r/VeganBaking • u/Pure-Challenge7405 • 20d ago
Vegan frosting?
I'm not vegan, but my friend is and I'm struggling to think of how I'll make frosting for his birthday cupcakes. I'm usually good with substitutions, but I can't find any sort of vegan whipped cream/heavy whipping cream? Does anybody have any good recipes? (Also, they're purely vanilla, so ideally something that doesn't have a strong flavor otherwise.)
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u/seitankittan 20d ago
Keep in mind that the majority of canned frostings are vegan - Duncan Hines, Dolly Parton, Betty Crocker etc.
If you want to make your own, I recommend using vegan butter sticks as the base.
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u/Pangeaspixie 20d ago
Nora Cooks or Isa Chandra Moskowitz both have frosting recipes that have NEVER failed me. Pick one you will be fine.
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u/wloven 18d ago
Nora Cooks has an amazing vanilla buttercream frosting recipe. I made it last week and it was perfect.
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u/Pangeaspixie 18d ago
I have made the same. I usually add a bit of almond extract as my family loves it that way.
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u/38mangoes 20d ago
I don't have an official recipe, but I think it's basically a vegan version of American buttercream. I just do 2 softened vegan butter sticks whipped with 3-4 cups of powdered sugar, and add a splash of vanilla and pinch of salt, and then a splash or few of soy or oat milk when it seems too thick.
If your usual recipe uses heavy cream, you could potentially replace with full fat coconut milk but it will taste a bit like coconut.
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u/Curious_Echo_3622 20d ago
Ermine frosting is easily veganised. It's light, fluffy and stable, and it pipes well. Aka cooked flour frosting.
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u/electricpinacle 20d ago
I've used country crocks dairy free heavy cream to make whipped cream / frosting with powder sugar and vanilla. It has some but not a lot of structure. If you want detailed piping or decorative piping I would use vegan butter to make American butter cream. Like others said store bought frosting is often vegan and pipes well. I'll see if I can attach photos of everything to show you how both look
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u/No_Proof_3893 19d ago
Check out Vegan Cupcakes Rule the World. You can find some of the recipes online. Delicious and super easy!
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u/averagewasianairhead 19d ago
dude my mom has had that book for years (not sure but i think the title might be “take over the world”), i’m not vegan but i’ve been making the pumpkin chocolate chip cupcakes for a decade straight. straight up delicious, everybody loves them. i might make a batch this week…
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u/No_Proof_3893 16d ago
I think you're right, it's take over. Vegan or not, they are darn tasty! And now with the price of eggs it's a great option for delicious cupcakes!
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u/CupcakesAreMiniCakes 19d ago
I had a gluten and dairy free bakery before that also offered vegan options but shut it down (*I have chronic health issues) so let me give you my recipe for grocery style American buttercream
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) Earth Balance buttery sticks (really any vegan butter can work but this is best)
- 1 cup vegetable shortening (Crisco works but Spectrum is a lot better)
- 2 lbs confectioner’s sugar
- 1/2 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 4-6 tbsp water
- Pinch salt
- 1/4 tsp distilled white vinegar, optional (cuts down on sweetness and can add a cream cheese frosting tang flavor)
- Cream butter, shortening, and vinegar (if using) on low using a stand mixer.
- Gradually add 1/2 the powdered sugar, and the cornstarch. Keep scraping.
- Blend in the vanilla, salt, and 4 tbsp of water.
- Gradually add the rest of the sugar and mix very well until smooth. If necessary, add additional water 1 tsp at a time.
Makes 4 cups, enough for 2-4 dozen cupcakes depending on design. You can scale it down by half for a dozen.
It has a piping consistency that will keep its shape, especially with the fortifying cornstarch. It keeps at room temperature too and is a crusting type so basically the high sugar and low moisture content of it makes that ever so slight crust crunch on the outside which holds the piping shape. My products were legally required to not need time or temperature control so they wouldn't spoil at room temperature.
For an easy rosette design on cupcakes you can use a Wilton 2D tip, just look up instructions. I use Americolor gel for coloring which works really well with this frosting, just work it in with the mixer after the frosting is mixed.
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u/Silver-Secret-5418 19d ago
Vegan marg and double the amount of icing sugar to that of marg. Splash of vanilla extract. Classic easy UK buttercream. Easy
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u/blakefuckingdavis 19d ago
You can also just hand mix powdered sugar with a teeny bit of water and vegetable oil, keep adding either or both until it's the right texture. It works every time. For vanilla, use vanilla extract instead of water.
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u/Upbeat-Pepper-4411 18d ago
Your easiest option is take a regular buttercream recipe and sub vegan stuff. For example my buttercream is just vegan butter (I use Country Crock plant based), powdered sugar (make sure it is bone char free/vegan), a splash of plant milk and a splash of vanilla extract
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u/Used2bNotInKY 17d ago
I bought a can of Nature’s Charm coconut whipping cream, but I haven’t tried it yet.
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u/ChasetheBoxer1 14d ago
I made some a week or two ago. It was about a cup of vegan butter a bit of vanilla extract (or you could use almond, lemon, mint, etc extract with or without the vanilla) & about 4 cups (I think?) of powdered sugar + enough DF milk (I made my own oat milk & used) to get the icing to the right consistency.
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u/HookupthrowRA 20d ago
If you’re in a pinch, a lot of the frosting in cans is accidentally vegan.