⅓cup(67 ml) flavorless oilneutral cooking oil or melted butter
1teaspoonvanilla extract
½teaspoonsaltor add according to your taste
3-4tablespoonwater add only if the batter is too thick - as thickness of yogurt varies for everyone
Instructions
Preheat oven to 180C /350 f for 15 minutes.
Line standard or mini cupcake pan or 8" cake tin
Cream the sugar and yogurt until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Add vegetable oil and vanilla extract and whip well until oil is emulsified.
In another bowl sift all dry ingredients and give it a quick mix.Now, slowly add sifted flour fold into the wet ingredients. Fold the dry ingredients in the wet ones with a spatula or whip it with a hand blender / stand mixer until lump free and smooth.
Do not over mix. Add water if needed. Batter should be medium consistency.
Bake in preheated oven at 180 degree C /350 f for 15-18 minutes for standard size cupcakes or till a toothpick inserted into the cupcake comes out with fewer crumbs not batter.
My cupcakes were done in exact 15 minutes 30 seconds.
Take it out of the oven and then it . Transfer onto cooling rack after 10 mins.
For cake- bake 35-40 mins and toothpick test .
For mini cupcakes 10-12 mins baking time
Notes
Possible substitutes -
Melted butter can be used in place of oil - just skip saltInstead of maida ( all-purpose flour)and white cornflour together you can use 1 ½ cup cake flourYou can substitute the all-purpose flour and cornflour with wheat flour - 1 ¼ cup in total - of course, there will be a variation in texture but tastes great - good options to make for your kids.If you don't have cornflour ( cornstarch), you can skip it and use 1 ½ cups of apf/ maida.I have used raw sugar for this recipe. You may use any granulated sugar.
Important tips to make the best eggless vanilla cake & cupcakes
Use blender with whipping attachment and not the beater attachment.
Doesn't matter if its a handheld or a stand mixer - both will give you same results.
All ingredients have to be at room temperature or not too cold including yogurt /curd.
Sift the flour from a height - results into fluffy bakes Mix dry ingredients well before incorporating in the wet ones.
Act quickly once the batter is mixed because the leavening agents start reacting as soon as they come in contact with something acidic - here its yogurt.
Pre-heat your oven at least for 15 mins Do not over mix the batter -after putting dry ingredients to the wet ones whip until the batter is lump-free - for me its less than 30 secs.
Do not over bake - it dries out the baked goods.
You can even add almond flavoring or some lemon or orange zest.
Please do not open your oven to check standard size cupcakes before 15 mins mark.
Keep checking after every minute later by inserting a toothpick in the centermost cupcake.