7 Mistakes to Avoid When Making Vegan Silk Cupcakes for the Planet

On World Environment Day, you might want to try going the vegan route, and when it comes to baking, you should start small. Perhaps cupcakes? Pick a bunch of cupcakes, not just any cupcakes, but a batch of vegan silk cupcakes for celebrations like this day. We are picking silky smooth chocolate cupcakes that swap the common dairy and eggs for a wholesome treat. Not only that, but let's swap disposables for something reusable, like equipment and utensils that can be washed and used again! So, here are 7 not-so-common mistakes to avoid when making your batch of vegan, cruelty-free cupcakes.

1. Overusing Processed Ingredients

Even when baking with vegan ingredients, it’s easy to reach for processed ingredients because they’re convenient or trendy. But many boxed replacements and pre-mixed blends come heavily packaged and are made in resource-intensive ways. For vegan cupcakes, try the usual tried and tested alternatives like almond or oat flour, any kind of nut-based milk, or fruit puree. These require less energy to process as compared to sourcing straight from the farm and naturally come with less waste. If you have spare time, you can make homemade purées or batters too, to know exactly what goes into your cupcakes.

2. Not Checking the Source of Sweeteners

For vegan ingredients, you need to bypass the label, for not all sweeteners are equally kind to the planet, and some tend to be a marketing gimmick. Almost all factory-produced sugars are made using harsh refining processes and may even use animal by-products, like bone char, which are often not in the ingredient list. Go the vegan route, and pick organic sweeteners like cane sugar, maple syrup, or fair-trade agave. Make sure to check the label and brand reputation before buying. These options also typically involve fewer additives and support more responsible agricultural systems.

3. Buying Ingredients You’ll Only Use Once

Vegan baking will sound exciting, especially when you are new to it, for example, the concept of flax eggs to replace the regular eggs. If your recipe is gluten-free, it might also introduce you to new flour blends, and chances are, for most of these, they are supposed to be purchased in bulk. So, before purchasing a new product, ask yourself if you’ll use it again. Prioritize ingredients that can be used across other meals or recipes, like almond flour, flaxseed meal, or applesauce. This will help you reduce waste and save money.

4. Using Plant-Based Alternatives

While plant-based substitutes might be a good way to reduce animal cruelty, that does not mean they are automatically sustainable. Check the label as always, for some vegan butters and non-dairy milks are made with palm oil or ingredients sourced through heavy industrial farming. Look for options, such as oat milk sourced from cruelty-free farms or coconut oil produced by ethical cooperatives. If you can spare time, it’s always a good idea to make your own non-dairy milk at home from oats or almonds, to reduce the packaging factor and also carbon emissions.

5. Not Paying Attention to Baking Time

Going by the core concept of sustainability (zero wastage) consider the baking time of the cupcake batch, given that the traditional ingredients used in a dairy-based cupcake recipe give more rise (courtesy of eggs), whereas vegan replacements might take a little longer. This is especially in recipes with sensitive ingredients like fruit purées or flax eggs. Follow your recipe closely, check their readiness with a toothpick inserted into their centers, and allow cupcakes to cool completely before judging their texture.

6. Using Disposable Baking Supplies

Just because you are baking, does not mean you have to turn into a maximalist and hoard piles of paper liners, plastic piping bags, or single-use decorations. If this is your first time baking, and you do not see yourself baking anytime soon after this, consider borrowing baking equipment like reusable silicone cupcake liners, stainless steel equipment, measuring tools to whisks, and cloth-based piping bags that can be washed.

7. Wasting Leftovers or Excess Frosting

If you lead life a little too generously, it might be tempting to toss what’s left after baking; perhaps some extra batter that is too little for even 2 cupcakes or a bowl of frosting that didn’t get used. Be a little ingenious and adjust the batter, and turn these into cake balls, cake pops, sandwich cookies, or any kind of bite-sized frozen desserts that use up all of the leftovers.