Shirley Temple Cupcakes

I have always loved Shirley Temples. They were not only something I looked forward to when our family went out to dinner as a child, but something I still get excited about. I don’t drink alcohol, so these are my standby drink when I somehow end up at a bar. I had seen a picture of a Shirley Temple cupcake a few months ago on a baking blog and desperately wanted to veganize it. As you can see, they are pretty darn cute.


Shirley Temple Cupcakes
Recipe adapted from My Sweet Vegan’s RootBeer Float Cupcakes

3/4 Cup Lemon Lime Soda

1 Teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar

1/4 Cup Maraschino Cherry Juice
3/4 Cup Sugar

1/3 Cup Canola Oil

1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 1/3 Cups Flour

3/4 Teaspoon Baking Soda

1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder

Pinch of Salt
Red dye (optional)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Combine the soda and vinegar. Add the cherry juice, sugar and oil. The mixture will be a little frothy. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry, mixing gently. If you want the cupcake to have a look reminiscent of the drink, add 1/4 to 1/3 of the batter to a small bowl and dye with a no-taste red dye. Spoon 1-2 tablespoons of this mixture into the cupcake liners. Gently add un-dyed batter, until liners are 3/4 full. Bake for 18 – 20 minutes.

Cherry Buttercream

1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1/4 cup Earth Balance
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2-4 tablespoons cherry juice

Cream shortening and butter. Add 1 cup powdered sugar. Beat until incorporated. Add 2 tablespoons cherry juice and remaining 1/2 cup sugar. Add additional juice or sugar until desired consistency.
This is a half batch of frosting, which was just enough to pipe small mounds on a dozen cupcakes. If you like large amounts of frosting, I suggest doubling the recipe.


These cupcakes sold faster than anything I have ever made at a bake sale before, which really boosted my self esteem. I think this will become a frequently made recipe in my kitchen. The cherry flavor is very subtle, so if you want more bang I suggest adding a bit of a natural cherry extract. I have seen a few recipes also use Cherry 7-up, which might additional flavor too.
Do you have a favorite drink that you think should be turned into a dessert? If you haven't picked up on it already, I really like taking sweets and turning them into a different dessert medium. Prime examples are the chocolate chip cookie dough cupcakes and speculoos snickerdoodles!

These are also headed to Sweets for a Saturday. There aren't many vegan things on the list, but tons of great ideas for things you can veganize!