A perfect vegan buttercream frosting recipe with only three ingredients, including a butter and healthy shortening combo that makes this the creamiest, fluffiest frosting, out of this world delicious, easily pipeable, and with options to create colored frostings using wholesome foods.
Add in the milk 1 tablespoon at a time, and mix in between.
3-6 tablespoon milk
The number of tablespoon of milk you need depends on the water content of your vegan butter. If your frosting seems too dry, add a bit more powdered sugar.
Cover the bowl of frosting with a soaking-wet paper towel until you are ready to pipe to keep it from drying out.
To Make Colors and Flavors:
Brighter White: Add a bright white food coloring with titanium. I use this brand.
Brighter white needs Titanium
Pink: Add the beetroot powder to 1 teaspoon of water to dissolve, then add to shortening
Pink needs 1 teaspoon beetroot powder
Green: Add matcha to the shortening
Green needs 1-2 teaspoon ceremonial grade Matcha
Yellow: If you use the red palm shortening, the frosting will be a natural yellow.
Yellow needs a pinch of ground turmeric
Purple: Blend up blueberries with as little water as possible into a puree, strain, and add a bit of the liquid the shortening
Purple needs 3 pulverized blueberries
To Pipe Frosting
Push your choice of tip (I often use Wilton 1M or 8B) to the bottom of the frosting bag. If using disposable bags, snip the bag tip off so the metal tip can push through just enough to allow frosting through the tip.
To fill the bag, put it tip down into a glass, and use a spoon to fill the bag about half way.
Twist the bag up, forcing frosting through the tip.
To frost, point the tip toward the cupcake center and hold vertically, going round and round, and remember to finish by pulling straight up and stop squeezing bag at same time.
Storage
You can refrigerate this frosting for a week, or freeze for a few months. But I get best piping results piping it right after making it.
Video
Notes
This recipe makes 2 ½ cups of frosting, good for 16 cupcakes or a one layer cake.*Organic powdered sugar. The organic labeling means it has no bone-char and is thus vegan, and has tapioca for better flavor.**Organic shortening makes a lighter substitute for butter. For white coloring, use Spectrum brand, for yellow coloring, use Nutiva brand.