This vegan chocolate buttercream recipe is so easy to make and will deliver a silky and smooth pipe-worthy frosting every time. A few days ago I posted my Vegan Chocolate Cupcake recipe, today we're adding the final chocolatey flourish.
Buttercream is my favourite accessory
anonymous
American Buttercream
There are three main types of buttercream you can make; American, Swiss and French. There are others but these are the three you'll come across most often.
American buttercream, the buttercream we are making today, is also known as simple buttercream. It is the easiest and sweetest of the buttercream styles and is made by combining butter, sugar and milk (or cream). American buttercream, because of its high sugar content, will form a slight crust when exposed to air.
Swiss and Italian buttercreams are both made with a meringue and are less sweet than their American cousin. They are also trickier to make.
I think we'll stick to simple buttercream today, yes?
OK, hold on to your hats, this vegan chocolate buttercream is lick-the-bowl good. However, if you are looking for a healthier cake topper, try the avocado chocolate frosting I use on my vegan gluten-free chocolate beetroot cakes. It's pretty darn delicious.
Tips to Making a Perfect Buttercream
American Buttercream is easy enough to make but if you want to create a smooth and silky consistency, follow these simple tips.
- Use a fine icing (confectioner's) sugar for a smooth finish
- Sift! Sift both your sugar and your cocoa before adding them to your mixing bowl. Don't skip this step or you might end up with lumpy bits.
- Use room temperature ingredients. Ingredients that are all about the same temperature will combine more easily and more thoroughly. Perfect room temperature butter - or vegan butter - can be pressed with your finger but still has a little resistance. Room temperature butter shouldn't be oily. If it is, pop it back in the fridge for 5 minutes.
- Beat, beat and then beat some more. This vegan chocolate buttercream recipe asks you to beat the butter for 3 to 5 minutes, then add half the sifted sugar, beat for another three minutes before adding the remaining ingredients and beating some more. I know, it's a lot of beating but it is so worth it.
- Add only the liquid you need. I use around a quarter of a cup in this frosting but I add it a tablespoon at a time. By adding your liquids a spoon at a time you can control the final consistency. I am nothing if not a control freak 😉
This vegan chocolate buttercream recipe is totally worth the 10 or 15 minutes it takes to make. Really. But, if you are time poor or just want something quick, you can try my Basic Vegan Chocolate Frosting. It is ready in about a third of the time.
How is This Buttercream Vegan?
There is no mystery to making my vegan chocolate buttercream. We are just swapping out regular butter for vegan butter and using dairy-free milk. If you wanted to try this recipe with a cream you could try coconut cream.
The trick to any buttercream is taking your time to beat the butter and sugar really well and follow the tips listed above.
I promise, this gorgeous and silky vegan buttercream is well worth the effort. Enjoy, x.
Make This Recipe
Vegan Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
Equipment
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
Ingredients
- ¾ cup vegan butter spread
- 3 cups soft icing sugar sifted
- ½ cup cocoa sifted
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- ¼ cup / 60ml dairy-free milk
Instructions
- Using a stand mixer (with the paddle attachment) or a hand mixer, beat the butter on low to medium for 3 to 4 minutes until whipped
- Turn off the mixer and add half the sifted icing sugar. Continue to beat the mixture, beginning on the lowest setting and working up to medium, for another 3 minutes before turning off the machine and adding the second half of the sugar. Again, begin beating the mixture at low and work up to medium and beat for another 3 to 4 minutes. NB: starting at a low setting will help prevent sugar dust from going everywhere!
- Add the sifted cocoa, vanilla extract, salt and dairy-free milk (one tablespoon at a time) and continue to beat the frosting for 3 to 4 minutes or until smooth and silky. Add a touch more milk if needed.
- Transfer the frosting to a piping bag or simply apply to your cakes with a palette or butter knife.
Notes
- Use a fine icing (confectioner's) sugar for a smooth finish
- Sift! Sift both your sugar and your cocoa before adding them to your mixing bowl. Don't skip this step or you might end up with lumpy bits.
- Use room temperature ingredients. Ingredients that are all about the same temperature will combine more easily and more thoroughly. Perfect room temperature butter - or vegan butter - can be pressed with your finger but still has a little resistance. Room temperature butter shouldn't be oily. If it is, pop it back in the fridge for 5 minutes.
- Beat, beat and then beat some more. This vegan chocolate buttercream recipe asks you to beat the butter for 3 to 5 minutes, then add half the sifted sugar, beat for another three minutes before adding the remaining ingredients and beating some more. I know, it's a lot of beating but it is so worth it.
- Add only the liquid you need. I use around a quarter of a cup in this frosting but I add it a tablespoon at a time. By adding your liquids a spoon at a time you can control the final consistency. I am nothing if not a control freak 😉
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