Prepare a muffin tin by lining it with cupcake liners and spraying the liners with a little spray oil.
Place 1 cup of freeze-dried strawberries in a blender and blend until they turn into powder.
Mix the dry ingredients (1 1/2 cup flour, the powder from the blended strawberries, 3/4 cup sugar, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/4 tsp salt) in a large mixing bowl and give them a stir with a whisk.
Measure out the wet ingredients (1 cup plant milk, 1/3 cup oil, 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice, 1 tsp vanilla extract) in a separate container and let them sit for about 5 minutes to let the lemon juice curdle the milk.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir to combine. (Stir until the wet and dry ingredients have combined, but don't over mix.)
Pour into prepared cupcake liners.
Bake for 22 minutes at 375°F (190°C) until the top center of the cupcakes appear dry and springs back up when touched.
Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.
For vegan buttercream frosting
Allow the vegan butter to soften until it reaches near room temperature.
Place 1/2 cup of freeze-dried strawberries in a blender and blend until they turn into powder.
Whip the butter with an electric mixer for 1 minute, then add the powdered strawberries and the powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time whipping for about 30 seconds between each scoop of powdered sugar.
Add the vanilla extract and 1 teaspoon of the plant milk and continue whipping the frosting. Add an additional teaspoon of milk if a softer consistency is needed.
Notes
Spoon measure the flour to be sure you get an accurate measurement.
Don't over mix the batter or your cupcakes will have a chewy texture.
Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.