Have you jumped aboard the vegan train that's capturing the hearts and stomachs of the nation? Perhaps you're not good with digesting dairy and you're looking for dairy-free cake frosting ideas? It doesn't matter to us why you're looking for a vegan cake topping, all we want to do is give you the best inspiration possible!
Also, vegan cake toppings are fabulous if you want to avoid the 'butter yellow' tinge that most regular buttercream has.c
Vegan cake toppings
Dairy-free frosting health advice
Basic vegan cake topping
This recipe makes enough vanilla-flavoured vegan icing to top a normal 8 inch cake. It only takes ten minutes too!
Ingredients
450g icing sugar
3 tbsp vegan butter
60ml non-dairy milk (soy, almond, coconut, etc.)
2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients into a mixing bowl, keeping half the milk to one side.
- Use an electric mixer to begin combining the ingredients, starting at low speed that you can gradually increase.
- Add the rest of the dairy-free milk slowly, until the icing is perfectly smooth and thick. You may not need to use all of the milk, depending on the water content of the vegan butter.
- Use your best judgement as to the consistency and when to stop adding milk. The icing should be very thick, but still easily spreadable.
This is an ideal basic vegan cake topping recipe to add to a vivacious Victoria sponge cake, or maybe our delicious dairy-free vanilla cupcakes?
Chocolate vegan cake topping
This recipe also make enough dairy-free chocolate icing to cover a regular 8 inch cake and only taken ten minutes to fully prep and complete.
Ingredients
450g icing sugar
4 tbsp cocoa powder
3-4 tbsp vegan butter
60ml non-dairy milk (soy, almond, coconut, etc.)
1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients into a mixing bowl, keeping half the milk to one side.
- Use an electric mixer to begin combining the ingredients, starting at low speed that you can gradually increase.
- Add the rest of the dairy-free milk slowly, until the icing is perfectly smooth and thick. You may not need to use all of the milk, depending on the water content of the vegan butter.
- Use your best judgement as to the consistency and when to stop adding milk. The icing should be very thick, but still easily spreadable.
Yummy! Check out our list of sumptuous chocolate cake recipes for ideas to add your delicious dairy-free chocolate cake topping!
Dairy-free cake frosting advice
Just a few top tips for making, using and storing vegan cake toppings.
Can these vegan icings be piped?
In a nutshell, yes! You will need to be wary with the consistency of your dairy-free frosting and potentially play around with some practice piping before going ahead and piping a full cake/set of cupcakes with either your basic or chocolate vegan cake toppings. Check out our article on how to pipe cupcakes to the perfect finish for more advice.
How do I store these vegan cake toppings?
Even though the products used in these frostings are dairy-free, they do still need to be kept refrigerated if you're not planning on using your icing immediately. Just remember that in the fridge your icing will firm up, so it might be a little difficult to pipe after a few days chilling. Don't store your dairy-free icing in the fridge for more than five days. Bonus advice - these vegan cake toppings can be frozen too, just again be aware that the freezing process may cause a few issues with the texture of the icing.
Is dairy-free cake frosting healthy?
While we would love to lie through our teeth and say yes, we are honest to a fault here at CD&S, so unfortunately no, it's definitely not healthy! However, it is arguably a little healthier that regular buttercream, as vegan butter usually doesn't have as high a fat content as regular butter. Be sure to check out our article on healthy cakes and bakes for a full run-down of the potential health benefits of going vegan.
Can I add extra ingredients to these vegan cake topping recipes?
Of course! We're all about versatility and creativity here at CD&S, so don't be afraid to mix it up! Whether you want to throw in some fruity fun, a cheeky bit of booze or a hint of coffee, these dairy-free cake frosting recipes are there simply here to inspire you. If you want more ideas for different and (sometimes!) healthier cake toppings, make sure you have a look at our article that's full of ideas and recipes for yummy yoghurt icing. And, if you want to keep it vegan, simply swap your chosen yoghurt for a dairy-free one - ta-dah!
Delight your dairy-free friends with these vegan cake toppers and be the talk of the town! If you're looking for more dairy-free cake frosting and topping inspiration, take a look at our marvellous muesli cake topping recipe to keep your cakes and bakes both healthy and oh-so-tasty!
