Sofia Nordgren: Vanilla cupcakes with lemon frosting

Spring is around the corner, and, soon, we can start baking with seasonal produce. I look forward to swapping nuts and cocoa for rhubarb, fresh berries and fruit. It’s still a little early to enjoy the fresh produce from the garden. However, we can use all the pretty flowers to decorate our bakes. The pink cherry blossoms are probably my favourites, but almost any spring flower can bring magic to your creations. One of the best things to decorate is cupcakes. The frosting is beautiful on its own, but with a few spring flowers on top, your creation immediately reaches the next level. When it comes to flavour, I love to combine sweet and sour, so for this recipe I have made vanilla muffins and topped them with lemon frosting. And a few pretty spring flowers of course.

Vanilla cupcakes with lemon frosting

AMOUNT: 12 cupcakes

INGREDIENTS

MUFFINS

1 dl | 100 ml aquafaba
3/4 dl | 70 g granulated sugar
75 g vegan margarine
1 dl | 100 ml plant milk
3 dl | 180 g all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1 tsp lemon zest (from an organic lemon)

FROSTING

100 g plant-based butter
1 dl | 100 ml powdered sugar
100 g plant-based cream cheese
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest (from an organic lemon)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 175°C.
2. In a baking bowl, combine aquafaba and granulated sugar. Use an electric hand mixer and beat until white and fluffy. This takes about 30 seconds.
3. Combine all the dry ingredients and the lemon zest and add to the aquafaba.
4. Melt the margarine and add the oat milk, then add it to the aquafaba batter. Stir together.
5. Pour the batter into 12 cupcake liners.
6. Bake in the middle of the oven for about 15 minutes. Let cool completely.
7. Combine the ingredients for the frosting. Stir until smooth and even. Use an electric hand mixer if you think that’s easier.
8. Pipe or spoon the frosting onto the muffins in any way that you like.
9. Decorate with flowers and serve!