All-Purpose Cupcakes

MAKES 1 DOZEN CUPCAKES

Tucked within my hoarder-esque stash of cookbooks, I have a Sunset magazine recipe collection from 1949. In it are some recipes that really should probably stay in that era (Halibut Loaf De-Luxe, anyone?). But there also are some real gems, including a recipe called Eggless, Milkless, Butterless Cake. With a few tweaks to improve the texture, a cake likely designed to be economical becomes a great recipe for any baker’s arsenal, especially considering the wide variety of special diets that people follow these days.

You have many mix-and-match options when it comes to the sweeteners and nondairy milks here. My favorite pairing is full-fat coconut milk for richness plus honey, or agave if I need to make a truly vegan cake. But any combination of the sweeteners, milks, and oils listed below work just fine. This is a great basic cake that can be flavored with a variety of zests, spices, and extracts.

2 cups (9 ounces/255 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

1 cup (8 ounces/227 grams) full-fat coconut, soy, or almond milk

¾ cup (8⅞ ounces/252 grams) honey, pure maple syrup, or agave nectar

⅓ cup (2⅝ ounces/75 grams) grapeseed, vegetable, or coconut oil

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350˚F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, honey, oil, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry. Beat with a handheld electric mixer on medium-high speed until smooth and slightly aerated, about 2 minutes.

4. Divide the batter among the wells of the muffin tin, filling them about three-quarters full. Bake until lightly golden, a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out clean, and the tops spring back when lightly touched, 18 to 20 minutes. Rotate the pan 180 degrees halfway through the baking time. Let the cakes cool in the pan set on a wire rack for 3 minutes before removing them from the pan to cool completely.

TIP: The cupcakes pictured here are frosted with My Favorite Vanilla Bean Buttercream, which can also be veganized by using vegan buttery sticks (such as Earth Balance).