This recipe is a part of “Hello Baking- Baking for beginner” series 🙂
Silky, smooth, yummy, loaded with fresh vanilla bean flavor, 100% vegan, made with plant-based butter substitute, perfectly white and stable vegan buttercream frosting is a gem recipe for those who are vegan + beginners in baking 🙂
Hey Hey everyone! I am back with another easy bakes 🙂 After moving to Canada, I got a chance to explore lots of different ingredients. I am learning new recipes and I hope You guys too will find this post useful as I will try to share as many tips and tricks as possible to make a perfect non-dairy buttercream frosting with you all 🙂
Buttercream is my personal favorite icing recipe among all. As we don’t eat eggs, I find classic buttercream easier than swiss meringue or Italian meringue buttercream frosting. Before moving further I also want to mention that this buttercream frosting is soy-free too.
What is vegan butter🧈 ?
Before jumping into the recipe, Let me clear your doubts about vegan butter. Vegan butter is a dairy-free butter substitute. Traditional dairy butter is made from churning cream from cow. Non-dairy butter is made from water and plant-derived oil such as olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil etc, or sometimes a combination of oils.
Do not get confused with peanut butter or almond butter. These two kinds of butter are also dairy-free but they are nut butter and can not be used to make the cake icing(frosting).
Vegan butter vs margarine
Vegan butter and margarine almost look similar – light yellow, soft, and smooth. However, there is a slight difference. Margarine sometimes contains a small amount of dairy product while vegan butter is complete 100% dairy-free product.
Texture of vegan butter
Vegan butter is made from water and a combination of plant-based oils, you may notice the extreme softness when they are at room temperature. Sometimes you may notice the water separates from vegan butter if kept too long at room temperature.
This is the reason, you have to keep maintaining the temperature while working with vegan butter frostings.
Ingredients
This vegan buttercream has 3(three) ingredients only.
Vegan butter – Use a good quality vegan butter here to make the best buttercream frosting.
Powdered sugar – Main ingredients in any buttercream recipe to make buttercream stable.
Vanilla extract – Vanilla extract is used for nice, glorious vanilla flavor to the buttercream. I have used pure vanilla bean paste here. Be sure not to add too much else your buttercream will get bitter in taste.
How to make vegan buttercream frosting
Make sure your butter is at room temperature. Gently put your finger in the butter, check if butter is soft enough, and should hold the shape at the same time.
Transfer this softened butter to a bowl and beat at medium speed using a hand or stand mixer. If you are using a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment. Beat this butter for 4 to 5 minutes or until butter of soft, fluffy, and light in color.
At this stage, add vanilla extract.
Now, add confectioner sugar in batches, add half amount of sugar, and mix. beat it at medium speed.
After each batch of sugar is well incorporated, turn the mixer at high speed and beat for 10 to 15 seconds to make buttercream more light and fluffy.
Your buttercream is ready, use as required, or store and refrigerate.
Buttercream FAQs
The secret of making perfect white buttercream is the beating time. Beat butter on medium speed before adding powdered sugar and beat it until slightly lighter in color.
Also, make sure to add powdered sugar in batches. This will make sure that powdered sugar is incorporated properly into the butter.
It is not always necessary to add shortening. In fact, I have not added any shortening in this buttercream recipe.
Yes, This buttercream is stable. As I have mentioned earlier, if it is kept too long at room temperature, It might separate the water as it is made from vegan butter. It is always better to keep it refrigerated when not using.
How to store buttercream properly?
Storing buttercream is a tricky part. In fact, the buttercream you see in the pictures here is stored for 4 days before using in the refrigerator.
You can store buttercream in two ways. One method is, keep your buttercream in a bowl and cover the buttercream surface properly with clingfilm wrap properly.
Another method(which I used here), store this buttercream in an airtight container.
Another important thing to keep in mind before using this stored buttercream, Always take out the cream from the refrigerator in advance and let the frosting come to a room temperature. Beat using a whisker before use and you will notice that buttercream will be fluffy and smooth again. Use it as required.
Looking for more beginner recipe?
- Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- Gluten-free Banana Bread
- Blueberry jam muffins
- Eggless chocolate cookies
- Eggless chocolate brownies
Vegan buttercream frosting recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup vegan butter
- 1½ cup powdered sugar also known as confectioner sugar
- 1 or 2 drops vanilla extract (or tiny bit of vanilla paste)
Instructions
- Make sure your butter is at room temperature. Gently put your finger in the butter, check if butter is soft enough, and should hold the shape at the same time.
- Transfer this softened butter to a bowl and beat at medium speed using a hand or stand mixer. If you are using a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment. Beat this butter for 4 to 5 minutes or until butter of soft, fluffy, and light in color.1 cup vegan butter
- At this stage, add vanilla extract.1 or 2 drops vanilla extract
- Now, add confectioner sugar in batches, add half amount of sugar, and mix. beat it at medium speed.1½ cup powdered sugar
- After each batch of sugar is well incorporated, turn the mixer at high speed and beat for 10 to 15 seconds to make buttercream more light and fluffy.
- Your buttercream is ready, use as required, or store and refrigerate.
This looks great! It’s always a challenge figuring out what to serve for dessert when we have vegan friends over to dine. You know, so many desserts are full of butter, eggs, and cream. Good stuff — thanks.
This is an essential recipe. Pinning it for later as can’t wait to try with our next cake recipes.