Vegan banana almond cupcakes

Martha Collison's easy cupcakes are quick to whip up, and the bananas make them gorgeously moist.

Ingreadient

• 2 ripe Fairtrade bananas, peeled
• 50g almond butter
• 100ml plant-based milk alternative (Martha uses oat milk)
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 150g plain flour
• 100g Fairtrade caster sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 150g Pure Dairy Free Sunflower spread
• 50g almond butter
• 200g icing sugar
• 50g chopped almonds

Step by step

1. Preheat the oven to 190ºC, gas mark 5 and line a 12-hole muffin tin with muffin cases.
2. Mash the bananas with the almond butter for the cakes in a small bowl until smooth, then stir in the milk alternative, cider vinegar, vanilla bean paste and oil.
3. Combine the flour, caster sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and a pinch of salt in a mixing bowl. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and fold together using a spatula until no floury patches remain. Divide equally between the muffin cases.
4. Bake for 25-30 minutes. The cakes should be risen and golden, and a skewer inserted should come out relatively clean. These vegan muffins are delicate and can collapse easily, so be sure to bake them for the full time suggested. Remove and leave to cool on a wire rack.
5. Once cool, make the topping. Beat the spread, almond butter, and icing sugar together until light and fluffy. Spread or pipe onto the cooled cakes then sprinkle with the chopped almonds. These will keep, un-iced, for 4 days in an airtight container.