Have you ever found yourself – like me – scraping off the frosting from an otherwise tempting slice of cake? You know the kind of frosting I’m talking about: the one made up mostly of Crisco and refined sugar. It has guilt written all over it. But more importantly, the vegetable shortening heaviness and sickly sweetness drowns out the flavor and texture of the cake. I love a layer cake, but I hate an overly-sweet and dense frosting.
I guess one solution is to never eat cake again. What a tragedy! Instead, I created a simple, rich yet flavorful icing using cashews, silken tofu, and just a little bit of coconut oil to create a creamy frosting that complements the cake it adorns.
The cake pictured is The Vegan 8’s outstanding Best Vegan Carrot Cake recipe. Note: I used two, six-inch cake pans.
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Creamy Vanilla Frosting
- Prep Time: 10
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Blender
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
It doesn’t get easier than this – or more yummy! This creamy frosting is the perfect slightly-tangy compliment to carrot cake or your favorite cupcake flavor.
Ingredients
- 6 ounces silken tofu
- 1/2 cup raw cashew pieces, soaked overnight
- 3 Tbsp. refined coconut oil, melted
- 2 Tbsp. bourbon maple syrup or regular maple syrup
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- splash or two of non-dairy milk
Instructions
- Put all ingredients in a high-speed blender and process until silky smooth.
- Scrape into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator until it firms up to a spreadable consistency.
Notes
Before I spread the frosting onto the cake, a pop it into the refrigerator to firm up. If you work with it right away, the frosting will slide down the sides of the cake. If necessary (depending on how hot the day and/or your kitchen is), work in stages to frost the cake, returning the cake and the frosting to the refrigerator.
Keywords: frosting, vanilla, icing, cake, dessert, quick, easy
With just a couple of additional ingredients, you can make it chocolatey! Chocolate on chocolate is my absolute favorite combination.
I slightly modified the chocolate cake recipe from Vegan Richa’s Everyday Kitchen cookbook – one of my “go-to” for delicious, fail-proof recipes. Note: I used two, six-inch cake pans.
Creamy Chocolate Frosting
- Prep Time: 10
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Blender
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
A non-too-sweet, rich and creamy chocolate frosting with way less guilt than traditional frostings. This one compliments the cake rather than overwhelming it!
Ingredients
- 6 ounces silken tofu
- 1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, such as Lily’s or Lakanto brand
- 1/4 cup raw cashew pieces, soaked overnight
- 3 Tbsp. refined coconut oil
- 2 Tbsp. cacao powder
- 1 Tbsp. bourbon maple syrup or regular maple syrup
- 1 Tbsp. vegan chocolate syrup, such as NuNaturals Cocoa Syrup
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/8–1/4 cup non-dairy milk
Instructions
- In a high-speed blender, add the silken tofu, cashews, maple syrup, cocoa syrup, vanilla extract, and non-dairy milk (start with the smaller quantity). Pulse a few times.
- In the top of a double-boiler, add the chocolate chip, coconut oil, and cacao/cocoa powder. Turn the heat the medium-low and stir occasionally until completely melted and smooth.
- Add the melted chocolate mixture to the mixture in the blender and process until silky smooth. Add the remaining non-dairy milk if needed. Scrape frosting into a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Notes
Before I spread the frosting onto the cake, a pop it into the refrigerator to firm up. If you work with it right away, the frosting will slide down the sides of the cake. If necessary (depending on how hot the day and/or your kitchen is), work in stages to frost the cake, returning the cake and the frosting to the refrigerator.
Add peppermint extract for a minty version; or throw in a healthy dollop of natural, unsweetened peanut butter.
Keywords: chocolate, frosting, icing, easy, quick, dessert, cake
Make lots of little ‘whoopie cushions’ instead of one cake!
COMING UP NEXT
THROWBACK RECIPE, AUGUST 2012
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