Vegan Lemon Cupcakes

Ingredients

For the cupcakes:

- 1/2 cup vegan butter
- 1 1/2 cups caster sugar
- 1 1/2 cups almond milk (could use any milk alternative)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 tsp lemon zest
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 2 vegan eggs
- 2 3/4 cups cups self raising flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- pinch salt

For the buttercream icing:

- 140g vegan butter
- 260g icing sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- top with Miiro chocolate-covered peanuts, grated dairy free white chocolate and dairy free milk chocolate

Method

1. Preheat the oven 200C and line a muffin tin with 16 cases.

2. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and caster sugar together until light and fluffy, either with a hand whisk or stand mixer.

3. Add the almond milk, vanilla extract, lemon zest, lemon juice to the same bowl. Mix to combine.

4. Sieve the flour into the bowl as well as adding the the baking powder and salt. Mix everything together until completely combined, making sure there are no lumps. If you don't think there is enough lemon then feel free to add a little bit more, however the flavours really come out when the cupcakes are in the oven.

5. Scoop the mixture into each case, filling them almost to the top but giving them just enough space to grow, I would recommend just over 3/4 filled.

6. Place the cupcakes in the oven for 25 minutes, checking on them occasionally. Once they have been baking for 25 minutes, remove from the oven and allow the cupcakes to cool for at least 20 minutes before icing.

7. In a mixing bowl, add the butter, vanilla extract, lemon juice, lemon zest and icing sugar and whisk together until a creamy fluffy like texture forms. If you have a piping bag, feel free to use this to ice the cupcakes for a neater look, however if you're like me and don't currently have one, just scoop the icing onto each cupcake and fluff it with a fork / spoon until its fully coated. It may not look as neat, but it still tastes delicious.

8. Top some of the cupcakes with a few MiiRO chocolate covered peanuts and the rest of the cupcakes with grated chocolate. You could top them with whatever you like, but these were perfect!