Ginger Cupcakes

This recent cold snap has made me think of warming spices and anything comforting and cosy. Ginger is one such spice, and I’m always looking for a new twist to a cupcake. I quite like the addition of crystalized ginger pieces but the girls found them too hot and spicy, so next time I might leave them out.

Ginger Cupcakes (dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, sesame-free, soya-free, vegetarian and vegan)

makes 24

• 2 cups oat milk
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 2 1/2 cups of plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 1/2 cups soft brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sunflower oil
• 1/2 cup golden syrup
• (optional) 1/4 cup crystallised ginger, finely diced

– Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

– Line 2 cupcake trays with liners

– Add the lemon to the oat milk and set aside

– Sieve the flour, ginger, bicarb and baking powder into a large bowl.

– Stir in the sugar.

– Add the oil and syrup to the oat milk and mix well.

– Pour into the flour mix and bring together to a smooth dough with no lumps of raw flour remaining.

– 2/3 rds fill each cupcake liner.

– Bake for about 20 minutes, until a knife comes out clean.

– Cool on a wire rack before icing with vanilla buttercream.

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

enough to ice 24 cupcakes

• 1/4 cup vegetable fat (such as Trex)
• 3/4 cup dairy-free spread (such as Pure)
• 3 cups icing sugar, sifted
• 1/4 cup oat milk

– Whisk together the spread and vegetable fat.

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

– Pipe or spread onto the cupcakes.