Can I substitute vanilla extract for cocoa powder in a cupcake recipe?
I found this recipe online for a chocolate cupcake recipe and I want to make it into a vanilla cupcake recipe. I know what you may be thinking "why doesn't she just find a vanilla cupcake recipe?" This one is vegan and it is the first one that I have seen that is even remotely basic with the ingredients and I am trying to make it as simple as possible for myself. If you could help me that would be lovely.
This is the recipe I am trying to change:
1 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups water
I know this may seem simple but I am not the most experienced baker ever.
Best Answer
The recipe you've found looks like "crazy cake" or "wacky cake" (or "depression cake"), which is a fairly common egg-free cake. I've made it a number of times for a friend with an egg allergy and it's a very good vegan cake.
To make a vanilla version, leave out the cocoa powder and increase the vanilla extract slightly (1.5 teaspoons). There are a wide array of variations on this blog -- chocolate is the "original" (and most common version that I have seen), but vanilla, spice, lemon, and more all seem to be possibilities.
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Can I substitute vanilla extract for cocoa powder?
Rather than a substitution what you really need to ask is what changes you need to make if you leave the cocoa powder out. Vanilla extract is a very concentrated liquid and the recipe already calls for 1 teaspoon of it, so adding more vanilla may not even be necessary depending on the result you are trying to get.What can I substitute for cocoa powder in a cake?
The best and easiest thing to use in place of cocoa powder is unsweetened chocolate. For every 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder required, use 1 ounce of unsweetened chocolate. The chocolate should be melted before being added to the recipe.Is there anything you can substitute for cocoa powder?
Substituting Unsweetened Baking Chocolate for Natural Cocoa Powder. Swap 1 ounce of unsweetened baking chocolate for 3 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder. Then omit 1 tablespoon of butter, oil, or shortening from the recipe to account for the higher fat content in the baking chocolate.What can be substituted for cocoa powder to make chocolate?
Combine three Tablespoons of cocoa powder and one Tablespoon of vegetable oil, butter or shortening to create a replacement for one ounce of unsweetened chocolate. This will give your recipe an intense chocolate flavor, without adding any extra sugar.DIY Vanilla Essence Recipe. How to make Vanilla Flavour at home 4 baking.Vanilla Extract substitute.
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Answer 2
Rather than a substitution what you really need to ask is what changes you need to make if you leave the cocoa powder out. Vanilla extract is a very concentrated liquid and the recipe already calls for 1 teaspoon of it, so adding more vanilla may not even be necessary depending on the result you are trying to get. Maybe an extra 1/2 tsp.
Cocoa powder is dry, leaving it out means you need to reduce the liquid a bit. How much is a good question, I'd take out 2tbsp of water and see if you get a good result.
One thing I'd definitely consider is taking the vinegar out. You need acid to react with the baking soda in order to get a rise, however white vinegar is a very strong flavor which won't work with the vanilla. In fact, I wouldn't use it even if I was making chocolate muffins. I'd substitute 1 and 1/2 tsp of baking powder (it's vegan) for the baking soda and vinegar. Baking powder is a mix of soda (sodium bicarbinate) and cream of tartar, which is a powdered potassium salt derived from wine making byproducts. Cream of tartar will add the acidity without much flavor. It will also give you a more consistent result as vinegars differ in acidity.
Answer 3
I would definitely try that, just by increasing the flour or decreasing the water to 1 cup to compensate for the 1/4 cup of cocoa you're not putting in. I make a recipe very similar to this (1 cup sugar, 1/3 cocoa, 1 cup water, 1/2 cup oil, whatever flour, whatever vinegar, the rest the same) about twice a week, and the cupcakes/muffins come out great. So great my father, who's a baker, kept commenting on how good the chocolate cake was (I used it to make a cake).
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