Are you looking for great-tasting, pipeable, dairy-free buttercream frosting for your cakes? One that won’t slide off the side of your cakes?
Autumn is always busy in our house. There are five birthdays across our family, plus the inevitable need to do something for Halloween. This year I’ve taken some time to work on my dairy-free buttercream, for all the cakes we will need to make. I’ve also had a little fun with some Halloween cakes along the way.
Sloppy dairy-free buttercream?
If you have ever tried to make dairy-free buttercream you may well have experienced the frustration of being left with a frosting that slides off of a cake and is impossible to pipe. Sometimes it splits along the way too. Also, if you add food colouring, depending on the brand, it can add to an already ‘off’ taste. Blurgh!
So what’s the problem?
It’s all about two things. The fats you use, and your method. I’ve spent hours looking at recipes from bakers that achieve amazing results. I’m not looking to become a professional baker but do want a dairy-free buttercream that works.
First, you need a high-fat content, dairy-free fat. If you are using spreadable fats, that come in a tub, then it’s unlikely to work. This is because you need a product that has approximately 80% fat content to be successful. Dairy-free spreads just will not work the same way, as they have higher water content, and sometimes oil content, to aid that straight from the tub ability to be spreadable.
Second, you need to beat the fat for what seems like a ridiculous amount of time. I’ve experimented with this and it REALLY makes a difference to the texture and mouth-feel of the icing. You honestly need to beat this cream for about fifteen minutes or more to get the best results. I know that seems excessive, but it really does make a difference and results in a lighter consistency and smoother, lighter texture. You can use a stand mixer, a handheld mixer but is doable by hand if you have the energy, whichever way you do it, the result will be a pipeable, dairy-free buttercream.
Which fats to use?
Fortunately, there is a lot of choice in UK supermarkets. You should choose block fats for making this dairy-free buttercream. It needs to be suitable for your dietary needs with 80% fat content or as close to that as possible. I used Pure block which was 79%. If you are struggling with finding a suitable block with higher fat content don’t panic. You can always add some Trex (white fat for baking) to improve fat content. Trex should not be confused with lard. Trex is made from sustainable palm oil (according to their company website). Lard is something else and is typically pork or beef fat.
Let’s consider food colourings.
Again, the priority is ensuring food colourings meet your specific dietary requirements. That said, if you go with the ones from the baking aisle in the supermarket, as I did, you may not achieve the colours you hoping for. Also, if you aiming for a depth of colour, you might find you are adding more and more colouring and not getting the desired result. This is what happened to me and it also left the buttercream tasting ‘off’.
I’ve followed a lot of creative bakers online. One thing they all seem to have in common is that regardless of brand, they have all invested in quality food colouring gels. At first glance, they may seem a little pricey compared to the ones in the supermarket aisle. However, from my own experience, they do make colouring your dairy-free buttercream so much easier. The good thing about gels is they are lacking in liquid which will skew the consistency of your mixture. I’m guilty of adding more and more food colouring to a mixture in the hope of a better colour, only to find the mixture takes on a strange taste or starts to split. Having invested in a set of food colouring gels that are safe for our needs we have eliminated this problem.
I’ve also learned that if you are trying to achieve colour, that you need a little patience, as the colour intensifies after a while. So, if you can plan ahead, mix up your dairy-free buttercream, add the colour and then pop it in the fridge for a while. I found this tip really useful, especially for red. Red always feels pinker in colour to me. Now I know, that if you start with quality food colouring, I pop the mixture in the fridge for 15 minutes or so before adding more colour. I’ve added a link to the food colourings I bought from Amazon at the end of this post, but I must stress the importance of ensuring these or any other products are safe for your dietary needs!
Add flavour and liquids to the mixture.
Lastly, we need to consider flavouring and adding any liquid to get the right consistency for your requirements. In general, most buttercream recipes call for 2-3 tablespoons of milk (in our case, dairy-free milk) or boiling water to slacken the mixture. This may well be the case for your dairy-free buttercream, depending on the overall fat content. However, I recommend that you add any flavourings, such as vanilla essence first. As dairy-free fats can vary, as does personal taste, I suggest you add your flavouring before you consider any water. I would also add any flavourings 1/2 – 1 teaspoon at a time, as you don’t want to spoil your mixture if you have put all the effort into beating it for ages!
Once you have added your flavour, if you feel it is too thick to pipe or spread on a cake, then you can slacken it off with some liquid. You can use dairy-free milk if you wish or a tablespoon or two of boiled water. Again, add it 1/2 – 1 tablespoon at a time.
Refrigeration.
The temperature in the room will make a difference in how your mixture holds up. This buttercream should be pretty stable if you have the correct fat content unless it’s really hot weather, or your house particularly warm. If this is the case, you can help mitigate any problems by keeping your buttercream and cakes chilled before you are ready to pipe.
You can make your dairy-free buttercream in advance and keep it in the fridge. I cannot tell you how long it will keep, but as a general rule, as long as you remain within the best before, or use-by dates on the fats you use to make it, you can certainly consider keeping it in the fridge for a day or so. You will need to whip it back up for 15 mins on a low speed before piping with it.
Best dairy-free buttercream or dairy-free frosting.
If you have given this buttercream a go and stuck to the high ratio fats and whipped for the correct length of time then you should end up with a buttercream that is stable and easy to pipe. These Halloween Monster Cupcakes have held up for days without any refrigeration and the icing is still intact. As you can see I am not an expert at piping, but I think they look pretty good all the same!
Recipe.
I’ve added the recipe below, but there are lots of recipes out there that are all very similar. There are some slight variations in the quantity of icing sugar to fats but as long as you stick to the principles of the fat content and whipping of the fat you should be fine.
Dairy-Free Buttercream Icing
Ingredients
- 450g Icing sugar sifted
- 225g Dairy-free fat 80% fat content*
- 1 tsp Vanilla essence Or other flavourings
- 1-2 tbsp Boiled water or dairy-free milk
- Food colouring If required.
Instructions
- Add 225g of room temperature, dairy-free fat into a bowl and beat on a low speed for 15 minutes (or more). Scrape the sides down two or three times to ensure correct mixing. **The fat should visibly change to a lighter colour. It is important not to rush this step.
- Add in half the sifted icing sugar and continue to mix at a low speed. Occasionally scrape the sides down to ensure even mixing.
- Add the remaining icing sugar and continue to mix at a low speed until fully combined. This could take up to 15 minutes or more, but remain patient. The end result will be worth it!
- You should be left with a firm but smooth mixture once the ingredients are combined properly.
- Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla and taste before adding more, until you achieve your preferred level of flavour.
- Add any required food colouring a little at a time according to manufacturers instructions
- At this stage you should still have a firm mixture. Decide if you are happy with the consistency of the mixture. Is it pipeable or spreadable? If you are happy with it then stop here. Remember, we don't want a mixture that will melt or slide off a cake!
- If you feel the mixture is too stiff then add 1/2 tablespoon of liquid to slacken the mixture and check again. Do not be tempted to add too much liquid at once. If you have followed this process you will have put time and effort to get to this point!
- Add another 1/2 tablespoon of liquid and check the consistency again.
- Once you are happy with the consistency your firm but pipeable is ready to use.
Notes
Food Colouring Gels
These are the food colouring gels I purchased from Amazon. I am not an affiliate, so this is just for info. You must make sure that any products are suitable and safe for your own dietary requirement.
Sugarflair Rainbow set of 6 Food Colour gel pastes.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00K5SUR50/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
