OK, vegans and vegan-allied people, we need to talk about your vanilla cakes. True to my nature, I’m going to be blunt: your vanilla cakes are awful. I know, I know, anything you can do, I can do vegan and all that. I understand the knee jerk reaction to jump the defence of any and all vegan foods. The vanilla cakes are stodgy and gummy, taste of baking powder and are far too heavy. This all distracts from what is supposed to be the most light and fluffy cake in your baking arsenal. You know the recipe I’m talking about if you’ve ever made vegan vanilla cupcakes. It’s a disgrace. You try to google a different recipe and that one comes up over and over. I knew I could do better. You can do better.

The thing about vanilla cake is – well, you have to bring your best to the table because it’s so simple and the flavour is so muted that any imbalance is going to stick out. Texture is everything. There’s a reason chocolate cake is easier to make taste delicious; every flavour outside of vanilla is going to be more forgiving.

In honour of my milestone birthday coming up this Sunday, I am debuting a recipe I’ve been working on for the better part of a year. It only seems fitting that I post this for such a big birthday. 10 points to whatever Hogwarts’ House you belong to if you can guess it.

These are everything I wanted: a balanced vanilla cake with the right amount of moisture while avoiding being too heavy. It’s light and fluffy. Just the right amount of sweetness; perfect as it is or dressed up.

It seems important to mention: baking is science and that becomes even more evident with gluten-free flour mixes. If you want my results, please use my flour. Brown rice (because it is less gritty than white rice flour), potato starch, tapioca starch and xantham gum. I’m really curious to try this with wheat flour, but my kitchen is gluten-free. I suspect that the only necessary difference is to leave out the last bit of milk that goes in. If anyone is up for experimenting, I’d be so excited to hear about it!

I’ve used my vanilla bean frosting from my Gayke, but feel free to leave out the vanilla bean for a cheaper alternative.

Makes 12 cupcakes

1/2 cup silken firm tofu
1/2 cup non-dairy milk
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 vanilla bean scraped (optional)
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/3 cup all purpose gluten free flour (mine)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup non-dairy margarine, softened cut into 4 pieces
1/4 cup non-dairy milk

In a blender or food processor, whip together the non-dairy milk and firm silken tofu until smooth. Add the apple cider vinegar, vanilla bean and vanilla extract, blitz one more time and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Add liners to the cupcake tins. In a large mixing bowl, whisk all the dry ingredients together. Using a hand or stand mixer, add the non-dairy margarine one piece at a time. Mix until the mixture starts to look like wet sand. Add the milk and tofu mixture and stir to combine. Lastly, add the 1/4 cup non-dairy milk and whisk until the mixture is smooth. Fill each cupcake liner 2/3 full and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the tops have achieved a light golden brown hue.

Set aside to cool completely.

Vanilla Bean Frosting

1/2 cup non-dairy margarine, softened
1/2 vanilla bean, scraped
3 cups icing sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoons non-dairy milk (if needed)

Get your mixers ready. Using a hand mixer and great strength or a stand mixer, whip the margarine for about 5 minutes. It will become like satin and take on a lighter colour. Add the vanilla bean and mix an additional minute. Slowly begin adding the icing sugar. Add the vanilla extract and splash of the milk. Finish off the icing sugar and mix for another 5 minutes. Taste and add more milk, if you feel the frosting is too dry.

Pipe onto cupcakes and top with sprinkles, candles or whatever else strikes your fancy.