Preheat the oven to 350F and line a 12 cup-cupcake tin with cupcake liners. Prepare the vegan buttermilk by whisking together the dairy free milk and apple cider vinegar in a small bowl. Set aside for 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, sugar, and vanilla extract with the paste. Add in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt. Whisk until JUST combined as you pour in the vegan buttermilk. Be careful not to over mix the batter.

Use a large cookie scoop or an ice cream scoop or a spoon to fill each cupcake liner about ¾ of the way full. Place the cupcake tin into the oven and bake for 20-22 minutes, or until the toothpick comes out clean. Another way to test this is the tops of the cupcakes should be lightly golden and the cupcake should spring back at a light touch.

Remove from the oven and allow the cupcakes to cool completely before making the vegan buttercream frosting.

When ready to frost, creamy the vegan butter until thick fluffy, and lighter in color; then sift in 1 cup of powdered sugar at a time, while beating the frosting. Add in 1-2 tbsp of dairy free milk to help the buttercream become more moveable rather than thick. Add in the vanilla extract and beat to combine.

Spoon the frosting into a piping bag with frosting tip, and frost each cupcake. Alternatively, you can smear the frosting on with a butter knife. Sprinkle with sprinkles if desired and enjoy!

Store any uneaten cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also freeze these cupcakes unfrosted for up to 1 month.