As Thanksgiving approaches, I know all of you — vegan or not– are looking for great options to the same-old-same-old orange-colored dessert it is that typically graces your table. Well, I have one for you and every word of it is like a fresh, sweet, tropical kiss: Vegan Mango Cupcakes with Mango Buttercream Frosting.
Mmmm…As you already know, I love my cupcakes. After all, how can anyone not love portion-controlled indulgence?
And yes, I’ll admit, these mango cupcakes are indulgent, and rich, although probably nowhere near as rich as a non-vegan version could be. Besides, all of us need a little indulgence every now and then, don’t we? And what can be more comforting than a soft, fluffy cupcake covered with mounds of soft, fluffy frosting.
I use canned mango puree in these cupcakes because here in the United States, it’s not easy for me to get my hands on the ultra-sweet and delicious Indian mangoes that these cupcakes so badly need. Try to use the puree of Alphonso mangoes (which is available at Indian stores) because this is by far the richest and most full-bodied and sweetest mango you’ll ever taste, hands down. If you’re lucky enough to live in India where mangoes are in season during the summer, use fresh mango puree by all means. Lucky you.
The mango buttercream for these vegan mango cupcakes is made with vegan butter (like Earth Balance) and shortening, with a dash of mango puree and trust me, one bite of this and you will feel like you’ve just died and gone to heaven. It’s a beautiful, versatile icing and one that you can use to frost all kinds of cakes. You can leave out the frosting and still have a delicious cupcake, but why would you?
Here are the recipes for my Vegan Mango Cupcakes and Vegan Mango Buttercream Frosting. Enjoy, all!
Mango Cupcakes With Mango Buttercream Frosting
Vegan Mango Cupcakes with Mango Buttercream Frosting. Each bite of this cupcake is a smooth tropical kiss with a hint of cardamom. The velvety buttercream is mindblowingly delicious.
Ingredients
For the Mango Cupcakes:
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cardamom powder (use green cardamoms)
- 1 1/2 cups mango pulp or puree
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil (don't use unrefined coconut oil because it will add a very strong flavor. Any unflavored oil, or even olive oil, would be a better choice.)
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
For the Mango Buttercream Frosting:
- 16 tbsp (2 sticks) vegan butter like Earth Balance, softened at room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup mango pulp or puree
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
Make Mango Cupcakes:
Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Mix in the green cardamom powder.
In another bowl, beat together until well-mixed the mango puree, oil, sugar and vanilla extract.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix with a whisk just until you have a smooth batter. Do not overmix or overbeat.
Divide the batter equally among 12 cups of a standard-sized muffin pan lined with cupcake liners. Smooth down the tops with the back of a spoon or spatula or you will have a lumpy top (it’ll still taste delicious, though 🙂 )
- Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven about 27 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Make Mango Buttercream Frosting:
Cream the butter with a hand mixer or in a stand mixer, with the whisk attachment, until fluffy, about 1 minute.
- Now add the mango puree and vanilla and half the sugar. Beat until mixed, then add the remaining sugar and beat until mixed. This should take no more than 2 minutes altogether.
- Frost the cupcakes after they’ve cooled completely.
am gonna try this ASAP..looks yummy!
Your idea to use mango puree for buttercream frosting is absolutely fantastic! Thanks for the recipe.
Hi Mihl! You can make all kinds of buttercream frosting – or cream cheese frosting – just by adding some puree or flavouring. I make caramel cream cheese, orange cream cheese, passionfruit, chocolate (yummo!), banana, vanilla, strawberry, berry, you name it – I make it (I bake for a local cafe in my home town and the customers love it!)
my customers prefer cream cheese frosting, but I’m sure you could do the same with buttercream! My most popular cake so far is Berry Cherry and Pear cake with Berry coulis and sweet vanilla cream! It’s divine (and definitely LOW FAT… NOT haha)
Chris 😉
This looks heavenly.
Your frosting looks incredible, such luscious softness! I never would have thought to make mango cupcakes, I think it is a genius and creative idea.
Vaishali, that is one of the simplest and yummiest recipes for cupcakes I have even read. Got a can of Alphanso mango pulp in the pantry. Will try it out soon.
BTW, about your comment on my post, every time I post something that has fat or dairy in it, I always wonder how you would veganize it. I did it this time for the kheer too and it was as if you read my mind and told me about using almond milk. 🙂
This looks fantastic.. drool worthy 🙂
looks so lovely
Eye catching and scrumptious cake dear:)
U re absolutely tempting with the frosting and mango flavor cupcake! They are gorgeous.
good lord, this looks sinfully delicious! I absolutely *have* to try this, thanks for the recipe, Vaishali!
Gorgeous cupcakes and awesome frosting..looks yum!
ohh my!! heavenly!!
I am going to be so fat trying and eating all these woderful recipes.
Cupcakes look Yummy!!! and the frosting too…
My mouth started watering right when I read the post title.. I’m gonna try these as soon as I find those earth balance butter sticks. Would you know if I can get them at Whole Foods? Thanks for this yummy recipe Vaishali.
Sorry to keep bothering you.. What brand shortening do you use??
What a delicious recipe! I will certainly try it out:)
Bookmarking and will wait for the mango season to arrive. Liked the idea of mango puree in the frosting. It surely enhances the flavor.
Vaishali, Cool recipe and picture. I actually sent you an email. Does it hold up good since you don’t have any binders in there? I know banana and applesauce act like binders, but not so sure about mango puree from the can, that’s why the question.
Love the frosting..so yummm!
Oh my goodness. Looks so good!!!
Debra @ Vegan Family Style
Preeti, Mihl, Pari, Voracious, Thanks!
Jaya, thanks! And yes, almond milk makes a great milk substitute in Indian sweets– not to mention healthier 🙂
Nithya, Sushma, Sireesha, Cham, Skay, Superchef, Priya, Superchef, Avisha: Thanks, all!
Pavani: I use either Crisco or Earth Balance shortening (both are vegan) and usually Earth Balance vegan butter. You can find all of it at Whole Foods.
Savithri, Jayashree, Thanks!
Bangalorebaker: Yes, I didn’t need a binder in this recipe. The cupcakes held together perfectly.
Parita, Debra: Thanks!
You had my attention with the picture but when you started talking about Alphonso mangoes I definitely had to try this one. I’ve got to!
Looks great ! Though mango season is over in India, shall try it out with some other fruit puree.
The cupcakes look very moist Vaishali. I’m definitely trying this one. How many cupcakes did you get? I think the batter should be enough for one 8 inch cake.
Oops! read again and see that you got 12 cupcakes.
can i get mango puree in walmart?…do you use a particular brand?
Preeti, I am pretty sure you don’t get mango puree in Walmart– the only place I find it is at my Indian grocery store. If you don’t have one near you, you might want to look online. Hope that helps 🙂
Vaishali,
Thank you! We absolutely loved this. I made it with whole wheat pastry flour(because that’s all I had) and it was moist and full of mango flavor in every bite. Please keep posting.
Ambica
Ambica, whole-wheat pastry flour is a good substitute for all-purpose, not to mention more nutritious, so kudos on that! Glad you liked it and thanks for the feedback. 🙂
Thanks for the recipe – I am researching mango cupcake recipes for a family member’s special occasion, and being able to have one vegan cupcake option will be good. Luckily, canned mangoes are in ready supply in New Zealand.
Other recipes I’m seeing use cardamon in cupcake recipes – do you think that will work?
I’m also considering combining orange blossom water with mango puree; it worked in a trial of the flavours I made in a (decidedly non-vegan) muffin.
Vaishali, I baked these today and it came out beautifully. I used the mini bundt pans and this measurement gave 5 small cakes. The taste was very good. I think I would reduce the quantity of sugar the next time and also the cardamom powder to 1/2 teaspoon.
Scrumptious cupcakes!
Sounds very yummy…
but I don’t know
what is
8 tbsp “vegetable shortening”?
Thank you Vaishali!
Krystyna, there are many brands of vegetable shortening in the market– Crisco is the most commonly available one. Always make sure you buy shortening that says it has no transfats.
Hi I am a new blogger and I came across ur blog from egglesscooking.com and I absolutely love this mango cupcakes…hands down..shall try this recipe this weekend..kudos!
I just made these cupcakes today. Followed the recipe to the T, would not change anything here.
I took it to work and all of them were gone in less than 10 minutes.Love you blog and keep those recipes coming, am going to try the Tofu patia today.
Great blog! Thanks.
Mango cup cakes look delicious and so cute.
Just made these today for my son’s first birthday and they turned out great! I wanted something with no eggs and no dairy since he has sensitivities. I couldn’t find any mango puree so I just whizzed up some fresh mangoes with some canned peaches. I used melted coconut oil since it is better for you and the taste complimented the tropical mangoes! I sweetened them with a mixture of rapadura/honey and palm sugar. They took about 5 minutes longer to cook for me and still seemed a bit gooey in the middle… BUT after they cooled a bit they were perfect- cakey and yummy and my son made a huge mess of it , it was great 🙂
didn’t ty the frosting though as shortening kind of scares me 🙂 Went the non-vegan route and whipped creme fraiche with some sugar and vanilla ( he’s ok with cultred dairy) anyway, it was pretty tasty but not particularily thick.
Thanks for the great recipe!! I’ll be making this again!
when I beat earth balance(did not add veg shortening) with sugar. It breaks like the way milk curdles on adding lemon juice….Urs looks very nice creamy and fluffy???
Thanks for the recipe. Can i use the same qty to make a sheet cake? Tomorrow is my son’s birthday and I want to bake this for him. Pl reply ASAP. Do i need a egg substitute if its a sheet cake instead of cup cakes? Also we dont use white sugar since its not vegan. we use cane sugar or turbinado sugar. I hope u are aware that confectioners sugar is not vegan. so what do u use in ur frosting? I see u hv used confectioners sugar. would really appreciate ur early reply since I need to bake this tmr. THanks a million.
Anonymous, you are probably overbeating it. I’ve never had a problem with the shortening or Earth Balance curdling. Are you using mechanized beaters, as I do? You might try slowing down a bit.
Sainila, I haven’t baked these as a sheetcake but I don’t think it would be a bad idea. I do have a mango bread recipe that is of course a cake. You can try that, if you like– http://earthvegan.blogspot.com/2008/09/luscious-delicious-mango-bread.html.
It uses flaxseed instead of egg replacer and you can use all-purpose flour instead of whole-wheat-pastry flour if you want a fine-textured crumb.
You can buy vegan confectioners sugar off the web and maybe at Whole Foods, but usually I just give vegan cane sugar or turbinado a whir in my coffee grinder. It’s a mess to clean after. Add some cornstarch for a finer texture.
Hi Vaishali,
I have admired your blog for quite a while, and I am actually in the process of setting up my own food blog. I made these cupcakes for my friends, and they were fantastic! The only changes I made were to substitute 1/4 cup almond flour for 1/4 cup of the all-purpose flour(because I like almond flavor) and to use ghee instead of oil. Can you please tell me, in your experience, what is the best way to replace eggs in cake recipes that call for eggs? Thanks,
Ameya
Ameya, you can use a variety of substitutes, depending on what type of cake you’re making. For heartier cakes like carrot or banana cake bread, I’d go with flax meal. For lighter, airier cakes, I’d choose either some cornstarch or egg replacer powder or nothing at all. Some people also use bananas or tofu as an egg substitute in cakes.
You can read more on the Vegan Substitutes page under my masthead.
Thanks for your kind words 🙂
these LOOK amazing! and I just finished baking them for my husband’s birthday tomorrow! I can’t wait for my little one to dig into them!
I didn’t make the same frosting..I just used cream cheese..esp since everyone at home has cholesterol issues! thanks for a yummy looking and diff. mango cake recipe!
This was my first time trying a vegan recipie and your mango cupcakes turned out AMAZING!!!!! No one could tell that they were eggless, much less vegan. I ended up making a 6-in cake and a few cupcakes out of it, and it was a hit. Thanks for posting (:
Hi Vaishali
I am looking to bake a mango cake, can i use the same recipe for it?
T
Tushita, yes, this will work as a cake 🙂
Hi Vaishali,
Am forver in love with mangoes and ive bookmarked this for tomorrow1s snack…shd try it soon and let u know
Shobha
I tried this our and it was awesome. I reduced the sugar and it suited our tastes perfectly! Thanks a ton for the recipe.
Reva
Hi Vaishali,
I tried your Mango cup cake yesterday. Somehow it didn’t bake very well. I got a good flavor of the cake and the top and bottom of the cake were baked well. But the inside of it didn’t bake at all and kind of became like a Halwa consistency still giving out the uncooked flour taste in it. Any idea what might have gone wrong. I used the exact same proportions of all the ingredients in your recipe.
Your cakes look fluffy and yummy and I would love to make it right. Please share any comments that you might have on what could have gone wrong in my preparation. Thanks!
Hi Anonymous, the most likely reason I can think of is your oven. Ovens vary widely, especially gas and electric, and even when two ovens are set at exactly the same temperature, they can heat differently. For this reason I always advise readers to do the toothpick test before they take the cake out of the oven– insert a toothpick in the center of the cake and if it comes out clean, or with a few crumbs sticking to it, it’s ready. If it comes out with uncooked batter sticking to it, as yours should have, leave it in for longer. This is a great rule of thumb to follow for any baked cake or brownie or muffin.
Next time, give your cake a little more time in the oven and do the toothpick test before you take it out. For a cupcake I would do no more than one-minute increments since they are small and tend to bake fast. Hope that helps 🙂
Hey Vaishali,
Am following your blog for a quite soome time now.This is the first recipe that I tried out.This turned out to be amazing piece of cake.Thanks for this recipe and for your effort of neatly putting all this in the blog.Keep your good work going…
I have tried your Mango cake and loved it!!
I have follow up question…..
I have strawberry preserve and I am looking for recipe (other than heart cookies) to use this jar. Please pass along your ideas
Tejas, since you obviously like making cake, you might want to make a strawberry glaze for the next time you bake a white cake. Put the preserve in a saucepan with a tiny bit of brandy or any liqueur, and warm until smooth and liquid. Strain, and brush over the cake. You can even your regular frosting on top, but this gives it some really delicious dimension.
Hi Vaishali, i tried the cake recipe. it came out as a concave shape at the top instead of convex.
Can you spot me my fault?
Thank you.
http://varshini1986.blogspot.com
Varshu, couple of possibilities come to mind– your puree could have had a thinner consistency, or you may be using baking powder that’s not fresh.
These cupcakes sound so good… then again, most cupcakes are good. =)
thank you for posting, good post, and I have tried it. 🙂
hi vaishali
Your mango cupcake looks very yummy!!woule like to try it.But instead of cupcakes is it possible to make like a regular cake with these ingradients….
i’ve actually just printed this recipe as well. i can’t wait to try it!
oflittlemy.blogspot.com
hi,,i have a question,can i put the frosting in between the cake,,in layers? and then on top.
Can i add eggs and milk to this recipe? i have never made a cake without eggs and milk, so will it be fine to add them??
Bhuvana, yes you can. Use two eight-inch cake pans and bake about 25 minutes or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean.
Anonymous, Yes you absolutely can.
Meaghan, the idea is you really don’t need milk and eggs — for this or for other baking recipes. 🙂
I came across this recipe while searching for a mango frosting recipe. I can’t wait to try a vegan cupcake recipe. One question though, I don’t like to put shortening in my frosting. Can I substitute the shortening for more butter? If so how much butter would I use in the recipe? Thanks in advance
Tina, you can substitute all of the shortening for an equal amount of the vegan butter, but the frosting will be softer– the shortening gives it a bit more structure and firmness.
Hi! I am pretty new to your blog and I have had this recipe bookmarked for a month. Just made them today and they are delish! I am so happy to have this recipe–Thank you!
could i substitute mango pulp for mango puree ???
Anonymous, yes, so long as its natural.
hey, i’m going to make this today. when we are adding cardamom,mango,won’t vanilla would be conflicting delicious Alphonso mango flavor
Jan, no it doesn’t conflict. On the contrary the vanilla rounds out the flavor.
Thanks. I made them for a babyshower in office today. It is a big hit!!!
thanks to you for such a wonderful recipe.
Janhavi
Hi,
I really like your cupcake recipe.
I made it(actually my friend made it) on 05/03/2011.
I gave it to my neighbors,they all really loved it.
Thanks for Eggless recipe.
I have one question, with this recipe, instead of cup cake, can I regular 8 inch or 9 inch round or square cake?
please let me know.
Once again Thanks a lot.
Rachana
I tried this out today and loved the muffins. Thank you for sharing, Vaishali. I’ve blogged about it….do take a look when u can @
http://luvgoodfood.blogspot.com/2011/05/eggless-mango-banana-muffins.html
Hi,
Since I got so fascinated with them , that instantly I tried baking them, but alas it was a failure. They turned out not only not uncooked(didte toothpick test) “puch”(in hindi) mass of flour but the aroma was also awful. I dont know what went wrong. I have the very old traditional aluminium round maual oven which needs to keep a check on the time. Could the oven be the reason?
Helppppppppppppp
Nisha,
Take care, God Bless
Hi Nisha, it does seem that the oven could have been the reason– I remember those old round ovens, and I don’t their size allows for an even distribution of heat and gentle baking. Sounds like your cakes were burnt. Better luck next time.
hi, tried ur recipe today….it was great. lots of thanks for posting this. i made 6 cupcakes n a cake in a loaf pan. the cupcakes were done in 25 min n the cake took 45 min . i m sending few of the cupcakes to my daughter’s school for their cake sale …
shail
Hi Vaishali,
Thanks for clearing the doubt. Since m very fond of baking m thinking of buying a good oven.
Nisha.
God Bless.
Hi Vaishali,
First, Many thanks for all the wonderful eggless recipes. This recipe came out pretty tasty, but for me it came out more like a muffin than a cupcake, it was dense and not as fluffy, honestly I am ok with that, but wanted to know what I did wrong. I did not sift the dry ingredients, could that be a reason? Also the top crust became a tad harder, should I be baking this less than 27 minutes? Any light shed is appreciated! 🙂 Thanks!
Hi Subashini, not sifting could definitely result in a denser cupcake, since the sifting adds air between the flour particles. Not very sure what could be up with the crust– maybe you left them out too long after they had baked? I’d frost them as soon as they cooled down.
tried and posted this today on my blog!
Anonymous, I just improvised with a plastic ziploc bag with a corner cut off. Glad you liked it– thanks for the feedback! 🙂
I tried the recipe and it tasted great! What tip did you use for your icing? It looks pretty!
Hi,
Came across your blog today…….very nice recipes. Nice clicks as well.
Do visit me at smart-snacks.blogspot.com
I made this recipe as a cake for the family…. amazing! The texture was great and the mango flavor was fantastic. Thank you!
Hey Vaishali,
Made mango cake for my son’s first month birtday. It was not only easy and delicious but also saved some chicks.
Thanks for the recipe. Love your website and will try out other recipes too.
Soumya
what is vegetable shortening? i fear its one of those things that indians dont have access to! any alternatives to making vegan whipped cream?
Sejal, shortening’s the same as vanaspati.
Bek, glad you liked it. Good luck, and a very happy birthday to you. 🙂
Hej again 🙂
I have made this fabulous recipe and I can say I LOVED them, they are really great. I will try them again this saturday for my birthday celebration 😉 wish me luck.
Thanks for posting!!
Me again (sorry)
Went to buy mangos and just found rocks…the are so hard! and green, awful (no posibility of finding mango pure in a can here)… Last time I found eatable mangos (cost a fortune btw) but I should have known that that single day I had just luck, I live in Sweden and here there is almost never good fruit. (except for apples and bananas) So I wonder, do you think peach from cans can work? If i mix them in the blender to get puree? hehe I supose I have to skip cardemom…
Ahhh… I will try anyway and come back to you..
Bek, not sure how the peach would work– it would be a very different flavor of course, and you’re right– it probably wouldn’t go with cardamom. Let me know how they turn out, if you do try them.
hi
thanks a lot
its a wonderful recipe
Wow, Nice recipe and eye catching representation.
Please do visit my blog and sure you’ll like it.
Food Blog: http://preethisculinary.blogspot.com
Art Blog:
http://yenkaivannam.blogspot.com
Hi dear, for the 1st part you listed as 1 Tsp Vanilla, is it Vanilla extract/essence? thanks hun.
Always vanilla extract– try and use the pure one. Good luck!
I tried these cupcakes over the weekend and they were just perfect. I topped it with some cruchy Hazelnuts instead of buttercream frosting. Thanks for such a wonderful receipe.
Hazelnuts would be delicious on this cake– nice idea. Thanks for the feedback, Chitra. 🙂
I was just wondering how mangoy is the frosting? I’ve been looking for a good mango frosting to but on a different flavored cake but I really want to taste the mango!
With this recipe I made cupcake as well as cake, so many times. Today I made with fresh Peach puree,cardamom, added extra sugar as peaches were not that sweet, it turned out very well
Hey Vaishali, I tried your recipe for preparing Eggless Mango Cake, my kids loved it and it came out great… I will be sharing it in my space today…just wanted to drop a thank you note to you!
GLUTEN FREE? What kind of flour would you use & what quantities for GLUTEN FREE?
FRESH MANGO? how would you use fresh mango? just chop it up? or use a blender? if so quantities please.
in stead of SUGAR? would it work to substitute? What would u suggest? and how much
would honey work? or Applesauce & honey, or agave ?
Kathleen, yes, but if the strawberries are tart you might need more sugar. Also be careful about the consistency of the puree– it shouldn’t be too watery compared to the mango since that could throw off your baking time.
Happy birthday to your son! Glad he liked the mango cupcakes.
Hi Vaishali! I’ve been scouring the Internet for eggless cake recipes since my almost two year old son has an egg allergy. We feel so bad when he’s at parties and can’t have any of the desserts. I made him a batch of your cupcakes and he absolutely loved them! This morning, he asked to have them for breakfast! I’m making them for his birthday party next week but also would like to make a batch of strawberry ones. Could I just substitute the mango for strawberry purée? I’ll be using frozen strawberries. Thanks!
Hey Vaishali,
I have followed this recipe step by step by my cake turned out to be dense. It raised very well in oven and collapse as I took it out. It was yummy but dense.
-> I did not over beat the batter, it was still fluffy when I poured it in baking pan.
-> I baked it for 30 mins and checked, stick did not came out clean, so baked for another 7 mins.
-> I used pyrex bowls.
please suggest me what might go wrong, I love the taste and want to make this cake fluffy.
Amrita, I wonder if it could have been your baking powder — they do go bad quite easily and lose their raising power. I am guessing the pyrex bowls were larger than average cupcake tins? That would explain the added baking time you needed.
Looks TERRIFICCCCC… How long this frosting can stay good at room temperature? .. Full day??
Yes, it will be fine for a whole day at room temperature. On hot days though it might get droopy.
Hello there,
I tried your recipe today OMG awesomness… Aboslutely delish… cant even tell those r eggless…the moistness and taste were Perfect… I recently started a blog about where I share my experiences of life, cooking and baking. I have shared your recipe on my blog and my experience with the baking!!! If you want to check it out- http://lifescribblesovercoffee.blogspot.com/2012/10/eggless-mango-cupcake.html
Thanks for sharing. Looking forward to trying some more of your recipes.
newbie baker =)
Shraddha
Shraddha, glad you liked them– your cupcake covers are adorable. I tried leaving a message, but your spam protector seemed to be working overtime and wouldn’t let me.
Hi Vaishali! I’m a new follower who was made a believer in your cooking style thanks to the chillas. Now I’m ready to try another recipe. I purchased the Alphonso mango puree from Patel Brothers in Hyattsville. That’s generally where I go when I need ingredients for my Indian dishes. Can you recommend any other good grocers around the east side of the beltway between Silver Spring and Bowie, or thereabout? Thanks. -Lisa
My baby boy will be eating one of these on his first birthday tomorrow. He’s vegan and has a sensitive belly so I love the simplicity if thee, thank you!
This is tropical magic in cupcake form:) I made them a few times already and loved them to bits! Such delicate texture, moist and fluffy, and the taste divine. On one occasion I topped them with mango cream cheese frosting, they were good, but plain they are the best:) I’ve seen all the other amazing mango recipes on your blog, but this must be your signature dessert. Absolutely delicious and a breeze to make. Thank you so much for sharing the recipe:)
This looks just too good not to try! I think I will be trying it really soon 🙂 Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Hi Vaishali!
Great blog and great recipes! 😀
I have a couple of questions about the mango cupcakes:
1. Do you use black or green cardamom?
2. I’ve got sweetened mango pulp. Do I still need to use the same amount of sugar?
Thank you very much!! <3
Hi Amanda, Green cardamom. As a rule of thumb, use the green cardamom for any sweet recipe, because the black cardamom is too strong-tasting. Usually that should only be used in savory curries, and that too only when it’s specified. In India, the default cardamom is the green cardamom.
These instructions are for sweetened mango pulp, so yes. But if you prefer less sweet, by all means adjust to your tastebuds. You might want to check for doneness a minute or two earlier if using less sugar.
what is the preparation time for this? pls reply ASAP… thank you!
Add about 15-20 minutes for the mixing etc. before the baking time and also add cooling time at the other end. The cooling time would vary based on where you are and the temperature in your home but let these cool thoroughly before frosting
Holy Moly!!! I just finished eating one of these cupcakes. I am a semi-professional baker and this is one of the best cupcakes I’ve ever made. Why has vegan baking gotten such a bad rap over the years? These are so moist and full of mango flavor — definitely going to become part of my home recipe rotation.
Instead of shortening, I decided to try extra virgin coconut oil which I always have on hand. I also added about 1 tsp of fresh lemon juice to the buttercream to boost the mango flavor. OMG!!! The next time I make this, I may add a bit of an acid such as non-dairy yogurt or vinegar to the batter to bring out even more mango flavor. I might have to adjust the baking powder and soda accordingly. Honestly, no adjustments are really required as the recipe stands.
It seems to me that vegan baking is much easier. This recipe came together so fast and effortlessly. Less mixing and clean up are required. Vaishali, you’re right (as I’m sure you know)! Dairy and eggs really are not necessary for awesome baking. It’s nice to have another perspective and open up a new world of possibilities. I love it!
Vaishali, did you ever know that you’re my vegan hero? LOL! -Lisa
Lisa, that is so sweet. Thank you!
Hey Vaishali,
What is vegetable shortening ? IS there any substitute for it ? I stay in India, hence where can i find it ?
Vegetable shortening is the same as vanaspati.
Hi vaishali , is there any substitute for baking soda in this recipie ??
Im baking it right away but dont have baking soda in hand..
No, you need to be precise while baking. You could leave it out but you won’t get the right texture,
So, my mom & I both were pretty skeptic but this turned out really good. I made mine with fresh mango instead of canned. I didn’t have enough to make the icing, but next time I will be prepared! Love it! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Love your website. I baked these cupcakes, looked yummy.. tasted good too when i tried them hot but as soon as they cooled down ( I kept them in fridge after an hour of baking them).. they tasted bitter in the end. The bitter taste was only appearing at the very end, otherwise the initial taste was perfect.
There was no problem with the icing.
I dont know what went wrong . 🙁
Can you please suggest ?? Please help. I dont wanna go wrong next time.
Hmmm, I wonder what could have caused it. In my experience there has been no bitter taste. Could it have been the mango pulp you used? I sometimes find that the canned mango has a bitter aftertaste, especially if it was sitting around in the store too long.
Looks great!!I want to try this cake ! Can I post it with a link back of your space.
I am your new follower !
Keep blogging!
Thank you for this awesome recipe, Vaishali 🙂 I used fresh homemade mango pulp as we’re still in the tail end of the mango season here in India. What a blast of flavor this was! Perfect deep gold cupcakes and no binder too. Thanks again!
AgnostiChica, happy you liked them! Thanks for the feedback. 🙂
OH MY GOD!!! These are sooooooooo yummy!!!! I’ve already had three (in a space of thirty minutes). I had very sweet frozen mangoes that I didn’t know what to do with and I recalled bookmarking this recipe. I pureed them, but they didn’t make quite enough so I used pineapple for the rest (just 1/4). Soooooooo good!!!!!!!!!!!!! I’d gladly use more mango in the frosting next time! thanks so much.
This recipe is amazing! I doubled the recipe and used a 9×13 pan to make it into a cake. It turned out very soft, moist, delicious and really changed my opinion about vegan cakes. I used less sugar as my store-bought Alphonso mango pulp was too sweet already. I received lots of compliments on the cake and will make it again. Thanks Vaishali!
– Priti
Hi Vaishali,
Thanks for the very simple, yummy recipe. I made the following changes
Used whole wheat flour
Replaced white sugar with brown sugar
And used 1/3 cup applesauce and 2 tbsp oil ( instead of 1/3 cup oil).
The cupcakes turned out really great. Maybe next time will try using 1 cup wheat flour and 1/2 cup all purpose flour.
I have a doubt – if baking the above recipe in 2 small pans,can I bake them together?
Lakshmi
Lakshmi, nice and healthy substitutions. Thanks for the feedback. And yes, you can bake the 2 small pans together in the middle rack of the oven.
Vaishali, this is a superb recipe and very reproducible. I recently baked 70 of these for a United Way bake sale and they disappeared like crazy. Thank you!
Thanks for the feedback, Anita. So glad you liked them!
What pan size did you use to bake the cake?
Anon, just a regular muffin tin with standard-sized cups. If you bake it as a cake, use two 9-inch round pans.
Hi Vaishali, I am left with only 1/2 tsp vanilla. Can I skip it and att 2 tsp of cardamom powder?
I have only one 9 inch square pan. I will have to half the recipe.
Thanks
Yes, just use the vanilla you have and no need to increase cardamom. You’ll be fine.
hi Vaishali, can u suggest frosting recipe using tofutti cream cheese?
Mukta, here is a recipe with tofutti: https://holycowvegan.net/2008/09/lemony-vegan-cupcakes-with-cream-cheese.html
Dear Vaishali,
We had Indian Style Thanksgiving dinner at my friend’s place. It was a potluck. I took your Vegan Mango Cake and Badam Halwa to the potluck. Everyone from 3 year to 30 year liked those a lot. I even prepared your mango cashew cream as an icing for the cake. But I didn’t get much time to soak cashews and thus mango cashew cream had raw cashew taste in it. However I had sprinkled almond and cashew pieces over the cake before putting in the oven and no one really missed any icing. Now I will be blending mango cashew cream with vanilla soy milk and will enjoy it as a milkshake for few days :).
Thanks a lot for wonderful, tasty, less heavy recepies which are healthier than dairy sweets 🙂
Hi Mukta, your thanksgiving potluck with friends sounds like a lot of fun! So happy that you cooked and liked the recipes. Thanks for letting me know!
Vaishali, I wonder if I could replace the canola oil with coconut oil, what do you think? These look absolutely delicious!
Yes, you absolutely can replace with coconut oil. Happy baking!
Hi Vaishali,
This is the first time I am visiting your blog and will be trying this recipe over the weekend. I want to make this as a sheet cake. What size pan should I use?
Thanks,
Jay
Hi Jay, Use a 9 by 12 rectangular pan, or two 9-inch cake pans. Good luck! 🙂
Hi Vaishali,
The cake turned out really well!!! Since I am not a baker in any sense, I was not sure of the end result, but there are only 4 and a half pieces left!
Thank you for the wonderful post.
Jay
Jay, that’s really lovely. Thanks for letting me know, and so happy you enjoyed the cake. 🙂
Hi! thanks for the recipe, I made this and another vegan soy free cupcakes for my kiddos 2nd bday, they were a hit! They are more like muffins though.
hello po,tanong ko lang po paano kong walang cardamom powder ano ang maaring isubstitute para sa mango cake or cupcakes,matagal ko nang gustong lutuin ang recipe nyo kaso po wala akong mahanap na cardamom powder po
Hi Jocelyn, cardamom really adds flavor to this recipe but if you cannot find it you can use another “sweet” spice like nutmeg. Do you get that where you are? Cinnamon might work too. You can leave it out altogether– you won’t have that wonderful, spicy flavor but the cupcakes and cake will still be delicious.
Where can I get vegan powdered sugar? What is the brand?
I don’t remember the brand but I get it from Whole Foods.
Hey, I was wondering, is there are dairy version of the frosting? Because I’m not vegan, and ingredients like non-dairy butter and vegetable shorting aren’t available where I live 🙁
Hi! Thank you for posting this recipe! I’ve been looking for an eggless mango cake/cupcake recipe for a while and am so glad to find a tested one 🙂 . Just a quick question though: Will it work with fresh mango puree too, or does it have to be canned/readymade puree?
Thank you in advance
Narayani
Hi Narayani, fresh puree is great– better, in fact. 🙂
Your mango cupcakes look soooo good! I’ve been trying to find an easy and light fluffy mango cake to bake for my birthday.
Hi,
I tried this recipe and came out well. Thank u so much for posting.But a quick quest, can I keep cupcakes at room temperature for 3 or more days?
Keep refrigerated please! Glad you liked it.
How far in advance can they be baked for an event?
A day in advance would be fine. Refrigerate until a few hours before they are eaten.
Hi Vaishali, I’m going to try making this cake over the weekend. Came over to your blog to find a lovely cake to make for my husband’s birthday 🙂 Can I substitute the shortening with a stick of regular non-salted butter? Also, should the almond milk be warmed up to curdle or does it curdle without needing any warming? I’m planning to make it as one cake instead of different cupcakes.. does that change the baking time? Would appreciate your comments! Thank you for this lovely recipe 🙂
Hi, Vaishali, your delicious recipe travelled through the world and ended in our sunny kitchen, in Romania 🙂
I made a beautiful mango cake instead of cupcakes and everybody was happy! My son, the most 😀
Excuse my poor english, please!!!
We wish you all the best!!!
Can this be made into a regular round cake instead of cupcakes? If so, would the baking time or temperature change? Thank you for your wonderful eggless cake posts.
Yes! Bake a little longer, for about 35 minutes or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Cheers.
Can’t wait to try these. What brand of vegetable shortening do you recommend?
Hi John, I use Earth Balance.
Hi Vaishali,
I am a big fan of your recipes. I am making this for my future in-laws and want to get it right :). The mango puree / pulp I bought at the Indian grocery store seems sweet – Swad’s Kesar Mango Pulp (can says sweetened). Would you suggest cutting down the sugar the recipe calls for or did you also use the canned pulp?
Hi! I used the canned pulp, pretty sure it was Kesar too.