Cranberry Cupcakes with Orange Buttercream Frosting [Vegan]

I love cupcakes. And in Long Beach we have The Frosted Cupcakery which makes the most amazing cupcakes ever. Unfortunately, now that I'm vegan, I can no longer enjoy said cupcakes. So I've been trying to master the cupcakes in Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. This is a variation of the Golden Cupcakes and Buttercream Frosting.


Cranberry Cupcakes
1 1/4 cup flour
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
3/4 Tsp. baking powder
1/2 Tsp. baking soda
1 cup Vanilla flavor Almond milk
1/2 cup margarine
3/4 cup sugar (I love the vegan sugar from Whole Foods)
2 Tsp. Vanilla Extract
1 cup frozen cranberries


Mix flour, cornstarch, baking powder and baking soda in a medium bowl. In a larger bowl mix margarine and sugar until fluffy. Mix dry ingredients and milk into the bowl with margarine and sugar. Add the cranberries and stir. Pour into a cupcake pan with cupcake liners. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool before frosting, otherwise your frosting will melt and run right off the cupcakes.




Orange Buttercream Frosting
1/2 cup Vegan shortening
1/2 cup margarine
3 1/2 cups sugar (confectioners)
1/4 cup Coconut Milk
1 1/4 Tsp. Orange Extract
3 Tbsp Orange Zest to top cupcakes (optional)

Mix shortening and margarine. Add sugar and beat until well mixed. Add coconut milk and extract and beat until fluffy. When cupcakes are cool you can either pipe on the frosting or spread with a knife. This is a lot of frosting so piping is the best option. Otherwise, freeze and save the remaing frosting.



I'm addicted to the cranberry orange combination. It's especially sweet in this recipe.