Cola Cupcakes to ring in the New Year

I came across the intriguing concept of soda flavoured cakes whilst admiring the cupcakes at the Hummingbird bakery. It sounded so bizarre and wrong that I just had to give them a go.

The finished product is a complete revelation, quite a taste sensation – not too sweet (surprisingly!) and unmistakably cola flavoured. I’ve come across people using the well-known fizzy drink in their recipes, but I opted for a more intense cola syrup as used for a drinks mixer or in a soda stream. Serve decorated with lemon slices and a straw,or vegetarian fizzy cola bottles from Goody Good Stuff

Happy New Year! Wishing you all an utterly fabulous 2013 🙂

Cola cupcakes (dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, soya-free, sesame-free, vegetarian and vegan) warning: contains gluten

makes 12 cupcakes

• 200g self raising flour
• 100g caster sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 100ml sunflower oil or melted dairy free spread
• 140ml oat milk
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tbsp cola syrup

– Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Centigrade/Gas Mark 4
– Place liners in a cupcake tray
– Mix together the oat milk, lemon juice, bicarbonate and cola syrup. Set aside.
– Sift together the flour and salt
– Stir in the sugar
– Pour the milk mix into the dry ingredients and gently mix until fully combined and no raw flour lumps remain
– 2/3rds fill the cupcake cases
– Bake for 15-20 minutes until
cooked through and a knife comes out clean
– Cool on a wire rack

Cola Buttercream (dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, soya-free, sesame-free, gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan)

enough to ice the 12 cupcakes

• 1/4 cup vegetable fat (such as Trex)
• 3/4 cup dairy-free spread (such as Pure)
• 3 cups icing sugar, sifted
• 2 tbsps cola syrup

– Whisk together the spread and vegetable fat.

– Add the icing sugar, 1/2 cup at a time with a splash of the cold syrup, until fully combined and nice and fluffy.

– Spread onto the cupcakes.