Vegan Oat Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream
[Vegan]

Make the Cupcakes:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cavity muffin pan with cupcake liners.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon until combined. Add the buttermilk, melted butter, and flaxseed eggs and mix with a hand mixer on high speed until just combined. Do not overmix. If the batter is extremely thick, add almond milk 1 tablespoon at a time until the batter is pourable but not thin or runny.
3. Pour the batter into the cupcake liners until they are about two-thirds of the way full, using about 2 tablespoons of batter per cupcake.
4. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Remove the cupcakes from the oven and let cool completely in the pan.

Make the Buttercream:

1. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Turn the mixer to low and add half of the powdered sugar, the strawberry preserves, almond milk, and vanilla extract; continue mixing until well combined. Add the remaining powdered sugar and pinch of salt, increase the speed to high, and mix again until well combined. If the frosting is too thick, add more almond milk 1 tablespoon at a time; if it is too thin, add more powdered sugar 1 tablespoon at a time.
2. Remove the cooled cupcakes from the pan and frost them with the buttercream, using a pastry bag and icing tip for a pretty presentation. Decorate each cupcake with a strawberry half or slice. Enjoy! Leftover cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week if unfrosted or up to 4 days if frosted. Unfrosted cupcakes can be frozen for up to 6 months and thawed at room temperature; wrap them in plastic wrap and then foil before freezing them.