually add pastry flour, salt, ground cardamom, baking powder, and baking soda to the wet mixture. Whisk gently until a smooth, lump-free batter forms.
- Fill cupcake liners: Spoon the batter into each cupcake liner, filling about ¾ full to allow room for rising during baking.
- Bake the cupcakes: Place the muffin tin in the oven and bake for 20 to 23 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool cupcakes: Remove the cupcakes from the oven and let them cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Then transfer them onto a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
- Prepare the rose frosting: While the cupcakes cool, combine the vegan butter and shortening in a mixing bowl. Use an electric mixer to cream them together until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Add flavoring to frosting: Mix in the rosewater and vanilla bean paste, then whip for an additional 30 seconds to blend fully.
- Add powdered sugar: Gradually add the powdered sugar, about ½ cup at a time, while mixing on low speed until the frosting is smooth and has reached desired sweetness.
- Frost cupcakes: Transfer the frosting to a piping bag and generously pipe it onto each cooled cupcake.
- Garnish and serve: Sprinkle dried edible rose petals on top of the frosted cupcakes for an elegant finishing touch. Enjoy!
Notes
- For a gluten-free option, substitute pastry flour with a gluten-free pastry blend and add xanthan gum if needed.
- If you don’t have rosewater, you can omit it or substitute with a small amount of rose syrup for a sweeter flavor.
- Ensure cupcakes are completely cooled before frosting to prevent melting.
- The frosting sweetness can be adjusted by adding more or less powdered sugar to taste.
- Dried rose petals are optional but enhance presentation and add subtle fragrance.
