Vegan Buttercream Frosting
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Vegan Buttercream Frosting! This frosting is for my lovely, very vocal vegan followers! I hear you. Here’s my vegan vanilla buttercream frosting, which can be flavoured with chocolate too. It’s smooth, delicious and can be used for cakes or cupcakes.
Vegan Buttercream Frosting
Plant based, vegan buttercream frosting. Perfect for decorating cupcakes and filling cakes.
Serves 20
Ingredients
Frosting
- 1/2 cup / 125 g shortening, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups / 300 g dairy-free/vegan margarine, chilled
- 3 1/4 cups / 500 g icing sugar, confectioners’
- 3 tsp / 3 tsp vanilla extract, vanilla bean paste
- 2 tbsp / 2 tbsp plant-based milk, I use almond milk (optional, but recommended)
Learn How To Make it! [VIDEO]
Instructions
Frosting
- Add your shortening and margarine to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. You can also use a hand mixer for this recipe, but if you do use a hand mixer, just make sure your bowl is large. Mix on low speed to begin with, to allow everything to combine, then increase the speed to high. Mix on high speed for 5 minutes, or until the mixture is fluffy and turns pale in colour.
- Stop your mixer and scrape down the side of the bowl using a spatula. Add the icing sugar and vanilla, and mix on low speed.
- Once all the dry ingredients are incorporated, it’s safe to turn your mixer up to high speed. Beat for about 5–6 minutes, or until the mixture turns pale in colour and becomes fluffy again. If you want to soften your buttercream and make it a little smoother, add the milk and continue mixing for another couple of minutes on medium speed. It’s also at this stage that you can add any food flavourings or food-gel colourings.
Notes
For chocolate-flavoured vegan buttercream, simply add 170g (1 ½ cups) melted and cooled vegan chocolate.
My cake recipes often call for more than one batch of frosting. Depending on the size of your mixing bowl, you may need to split the frosting into two batches when flavouring and colouring it.
Frosting can be stored in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
To freshen up this frosting simple thaw at room temperature for 1 hour and re-whip using a stand mixer and paddle attachment
Nutrition
Serving: 20g
Calories : 123kcal
Carbonhydrates: 20g
Protein: 1g
Fat: 5g
Saturated Fat: 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g
Monounsaturated Fat : 0.1g
Trans Fat : 0.1g
Cholesterol: 0.1mg
Sodium: 1mg
Potassium : 0.1mg
Fiber: 0.1g
Sugar : 19g
Vitamin A: 0.1IU
Vitamin C: 0.1mg
Calcium: 0.1mg
Iron: 1mg
Nutrition Disclosure
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6 comments
Hi Nick! So happy the website is up !! I’m wondering if I can make this frosting with all shortening and no milk so it’d be shelf stable, would it still taste good? Should I add anything extra to it like more vanilla or sugar?
Hmmm… flavour wise (even with extra vanilla..) I’m not sure that would taste good. The margarine in this recipe is there mostly for flavour.
Hey Nick!
It there a substitute for shortening? It’s not very common in Israel. Thank you!
You could sub it with more margarine, but just keep in mind, the shortening helps stabilise the frosting in warmer weather. So if it’s a warm day, try and keep the frosting cool before serving so it doesn’t melt. Or even turn the cool air on in your house while making it to stop it from splitting. Happy baking! N x
Hi Nick, I see the recipe serves 20. Is that a generous amount for each cupcake? Could I stretch it to 24? Thanks so much!
Hi Bailey, it’s a regular amount of frosting on each cupcake. If you want a high swirl, it will probably frost about 14-15 cupcakes.