Cake Central › Cake Forums › Cake Talk › Recipes › Anybody got a dairy-free, shortening-free frosting?
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Anybody got a dairy-free, shortening-free frosting?

post #1 of 8
8/30/12 at 10:31am
Thread Starter 
I'm baking a spice cake, with a maple-cinnamon BC frosting (and my first edible image) for my colleagues at the International Printing Museum, and I'd like to draw off just enough batter from it to make one cupcake for the same young woman for whom I was experimenting with vegan shortbread cookies.

She's evidently allergic to dairy, and my remaining two sticks of Earth Balance are already spoken-for. I don't want to shell out for another box of Earth Balance, or a can of canned frosting, over one cupcake. What I do have on hand is more powdered sugar than I'd need for the cake (9x13 single layer, decorated and served in-pan), pure maple syrup (Vermont Fancy, Vermont A-Medium, and Vermont B), a few basic spices, and (if I can't get away with a fat-free frosting) Canola oil.

Is there anything simple that would work with what's available?
James H. H. Lampert
Professional Dilettante
Reply
James H. H. Lampert
Professional Dilettante
Reply
post #2 of 8
8/30/12 at 10:41am
The only options I've ever seen for dairy-free frosting were made with either shortening, dairy-free margarine, egg whites, or lard.

If eggs are OK, you could use a simple syrup-based topping, like this:
http://www.marthastewart.com/343280/seven-minute-frosting

Or just combine maple syrup with egg whites:
http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1723,155172-232201,00.html
.
My experimental blog: The Bakery Business Perspective
.
Reply
.
My experimental blog: The Bakery Business Perspective
.
Reply
post #3 of 8
8/30/12 at 11:02am
Thread Starter 
Found a recipe that consists of nothing but powdered sugar and water. Anybody have any experience with that? Its handling characteristics?

Would, something as simple as say, a teaspoon or two of maple syrup, thickened with powdered sugar, be my answer? Would it need something like cornstarch to keep it from being too sweet?

I'm not particularly interested in piling on enough frosting to equal the volume of cake. Just a thin coat. More like the thin, fully-set layer you find on a frosted donut.

The Martha Stewart recipe reminds me of simply boiling down maple syrup into maple cream, but that would be more trouble and expense than it's worth, and probably next to impossible for such a small amount anyway.
James H. H. Lampert
Professional Dilettante
Reply
James H. H. Lampert
Professional Dilettante
Reply
post #4 of 8
8/30/12 at 11:54am
If you mix powdered sugar and water you will get the type of glaze on the top of a donut. But you can't whip it up thick like frosting. You can do all of this in a very small bowl or cup for just the one cupcake, with a couple of tablespoons of sugar to start with and drop by drop add water then the syrup, mixing with a spoon. Adjust the consistency as needed (add more PS if it's too runny, more water if too thick), and I wouldn't add cornstarch, since icing is meant to be sweet!
Reply
Reply
post #5 of 8
8/30/12 at 12:16pm
If you think powdered sugar and maple syrup is too sweet, add a teeny tiny bit of salt.

I hope I die before "your" is the official spelling of the contraction of "you are."

Reply

I hope I die before "your" is the official spelling of the contraction of "you are."

Reply
post #6 of 8
8/30/12 at 6:25pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by shanter

If you think powdered sugar and maple syrup is too sweet, add a teeny tiny bit of salt.



Or lemon juice. If you're making a small amount of the maple glaze, just 1/8 of a teaspoon. You could also make the glaze with powdered sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and water. It would go great with your cake.
~Elcee~
http://www.facebook.com/IcedandDazzle
http://www.icedanddazzle.com
http://beautifullyembellishedcakes.blogspot.com/

Check out Colorado's premier sugar art show on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/SweetTimesintheRockies
Reply
~Elcee~
http://www.facebook.com/IcedandDazzle
http://www.icedanddazzle.com
http://beautifullyembellishedcakes.blogspot.com/

Check out Colorado's premier sugar art show on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/SweetTimesintheRockies
Reply
post #7 of 8
9/1/12 at 6:41am
Thread Starter 
Went with a teaspoon of Vermont Grade B, with as much powdered sugar as it would hold and still remain fairly fluid, and a dash of cinnamon. Results can be seen in the last picture here:
http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-748421.html
James H. H. Lampert
Professional Dilettante
Reply
James H. H. Lampert
Professional Dilettante
Reply
post #8 of 8
9/1/12 at 1:09pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by hbquikcomjamesl

Went with a teaspoon of Vermont Grade B, with as much powdered sugar as it would hold and still remain fairly fluid, and a dash of cinnamon. Results can be seen in the last picture here:
http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-748421.html



I know this is late...To make this, it helps to mix it a little stiffer and then warm to lukewarm in a slightly larger dish of hot tap water. That will help the icing to flow, and then it will set up with a shiny surface like what you prefer on doughnuts.

And regarding you question about baking the cake, if you locate the cupcake in the corner of the oven, it should take about as much time as the first part of baking the 9x13 before you have to turn it. You want to start cooking both at the same time with batters from scratch to ensure that the rising is not affected by the batter sitting.
Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Recipes
Cake Central › Cake Forums › Cake Talk › Recipes › Anybody got a dairy-free, shortening-free frosting?