As I mentioned in this post about my munchkin’s 4th birthday, in order to make the party more enjoyable for the kids there who have food allergies, I used this recipe for egg-free cupcakes, which also happen to be light and moist and delicious. And best of all, both the cupcakes and frosting are incredibly simple to make! The cupcake batter requires one bowl only, and all you need for the frosting is a bowl and an electric mixer. Seriously, you really should give it a try – as I learned 2 years ago, frosting is SO much easier to make than I ever thought, and so much more wholesome!
I’ve include the chocolate and vanilla cupcake and frosting variations below. Feel free to mix and match as you see fit 🙂 And if you don’t need an egg-free recipe (and/or are interested in gluten/grain free cupcakes), I also love these chocolate cupcakes!
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Chocolate or Vanilla Egg-Free Cupcakes
adapted from King Arthur Flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder (for chocolate version, or sub 1/4 cup additional flour for vanilla)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon espresso powder (for chocolate version; optional)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon vinegar (I have used apple cider, but I’d imagine white or red wine would also be fine)
1/3 cup oil
1 cup milk (or water, or pretty much any other liquid you want)
Preheat your oven to 350°F.
Whisk all of the dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Make 3 indentations in the mixture. Pour the vanilla into the first hole, the vinegar into the second, and the oil into the third. Pour the milk on top, and stir together with a large spoon until well blended.
Distribute batter into muffin tins lined with papers, being careful not to fill cups no more than 1/2-2/3 of the way.
Bake approximately 15-20 minutes (for mini-cupcakes, longer if you are making bigger ones), until tops feel set and slightly bouncy to touch. Cool a few minutes in the pans, and then remove to a wire rack to finish cooling completely. Frost (see recipes below) cupcakes only after completely cool.
Do ahead: Cupcakes can be made in advance and frozen on a cookie sheet, then transferred to a bag once frozen if need be. Frost 1-2 hours before party while still frozen, and they will be defrosted by the time you are ready to serve.
Makes approximately 36 mini-cupcakes (the really tiny ones!)
Chocolate Fudge Frosting
Originally posted here
1/4 cup butter, completely softened (1/2 stick)
2 ounces cream cheese (regular or neufchatel; not whipped)
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons milk (any kind, dairy or non-dairy, should work)
1/4 cup cocoa powder
dash of salt
Add all ingredients to a sturdy bowl (if your powdered sugar is particularly lumpy, you might want to consider sifting or pouring through a fine mesh sieve to ensure a smooth frosting). Use an electric hand mixer to blend ingredients together until smooth.
Makes enough frosting for one batch of cupcakes
Do ahead: The frosting holds up perfectly made 1-2 days in advance and refrigerated. If you have a sturdy bowl with a lid, even better – just mix it up in that bowl, put on the lid, and refrigerate until you’re ready to use!
Vanilla Frosting
adapted from my Cream Cheese Frosting recipe
8 ounces cream cheese (regular or neufchatel; not whipped)
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, completely softened
2-2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Blend ingredients with an electric hand mixer until smooth, starting with 2 cups of sugar and adding more as needed to get to your desired sweetness level. Note that you do NOT have to soften the cheese, it works just fine straight from the fridge.
Makes enough for one batch of cupcakes and some to spare
Do ahead: The frosting holds up perfectly made 1-2 days in advance and refrigerated. If you have a sturdy bowl with a lid, even better – just mix it up in that bowl, put on the lid, and refrigerate until you’re ready to use!
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The Simply Wholesome Kitchen 
My favorite part of this post is the cupcake thawing advice – I had no idea you could frost them frozen! I usually make them the night before the party and frost them in the morning, which can get hectic.
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Yes, the freezing thing is great because I can make the cupcakes a few days ahead…still have to frost last minute, but I’m happy to say that after a few years of kids parties I’m getting much faster at that part 🙂 And cupcakes defrost so quickly that unless you’re frosting right before serving or your cupcakes are gigantic, I can’t imagine they’ll still be frozen by the time they’re getting eaten – mine are generally defrosted before I even finish frosting!
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