4-Ingredient Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting

March 31, 2024

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This vegan cream cheese frosting calls for less than 4 elements, and it makes one small batch. It’s the right quantity for a dozen cupcakes or a single-layer sq. snack cake! The frosting is tangy, candy, and a great accompaniment to vegan carrot cake.

It’s springtime, the season of blossoming foliage, longer days, and gentler temperatures.

Inexperienced issues are beginning to pop up on the farmer’s market: snap peas, asparagus spears, fava beans, and shelling peas.

There are holy days to look at and have a good time inside many alternative faiths and non secular traditions.

Maybe least importantly—but very fortunately—it’s additionally carrot cake season.

I’ve mentioned it many occasions earlier than, however I’m at all times glad to declare: vegan cake is my all-time favourite dessert, and carrot cake is my all-time favourite cake!

No vegan carrot cake is full with out swirls of vegan cream cheese frosting.

Cream cheese frosting can be the right go-to frosting for any one that likes a frosted cake, but finds conventional buttercream to be somewhat sickly candy.

In that spirit, I’m sharing my favourite recipe for vegan cream cheese frosting. It has an ideal consistency for piping or spreading, it’s tremendous simple to make, and it’s sufficient for one small batch.

In case you want sufficient frosting for a layer cake or a big sheet-pan cake, don’t fear: the frosting recipe may be doubled and even tripled.

What’s cream cheese frosting?

Most frosting that’s used for piping requires a basis of butter.

To the butter—or vegan butter, for a plant-based frosting recipe—one provides powdered sugar and any mandatory add-ins, corresponding to synthetic colour or taste extracts.

Cream cheese frosting, however, makes use of a mixture of butter and cream cheese because the creamy base.

The results of this change-up is frosting that’s rather less candy than conventional buttercream. As a result of cream cheese is tangy, it provides some brightness and acidity to a doubtlessly cloying icing.

I additionally discover that cream cheese frosting, despite its wealthy consistency, has a lighter high quality total than buttercream.

For each of those causes, and particularly as a result of I like acidic flavors, vegan cream cheese frosting is my primary selection for all of my frosted desserts and cupcakes.

A dairy-free spin on a dessert basic

To make cream cheese frosting vegan, it’s mandatory to make use of two non-traditional, dairy-free alternate options: vegan butter and vegan cream cheese.

One of the best vegan butter for frosting

Various totally different vegan butters will work properly for the frosting. I’ve examined the recipe with the entire following:

My feeling is that the butters with decrease melting factors are optimum. I’ve had probably the most secure and constant outcomes with Earth Stability and For:A.

Nonetheless, I’ve but to attempt a strong, industrial vegan butter that merely doesn’t work within the recipe.

In case you use a vegan butter that appears to melt shortly in a warm-ish room, concentrate on the truth that will probably be greatest to arrange the frosting shortly and in cool circumstances. That approach, you’ll be able to keep away from a batch of overly mushy or melting frosting.

In any other case, you should utilize your favourite vegan butter model right here.

What sort of cream cheese ought to I exploit?

As soon as once more, I’ve tried to check and pattern a spread of choices. I’ve made batches of this vegan cream cheese frosting with:

Amongst these, I’ve two clear favorites: Tofutti and Kite Hill.

The previous has a pleasant, agency texture, and it’s a very good choice for these with nut allergy symptoms.

The latter, Kite Hill, is my favourite for taste. Its tanginess is unmatched, which results in a balanced frosting.

Nonetheless, as with the selection of butter, I haven’t but examined a vegan cream cheese that was a catastrophe or just didn’t work within the recipe.

Bear in mind that each the butter and the cream cheese that you just select ought to be at room temperature earlier than you make the frosting.

This doesn’t imply sizzling or virtually melting! Purpose for butter and cream cheese which can be every strong, but not chilly.

The benefit of a small batch

Hear, I like frosting, however there are only a few eventualities during which I must have a ton of it readily available.

Particularly, I want a bigger quantity of frosting once I’m making a layer cake or a bigger sheet pan cake.

The remainder of the time, I are likely to make easy snack desserts and batches of cupcakes. For these functions, a modest quantity of frosting actually does the trick.

The vegan cream cheese frosting that I’m sharing in the present day gives you sufficient for a dozen cupcakes or for icing an 8-inch / 20cm or 9-inch / 23cm sq. snack cake.

A vegan cupcake has been swirled with a rich, pale colored cream cheese frosting.

A vegan layered carrot cake is resting on a round platter. It has been sliced into three slices, which are each resting on small dessert plates against a white surface.

You possibly can simply double the recipe for frosting a layer cake, corresponding to my beloved vegan carrot cake with cream cheese frosting.

make vegan cream cheese frosting

The steps for making this frosting are fairly easy.

Earlier than I describe them, I ought to be aware that I often make this recipe in my stand mixer, however the recipe works properly with a handheld mixer, too.

Right here’s what you’ll do.

Step 1: Beat the butter and cream cheese

First, you’ll beat the butter and cream cheese collectively for 3 minutes, or till they’re very clean and simply turning into fluffy.

An overhead image of a white bowl, filled with butter and cream cheese. It rests on a white surface. — Vegan butter and cream cheese are the wealthy base of this plant-based frosting.

It’s best to do that on medium low velocity, no matter the kind of mixer that you just’re utilizing. In case you use a stand mixer, remember to use the paddle attachment for this job.

Step 2: Add confectioner’s sugar

Subsequent, you’ll add two cups of confectioner’s sugar (aka powdered sugar) to the bowl. Combine the sugar along with the butter and cream cheese on low velocity for 2 minutes.

An overhead image of a white bowl, filled with powdered sugar and a creamy base of butter. — Confectioners sugar ought to be added to the frosting solely after you cream collectively the butter and cream cheese.

An image of a white bowl, which is filled with freshly beaten vegan cream cheese frosting. — Confectioners sugar ought to be added to the frosting solely after you cream collectively the butter and cream cheese.

Then, increase the velocity to medium low and proceed mixing for 2-3 minutes, or till the frosting could be very clean and lightweight. Add your vanilla extract, then combine for 30 seconds extra: simply sufficient to include the vanilla absolutely.

Step 3: Use or retailer

At this level, you should utilize the frosting instantly or retailer it for future use.

In case you plan to frost a cake or cupcakes quickly (inside 2 hours), you’ll be able to cowl the frosting and go away it in on a countertop till you’re prepared to make use of it. Nonetheless, it is best to make certain that your room is comparatively cool, in order that the frosting doesn’t get overly mushy.

In case you’d like to make use of the frosting inside just a few days, you’ll be able to switch it to an hermetic container and retailer it within the fridge for as much as 1 week. Make sure to convey the frosting to room temperature earlier than you’re employed with it.

Lastly, you’ll be able to freeze the frosting for as much as 8 weeks. Defrost it within the fridge in a single day, then permit it to return to room temperature earlier than you utilize it for adornment.

work with cream cheese frosting

This frosting works fantastically for swirls and spreading—I like to make use of a small, invert spatula for this—or for piping.

This weblog publish captures a few of my favourite ideas and methods for getting snug with piping and cake adorning!

Which recipes would work properly with the frosting?

To be sincere, I like this cream cheese frosting with so many alternative desserts and cupcakes. However listed below are just a few of those that I believe it’s greatest fitted to:

I’m positive that you just’ll consider plenty of nice treats to adorn with this creamy, tasty frosting. Right here’s the recipe.