The Complete Idiot's Guide to Vegan Baking - Donna Diegel [113]
VEGAN VOCAB
An off-set spatula is handy to use to frost cakes. It’s a metal spatula with a stiff metal blade bent at an angle near the handle. This shape allows access to get into tight spots that an ordinary frosting spatula couldn’t reach without tearing up the frosting.
To avoid messy crumbs in your frosting, it’s very important to use enough frosting so the off-set spatula never comes into contact with the cake layers. Spoon about 2 cups of the thicker frosting on top of the cake, and as in the crumb coat, start by working your way out from the middle, and gently frost the top and sides of the cake using an off-set spatula, being careful not to rip up any cake crumbs. Gently smooth the top and sides of the cake with the spatula, and seal the edges evenly.
If you’re having trouble spreading the frosting, try dipping the spatula in warm water and wiping it dry between spreading. It should help smooth the frosting and prevent any crumbs from spoiling your creation.
Decorate the top with frosting. Depending on the flavor of the cake, you can also decorate with chopped nuts, chocolate drizzle, toasted coconut, vegan candies, vegan chocolate chips, plastic novelties, etc. The sky’s the limit when it comes to decorating cakes, so let your imagination run wild!
Buttercream Frosting
This classic white vanilla frosting, a perfect base for decorating with natural food coloring or cake colors, is just right for icing fancy celebration layer cakes and the cutest cupcakes.
Yield:
4 to 4½ cups
Prep time:
10 to 15 minutes
Serving size:
Varies
½ cup solid shortening (preferably
nonhydrogenated natural
shortening)
½ cup nonhydrogenated vegan
margarine, at room temperature
2 TB. vegan marshmallow crème
(optional)
¾ tsp. pure vanilla extract
4 cups vegan confectioners’ sugar,
plus more as needed
1 TB. soy milk or water, or as
needed
1. In a large bowl, and using an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on high speed, beat shortening, vegan margarine, vegan marshmallow crème, and vanilla extract for 1 minute or until well combined.
2. Add 2 cups vegan confectioners’ sugar, and beat for 1 minute or until light and fluffy, scraping the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula. Add remaining 2 cups confectioners’ sugar, and beat for 1 or 2 minutes or until frosting is nice and smooth with no lumps.
3. Add soy milk a little at a time until frosting is of spreading consistency. Add more liquid if necessary. If frosting is too thin, add a little more confectioners’ sugar as needed, and beat again. Frosting should be smooth with no lumps.
Variation: For Vanilla Bean Buttercream Frosting, scrape out the inside of a vanilla bean pod, and add it along with the vanilla extract for some intense vanilla flavor!
VEGAN VOCAB
Vegan confectioners’ sugar is a sugar made from either beet or cane sugar (not refined with bone char-based charcoal) that’s processed with a starch, such as cornstarch, to prevent caking.
Cream Cheese Frosting
This frosting is smooth and “cream cheese”-y, and tastes just as good as the real thing, but with no dairy.
Yield:
3½ cups
Prep time:
15 to 20 minutes
Serving size:
Varies
1 (8-oz.) pkg. vegan cream cheese,
softened
½ cup nonhydrogenated vegan
margarine, softened
4 cups vegan confectioners’ sugar,
plus more as needed
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 TB. water, or as needed
1. In a large bowl, and using an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on high speed, beat vegan cream cheese and softened vegan margarine for 1 minute or until well combined.
2. Add 2 cups vegan confectioners’ sugar, and beat for 1 minute or until light and fluffy, scraping the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula. Add vanilla extract and remaining 2 cups confectioners’ sugar, and beat for 1 or 2 minutes or until frosting is nice and smooth with no lumps.
3. Add water a little at a time until frosting is of spreading