Vegan apple cupcakes

Ingredients (makes 24 cupcakes)

Cake:

200g caster sugar

225g self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

½ tsp salt

125ml cup oil (vegetable or olive)

225ml Unsweetened soy or almond milk (this is a taste preference)

2 tbsp vanilla extract

1tbsp vinegar

2 large apples chopped in ½ cm chunks

Frosting:

115g vegetable shortening, like Trex

230g icing sugar

½ tsp vanilla extract

1 -3 tbsp unsweetened soy or almond milk

Topping:

Handful flaked almonds

1 tbsp golden syrup

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees c and place cupcake cases in 2 cupcake pans.
    
2. Mix together the sugar, flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt in a large bowl.
    
3. In a separate bowl mix the oil, milk, vinegar and vanilla extract.
    
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, add the apple and whisk until combined.
    
5. Fill the cupcake tins with the batter so each cupcake case is two-thirds full.
    
6. Bake for 15-18 minutes until firm and spongy to the touch and leave to cool.
    
7. To make the frosting, mix the vegetable shortening until light and fluffy and then with the mixer on a low speed gradually add the icing sugar, vanilla and 1 tablespoon of milk at a time and beat until smooth. This will take between 2 -5 minutes depending on your mixer.
    
8. Either pipe or spread the icing over the cupcakes and sprinkle with flaked almonds and golden syrup.