Vegan Victoria Sponge Cupcakes

Cupcakes aren't really my thing, I'm much better at baking a whole cake. The main thing I've found is the amount of icing on most cupcakes is always too much for me. A good amount is about half the size of the cake itself. So when I make cupcakes it's a little squat of icing that sits on top, instead of a tower.
I apologise for the awful icing job in these photos, I ran out of icing sugar so it wasn't as firm as I'd have liked. Will learn from my mistake!
You can't go wrong with a Victoria Sponge, and while I was tempted to spread a layer of jam on top of the cake, I scooped out a little hole and filled it instead. Topping with a swirl of vanilla buttercream icing. Yum.

I also have a recipe for mini Victoria sponge cakes, the ingredients and mixing method are the same as this, it's just the baking and construction that are different. If you'd like to try them as well/ instead, that'll be the next post up on my blog.

Makes 10 Cupcakes

Ingredients:

400g self raising flour
240g sugar
2 tsp baking powder
400ml soy milk
160ml vegetable oil
2 TBSP vanilla extract
Strawberry or Raspberry jam


For the Icing:

75g dairy free butter
75g vegetable fat (Trex)
1 TBSP vanilla extract
750g icing sugar
50ml soy milk

Preheat oven to gas mark 4/180c/350f
Line a cupcake pan with cases

Mix together flour, sugar and baking powder. Add the milk, oil and vanilla and stir until just combined. (Don't use an electric or handheld mixer)
Spoon equal amounts of the cake mix into your cupcake cases, filling about 2/3 up.
Put in the oven for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Remove from oven and leave to cool in the trays for 15 minutes, before moving to a cooling rack.
Once they're totally cooled, take a teaspoon and scoop a small hole out of the centre of the cupcakes, and filling with a blob of jam.
Pipe the vanilla icing on top, sprinkle on some icing sugar and devour!

To make the icing:

Using an electric of handheld mixer, whip the butter and vegetable fat with the vanilla until creamy.
Add half the icing sugar and all of the milk, mixing slowly to start, then gaining speed until combined. Add the rest of the icing sugar and mix until you have the desired consistency. Add more milk if it's too firm, or more sugar if it's too soft.