This recipe is adapted from Nigella Lawson’s lemon tendercake. I have made this cake many times and it is favoured and preferred to egg-based cakes. Sometimes I use coconut milk, soya milk or almond milk. Any of these milk varieties will work. I sometimes use vegetable oil and sometimes coconut oil. Coconut oil solidifies in cooler temperature so melt in the microwave to liquefy.
This cake is one of the lightest cakes that I have eaten. It is bursting with lemony goodness, both in the cake and frosting.
The cake is rather pale in colour; colour that is normally provided by eggs and butter. Once you get past the light colour, the taste will rival any egg-based cupcakes. The sherbert frosting tastes exactly like sherbet as it perfectly balances the sweetness and tartness of this childhood treat.
Ingredients for Cupcakes
Makes 12 cupcakes
- 225g cake flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 150 ml of vegetable oil/coconut oil
- 150g caster sugar
- 275g coconut milk or soya milk
- 2 lemons, zest
- 3 TB lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla essence/extract
Method to make Cupcakes
- Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees celsius
- Fill muffin pan with cupcake liners.
- In a large mixing bowl add flour, sugar, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and salt.
- Add lemon zest and whisk together.
- In another bowl whisk oil, milk, vanilla and lemon juice.
- Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, and whisk till smooth and well combined. (mixture may separate initially but will come together smoothly as whisking continues)
- Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full.
- Bake for 20 -25 minutes.
- Cool and frost as desired.
Lemon Sherbet Frosting
- 60 g vegan margarine (Flora vegan, 60% fat)
- 1 lemon, zest
- 1 1/2 TB lemon juice
- 2 c sifted icing sugar
- Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl.
- Mix with an electric beater until well combined.
- Frost cupcakes.
