The Complete Idiot's Guide to Vegan Baking - Donna Diegel [114]
Variation: For Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting, add ½ to ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon along with the vanilla extract.
BATTER UP!
Vegan cream cheese is a snow-white imitation cream cheese made of partially hydrogenated soybean oil, guar gum, and sugar. Tofutti brand has no dairy, cholesterol, lactose, or butterfat in it, making it perfect for those recipes where cream cheese is called for.
Maple Frosting
This delicious nondairy frosting is made with pure maple syrup, vegan cream cheese, and maple extract. Just add chopped walnuts, and make believe you’re leaf-peeping in New England.
Yield:
3½ cups
Prep time:
15 to 20 minutes
Serving size:
Varies
½ cup nonhydrogenated vegan
margarine, softened
¾ cup vegan cream cheese
⅓ cup pure maple syrup, dark
amber or Grade B
4 cups vegan confectioners’ sugar,
plus more as needed
½ tsp. pure maple 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 margarine, vegan cream cheese, and maple syrup 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 maple 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 consistency. 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 Maple Walnut Frosting, add ½ teaspoon black walnut extract along with the maple extract. You can even add ½ to ¾ cup finely chopped walnuts to frosting before spreading on cakes and cupcakes.
BATTER UP!
The frosting recipes in this chapter have a range of measurements when it comes to vegan confectioners’ sugar. Fluctuations in humidity and temperature are common in different locations. That’s why you’ll see “more as needed” in the ingredient list. You may have to adjust the amount of confectioners’ sugar, and/ or the liquid (soy milk and water) during the final stages of beating the frosting. If needed, start out with 1 tablespoon sugar at a time, or a few drops of milk or water. A little goes a long way when it comes to adding extra liquid to a batch of frosting.
Peanut Butter Frosting
This deliciously fluffy peanut butter frosting is made with smooth peanut butter.
Yield:
3½ cups
Prep time:
10 to 15 minutes
Serving size:
Varies
½ cup nonhydrogenated vegan
margarine, softened
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Pinch salt
3 cups vegan confectioners’ sugar,
plus more as needed
3 TB. soy milk, or as needed
1. In a large bowl, and using an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on high speed, beat vegan margarine and smooth peanut butter until creamy. Add vanilla extract and salt, and beat for 1 minute.
2. Add 1½ 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 1½ 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. 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 Peanut Butter Cup Frosting, add 1 cup vegan peanut butter cups, chopped small.
BATTER UP!
If your all-natural peanut butter has an oily puddle on top, simply stir it back into the peanut butter before using, especially if you’re using it in baked goods. Most times this method works fine, but in this Peanut Butter Frosting recipe, the all-natural peanut butter combined with the additional vegan margarine makes for