You may have heard that Italian Meringue Buttercream is the best in terms of strength, stability and taste.
Well you heard right!
Cooking a sugar solution to 240°F and then pouring that hot syrup into the whipping meringue
Makes the most beautiful, glossy, stiff peaked vegan Italian Meringue Buttercream you will ever see.
The sweetness of this one is perfect since many people complain that buttercream is always way too sweet!
And for the minority that complain it is not sweet enough just add more confectioner sugar!
Most recipes made with aquafaba meringue have a tendency to “break” or “curdle”
But this recipe is more forgiving due to the ultra stable meringue from that sugar syrup.
If all this buttercream talk has you confused as to which one is best for you and your projects?
Click here to read about Choosing the Best Buttercream Recipe
WATCH THE FULL YOUTUBE VIDEO TUTORIAL FOR HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE!
This website may contain links as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, which means when you click a link and make a purchase through my website I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you
Notes for Success:
You will need an instant read thermometer or a candy thermometer to cook the sugar syrup to 240°F this is very important to get the sugar to the right temperature
If you are boiling your own beans instead of using canned, first rinse them well, then soak 2 cups of beans in 4-5 cups of filtered water for at least 12 hours preferably overnight.
Then the next day you will drain the soaking water, rinse the beans well and replace with clean fresh water for the boiling process.
Next another 4 cups of fresh filtered water to the hydrated beans gets cooked to fork tender (about 35-45 minutes)
You will get about 2-3 cups of magical bean water for use in our recipes
Cool it to room temperature then store it for up to 1 week in the refrigerator or up to 2 months in the freezer.
If the chick pea water seems too thin just keep boiling it and it will reduce down and thicken more.
The more concentrated the AF is to start the firmer and stronger your meringue will be.
If you have ever experienced a curdled “broken” buttercream this is from the off balance of moisture in the recipe causing the emulsion to become over-saturated and thus curdled.
Be sure to click through to see how to save a failed buttercream!
Let’s Talk About Vegan Butter
Low moisture content is the key to success in any buttercream recipe!
I am partial to Earth Balance vegan butter *not sponsored
Although It is quite pricey at close to $5 per pound, it is the most stable in buttercream recipes since it has the lowest moisture content of all the vegan butters
Earth Balance will also firm up upon refrigeration which is the one thing that other vegan butters typically will not do!
Be sure to do some trials and errors until you find the vegan butter that has the lowest moisture content
Unfortunately this is not something that is listed on a label!
The addition of butter flavor is optional but because vegan butter is usually tasteless, I find the addition to be essential!
If you do use it, do so sparingly as it can give an off taste if you use too much.
I find the Olive Nation brand to be the best, and they offer a 20% discount on anything you order!
Use Discount Code GVB20 at checkout
Since the development of this recipe back in 2017 I have recently been leaving out the shortening altogether
Shortening stabilizes buttercream for cakes that are to be displayed in hot climates or when transporting long distances
Since I do not do this anymore, I find the all vegan butter version to be just great!
If you do need to use shortening though be sure to use a Hi Ratio Cake Shortening like Sweetex brand is the best
Vegan Italian Meringue Buttercream
Ingredients
- Aquafaba 1½ cups (355ml)
- Granulated Sugar 1 cups (200g)
- Water 1/3 cup (60ml)
- Cream of Tartar ½ teaspoon
- Softened Vegan Butter 4 sticks (454g)
- Confectioners Sugar 2 Cups (240g) *adjust to your taste
- Vanilla Extract 2 teaspoons (10ml)
- Butter Extract 1 teaspoon (5ml) *see notes
Instructions
- First reduce the 1½ cups of aquafaba down by bringing it to a boil then simmering for about 20 minutes until it is to 3/4 cup - 1 cup volume
- Refrigerate until cold and gelatinous
- Once the AF is cold you will start whipping it with a balloon whip attachment of a stand mixer along with the cream of tartar on medium to high speed while you cook the sugar syrup at the same time
- Combine the water and sugar together in a heavy bottom sauce pot and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Once it boils do not stir or agitate the pot or you will get crystallization
- Attach a candy thermometer and cook to 240°F
- It should take about 10-15 minutes to reach temperature which is approximately the same time it takes to get the AF to whip to stiff peaks.
- Slowly pour the hot sugar syrup into the whipping meringue as shown in the video.
- Once all the sugar syrup is added continue whipping to cool down the meringue and you can help it cool faster by placing a bowl of ice water under the mixer bowl.
- Add the sifted confectioner sugar and whip smooth
- Add the vegan butter only once the meringue has cooled to below 100°F
- Whip smooth then add the vanilla & butter extracts
Notes
Buttercream can be stored at room temperture in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
For longer storage keep refrigerated CLICKHERE for how to rewhip a cold buttercream
Hi Gretchen thank you soo soo much for this recipe. Iam from Germany and we dont have cream of tatar what can I use instead of that?
You can leave it out, it won’t make or break the recipe, it just helps to make a stronger more stable meringue
We also don’t have cream of tartar where I live and I always substitute it with a little bit of white vinegar, also great for meringue!
Hi Gretchen,
I hope you will see my message.
Do we need to absolutely reduce the chickpeas water?
Can I just put half of the chickpeas water instead of reduce it?
I believe it’s Really important to only have half of the aquafaba
Reducing the AF is meant to evaporate out some of the water and make a stronger AF. So don’t be confused by the QUANTITY this has nothing to do with reducing the liquid. I find that using chickpea water from a can is much much stronger than fresh home boiled chickpea water so when I use canned I almost never reduce it.
Be sure to use the entire quantity as listed whether you reduce it or not
Thank you
Ok so if I understand correctly,
If from a can I don’t need to reduce it but if I do it fresh from home I should reduce it by half?
Correct the home boiled beans tend to be very thin from the first boil so I like to reduce it so it gets thicker/more gelatinous similar to the can consistency
From Germany, too, I think you can get Cream of Tartar (Weinstein) at a pharmacy!
Gretchen, another question – could I make a Mango buttercream by adding Mango puree and if so, what would I have to change?
I just got your book and love it – except more pics would have been great (on the other hand, my husband said “great book, real info, no pics 😉 so I guess it’s in the eye of the beholder 😉 )
Hi thank you! I agree with yo u100% about the pics, what a big disappointment to me as well – we eat with our eyes first…. but thankyou anyway!
Yes to mango puree, HOWEVER anything you add to an already soft buttercream will just make it softer, so the less moisture the better. CLICK HERE FOR MORE
I do prefer flavor compounds if possible, although they are hard to get for home bakers CLICK HERE for what I am talking about
Thank you SO SO much for your ever so patient answers! I’m a huge fan 🙂
Dear Gretchen,
Thanks so much for sharing your recipes. Veganising these kinds of recipes makes life much more fun for those of us with milk allergy. I wondered whether you know if this icing will hold up during freezing and after thawing. I am looking for something less heavy then a traditional buttercream to use in a momofuku-style cake that needs to be frozen.
Thanks 🙂
Hi Thanks and you’re welcome!
I have frozen this recipe, and have had no trouble to re-whip it back to a workable consistency, however I DO find that it will become slightly heavier than when it is made & used fresh.
However when it is used & made fresh and then iced to the cake right away, THEN FROZEN it is fine- the only problem you will see with ANY CAKE that has been iced & then frozen is the tendency to sweat from the condensation upon thawing.
BUT I think (from reading your comment) you are not talking about freezing the cake for a lengthy period of time?? Just intermittently? As in, while you are building the cake??
In which case that would be fine! I do it all the time to make sure my cakes are sturdy during the build.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO
Is there any way to make this frosting about 50% sweeter? Something like in the middle of this original recipe and American Buttercream (because I find American Buttercream too sweet).
I tried adding 1 cup of powdered sugar at the end but it made the frosting very runny.
Can the granulated sugar be increased or will that affect the recipe?
My suggestion would have been to add more confectioners sugar at the end, but since you did that~ I am surprised to hear it went runny because of that?
You can increase the sugar but not more than 1 cup
Hi! I used this recipe last year and thought the texture was a great comparison to my standard non-vegan merengue buttercream. However, the salt from the Earth Balance butter I used was very off putting to me and I cannot seem to find unsalted vegan “butter” anywhere. What should I do?
Yes I understand, I thought the same thing when using EB- I wish they would make an unsalted one, knowing that people are baking with it. At the end of the day, vegan butter is essentially shortening, so you can always change the ratio of butter: shortening and go heavier on the shortening side.
I’m not sure what happened but tge buttercream looks oily and its not as stiff as a normal IMBC…what or where did i go wrong?
Hmm, sounds odd. I’d look ta the vegan butter you used as the culprit, but CLICK HERE FOR MORE
If I wanted to make a Seafoam frosting would I just leave out the butter and shortening? And how should I store a cake with the frosting. I have read conflicting feed ask on a traditional Seafoam frosting setting up in fridge too soon and also to store it in the fridge? I would love to make a Seafoam for my banana cake and I would love it to be eggless! Thank you!!
HI Samantha, so if you leave out the fats you would essentially have “marshmallow” icing, which if I’m not mistaken is what they are calling “seafoam icing”?. If that is what you are going for than yes, sure. Check out my Aquafaba Hack though to give you more stability!
Yes, that is. Like a 7 minute or boiled frosting only it’s more like the procedure for an Italian buttercream from what I understand? Thanks so much for getting back to me! You are the best!
You can use white vinegar instead
yes
Hi there can I omit the shortening in this recipe?
Yes! Just replace it with more vegan butter
Hi Gretchen,
Thank you so much for all your effort to instruct and teach us!
Have you got any idea of how much cupcakes I can decorate with one amount of this recipe?
And the link to rewhipping the cream seems not to work.
Have a nice day!
Thank you for letting me know! I will check out that link ASAP! As for as “how many cupcakes will it ice” it really depends on how much icing you like on 1 cupcake. I like to go conservatively now in my old age LOL I can’t handle a large amount of icing
But I am going to say anywhere from 2dz to 3dz cupcakes again depending on how much you like on 1
**addendum~ I checked the link & it works for me! CLICK HERE see if this works for you!
Thank you!!
Yes, this link was working now!
hi! wondering if you can add mix-ins to this or would it deflate or separate the buttercream? for example, adding Oreos for a cookies and cream buttercream? thanks!
Hi Yes absolutely! CLICK HERE FOR MORE
Hi Gretchen, love your recipes and looking forward to your new book. How can i make the chocolate version of this recipe please?
Hi Thank you! yes you can! I have an updated post at the bottom of the recipe here for how to make chocolate buttercream
Hi Gretchen,
Love this recipe. If I want.to double or triple this recipe, how could I scale it best?
Thanks
Yes you can double or triple with no problem (straight calculations no changes or adjustments) however you have to be sure you mixer can accommodate that volume
1) would this work with a stand mixer that only has regular style beaters, not a balloon whip?
2) I find the buttery sticks to be rather salty, how is this recipe’s ratio for saltiness?
thanks.
I agree that the Earth Balance is a bit salty and why I dont add salt to my recipes when Im using it (or at least I cut back on it.. I need to remember to add that as a note for those who dont use the EB)
As for hte beaters, it is really a bonus to have the balloon whip, that being said it is not impossible to do it with the regular beaters, but it will take considerably longer 🙁 Like really long……
so then regarding the saltiness, the recipe is okay as is?
yes I do not add salt at all so it is good (in my opinion)
I made this recipe during my holiday break. Great great recipe I am not a vegan but have a baking business I am offering vanilla and chocolate vegan cupcakes. This icing is amazing
awesome! thankyou!!
Hi ?
I’m going to attempt my first vegan cupcakes for a friend’s wedding. But I was wondering,can this vegan buttercream take colour well?
Thanks ?
Great! good luck! I have a great cupcakes recipe here
and yes this will color just fine
Wonderful, thank you ?
If I want to use GF Flour – what it the exchange with Cake Flour??
Im not sure what recipe you are talking about since we are commenting on Italian Buttercream, but first off, I am not a gluten free baker, however I know that gluten free + vegan throws another layer of chaos into the equation.
For a better gluten free advisor CLICK HERE my friend Deborah is AMAZING with GF+ vegan
How big of a difference do you notice with the canned aquafaba straight from the can vs. reduced?
And how long can Italian MB frosting be stored in the fridge before going bad?
Hello Gretchen
Must I include the shortening? I’m wondering if I can just use more butter instead. I want to try this recipe sometime this week.
Just made this and it’s so good! I used cannellini bean juice instead of chickpeas, 250g Flora Plant butter instead of Country Crock and 170g of Trex. It turned out so perfectly – super light and fluffy! Thanks so much Gretchen 😊
WOW awesome! Thanks for the tips on the tweak!
Good one. I am a cottage baker and starting to add vegen to my baking list. Looking forward to more great recipes from you.
excellent! thank you! You may be interested in my course coming out early Spring CLICK HERE
What can be used in lieu of shortening? My daughter has a soy allergy. Thank you in advanced! Can’t wait to try this.
all vegan butter! Earth Balanace makes a soy free stick for baking, I’ve been forgoing the shortening too! It’s softer/less table, but waaay better
Hi, I live in France. I am really interested in your recipes that look enchanting ! Could you explain what “shortening” is as I am not sure where I can find that item here (Crisco maybe ?). Also, when you speak of vegan butter, all we can find here is rather soft whereas your vegan butter seems to have the same consistency as traditional butter. Mine is more like margarine. Will it be ok to do the recipe properly ? Thank you for your great blog and for your help.
HI! Thank you ! Yes CLICK HERE for more info
Yes my vegan butter (the Earth Balance brand) is similar to butter, it is the best, however many use margarine (which may have slightly more water content that the EB) but you can use it for sure!
Hi
I just made this recipe and my buttercream is stiffening you. I have placed it on Top of ice bath and have placed it into The fridge. Is there anything else i can do to help make it stiff?
Thank you!
Hi! This is such an amazing recipe and Ii can’t wait to try it! However I don’t really want to use shortening and I don’t have cream of tartar. I saw earlier that the cream of tartar wasn’t required, but can I use more butter instead of shortening? Also I am vegetarian, but not vegan, so can I use regular butter? Thank you so much!
Yes you can use all butter in place of the shortning
Can I make cupcakes with this buttercream to be eaten bout 35 hours later. Will they still be ok ?
The cupcakes may be slightly stale but the buttercream will be fine
Hi! I live in Ireland and am making a vegan wedding cake for my cousin this summer.. Do you think cocoa butter would work in place of vegetable shortening? The only similar thing we have here would be shredded vegetable suet which I don’t think would work..or taste very nice!!
the problem with cocoa butter or any oil – is that is is OIL, it wont work because the solid shortening is when gives stability to the buttercream
Click here for more SUBSTITUTIONS
Can I replace the solid vegetable shortening with coconut oil? Will it affect the taste too much? Thanks!
I have not had success with using coconut oil in buttercream recipes. Coconut oil has an extremely low melting point – it almost melts as soon asyou touch it, so to add that to this recipe would result in a bowl of un-savable soup. You can however use all vegan butter instead, as I have been doing since I do not want to use shortening anymore.
Great! Thank you. So I would use 339g +170g of vegan butter?
Stephanie, can you get Trex where you are? That’s 100% vegetable shortening 🙂
Hi Gretchen,
Hope you are still checking this post. I just found you on youtube and I am mesmerized by your recipes! I made the pineapple crush cake with Italian buttercream. I feel I must have done something wrong, but went over the ingredients and it seems accurate as to what I used. The icing came out tasting like mostly butter. Does that sound right?
Thank you so much for your recipes and guidance. Next up -tiramisu!!!!
Hi Thank you! It is not uncommon for people who are used to American style buttercream to feel like Italian or Swiss Style buttercream taste like mostly butter. It’s sort of an “acquired taste”
Because there is way less sugar it will be a much different taste experience
Hi Gretchen- thank you for this recipe.
I am trying to get ahead for my first three tier cake I will be constructing in a months time. Two questions:
Can this recipe be frozen? I will be using room temperature (softened not melted) copha as that seems to be the most natural shortening I can find here in Australia, in combination with nuttelex (the one made from coconut oil not palm oil).
Also I want to turn it into a lemon buttercream. Can I just add zest or limoncello at the end?
Thank you
Naddie
Hi Naddie, since the Vegan Buttercreams are softer to begin with it is best to add extracts rather than alcohols since you would need much more alcohol than extract to achieve a lemon flavor. I have frozen the buttercream before, just be sure to rewhip it before using again to bring it back to a workable consistency CLICK HERE
Gretchen thank you so much. I have made it today and it’s such a beautiful smooth light but strong buttercream. Shame not to use it straight away. It’s in the freezer now and I will use your method to bring it back to consistency after defrosting. Thanks again.
For anyone from Australia reading this in the future, if you are considering using Copha, I would give it a trial run prior to the big event, as Copha has a peculiar mouth-feel. In this instance, you may get all the required stability from the coconut Nutelex, as coconut oil (unless fully refined) is much more solid at room temperature. Either way, it may be worth the investment of time, to experiment with various combinations until you hit upon the magic ratios, and if all else fails just use ordinary shortening that you can purchase from a cake shop or online if required. Good luck.
I had trouble ? lost the beautiful meringue mixture, went half the size. I grated the Copha and used the coconut Nuttlex brand but I think it just melted away, my mixture was to warm ? just beat for half an hour and it was basically whipped butter as it set. Looked at wrong side of thermometer. Needs to be below 30 degrees Celsius
Hi Gretchen. I tried this recipe today however when I added the shortening at the end it turned into tiny little lumps that I just could not whip out. The shortening was definetly at room temp. Do you know why this might have happened or how to fix it? Thanks
Hmm, that’s a problem, since it would be hard to whip it out now. You can try to sieve it out, but next time to avoid that I would suggest to whip your shortening first to make sure there are no hidden hard spots (usually shortening is smooth and you dont have to worry about that, but the quality varies by brand and I have experiences hard spots in shortening before, unfortunately you don’t always know it until the end!)
Hi there!
Flavor is great and everything seemed fine until I added the vegan butter and vegetable shortening. the consistancy just seems a bit thin and does not hold shape. Is it too late? Can it be saved?
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO
Hi Gretchen – love this so much! But wanted to ask which buttercream is best for a wedding cake that’s going to be in a marquee for several hours – it could be warm and sunny (hopefully!) but it could be damp or humid???
Thanks very much
Jessica
Hi! Thanks, I would say this one is the most stable! CLICK HERE
This worked out perfectly for me the first time I made it, but today it failed completely. The Aquafaba deflated when I added the hot sugar and never recovered. I added some homemade vegan butter, but decided not to continue when the mixture got more and more liquid. What did I do wrong? My sugar was the right temperature.
Sounds like the AF was not whipped to really stiff glossy peaks? that could be why, also adding the sugar syrup too fast is also a culprit
Have you ever used xanthum gum in any of your aquafaba recipes? It’s supposed to stabilize the meringue really well—I just used it for a lemon meringue pie and it’s kept it set all day.
awesome tip!
I actually cannot eat cane sugar. Any thoughts on using maple sugar, coconut sugar, or maple syrup heated to the proper temperature instead of cane sugar?
Yes to Maple syrup. I have not tried the others
Hi Gretchen,
This worked great until I added the vegan butter and shortening. It just deflated and became soupy. Is it possible that the butter was too warm? Any thoughts?
Thanks,
Sal
Hi I’m sorry that happened to you I do have a blog post on here called how to save a failed buttercream if you search in the search bar exactly that title you will find it I would link it for you but I’m using my phone to moderate these comments and it is proving to be very difficult thank you and I’m sorry
Hi there,was wondering what is the best and most white buttercream to use on a textured finish wedding cake..??
Hi I would suggest searching for best vegan butter cream recipe here on this blog in the search bar I would link it for you but I’m using my phone and I’m having a hard time moderating these comments from my phone sorry
I reduced for 20 minutes and ended up with only 3/4c. Do I reduce down more to add to it? Do I redo it? This is my first time working with aquafaba so any help is greatly appreciated!
Im assuming you made your own aquafaba from dried chickpeas? In which case it would be the liquid after you have cooked the peas and then may need to reduce it down again to get it nice and thick. If I am hearing you correctly it sounds as if you did it right.
If you have used the canned liquid I have used it straight out of the can with no trouble, it whips up really great.
Hi, am wondering how I could make a peanut butter version of this italian meringue buttercream? I’ve tried it once before by just adding peanut butter to it but it made it waaay softer and wasn’t the best for piping or anything. Would I need to replace some of the vegan butter in the recipe for peanut butter instead? Thanks 🙂
yes anything you add to buttercream often just makes it softer CLICK HERE FOR MORE
In my NON vegan days I found that Peanut butter & chocolate additions would help stabilize it MORE but for vegan buttercreams it seems that anything you add just makes it softer, so yes to replace some of the butter would be a great idea,
However I do find my American Buttercream recipe the BEST for most applications
Hi. I love this butter cream… I have read all the comments & watch the how not to flop it video.
I have made it 5 times, 2 times it worked & 3 times it did not work & flopped & was not able to be recovered. So I had some questions as I thought I went exactly to the recipe every time. I am using a Bosch bread machine mixer with the egg beater attachments. The first time I made it, I beat the aquafaba on the highest speed for 10 minutes like recipe says & I thought they were stiff & shiny enough…. it flopped when I added the sugar water & yes I added the sugar water VERY slowly… So time number 2, I beat the AF for about 20 min …. it worked like a charm & was amazing… number 3, beat the AF for 20 min & it worked like a charm.. & now the last 2x it has flopped when I added the oils. I am using spectrum palm oil vegetable shortening & vegan butter. I have used the exact same ingredients every time. When I add the oil I read that some added it too fast, so I add the butters/shortening 1/2 -1 tsp at a time on the highest speed & each little gloop is added 10 seconds apart. I am very careful to add room temperature oils & the temp of the AF was 99F the 2nd flop & 96F the 3rd flop. … I am a wee bit frustrated as all those ingredients can be $$$$… don’t worry I didn’t throw flops out… added stuff & made cakes from the liquid…. but I do not know what I am doing wrong!!! Today, when it flopped again.. I whipped the AF for 20 min, extra glossy & stiff… VERY slowly added the sugar water, & yes it loses a bit of volume, ( is that normal???) … & then whip till cool with cold packs on outside of bowl….. & it was lovely & glossy & light… I added the soft palm oil shortening.. & by the 5th or 6th little 1/2 tsp glops added 10-15 seconds apart, whamo , it flops & becomes water & I have tried to whip & whip & whip, heating it up, cooling it down… nothing… I am just whipping like water… Do you have any pointers for me???
Hi Emma, I think more frustrating than a recipe NEVER working for you is when it works great and then DOESN’T! with no explanation! LOL
It sounds as though you are very aware of the pitfalls, and you are doing everything RIGHT to make this work out.
I know the AF can be touchy, but so can regular egg whites with this recipe, Many times the meringue will deflate as soon as you add the fat and you said you also watched the how to save the failed BC…..
It is normal that the meringue will deflate slightly when adding the sugar, but only slightly. because AF is more sensitive to heat than egg whites, it is going to be more noticeable
I would suspect the Spectrum shortening, except that you said you did it before with great results, so I would then have to look to the actual AF for the culprit, since from can to can or even if you are making it yourself, there an be subtle differences in strength. I would reccommend to reduce your liquid AF to a higherconcentration next time and also use ½ tsp cream of tartar before whipping
Hi Gretchen,
I have made this and your Aquafaba swiss meringue buttercreams numerous times, and while they taste great, every time they have been always loose and runny, just to where I can pipe a cupcake but it will begin to droop immediately but slowly. It never keeps its shape. Albeit, the swiss meringue was slightly runnier. So I have to stick it in the fridge right away. Piping shapes is impossible every time.
I use Earth Balance Original from the tub. I use a KitchenAid, and make sure the bowl never gets warm. For the Italian meringue, I make sure the meringue has cooled before adding the fat. I’ve tried adding powdered sugar to stiffen, to no avail. I only pipe with 2 layers of gloves on to prevent the frosting from melting in the bag. I’ve thought that it might be the temperature of them room, so I’ve made and piped these frostings with the room at 64F all the way up to 83F. I don’t halve/double either recipe, only making them to scale as the recipes state. So I’ve wasted alot of frosting by now.
The frostings never break, just are way too runny, like very soft almost-melted ice cream.
I’ve tried everything I have thought of.
Please help!
Hey there!Well it sounds like you are doing everything correct EXCEPT for the Earth Balance TUBS! If you can get the sticks, you will have success!
the tubs are meant for spreading easily on a bagel or toast, the tubs are whipped to a soft consistency so you are starting out with an already TOO SOFT vegan butter
I tried this three times tonight. I’ve made regular IMBC a lot, and i know what to look for/wait for. I know how to fix it… I just respectfully gotta say a few things for any other people who read every comment looking to see if a recipe is worth spending $20 on vegan butter for a vegan wedding cake due SOON, like tomorrow:
1.) This is not a stable buttercream, and it doesn’t taste good. It will not hold a tiered cake, and i’d honestly be surprised if it held layers.
That being said, i think it’s a valiant effort at something that should just be left to egg whites and butter. It’s a good mock, but ultimately so unreliable for paying customers. Maybe on cupcakes it’d be fine.
I think it would be a good final coat buttercream, for looks and a light mouth feel (vs american buttercream on an entire cake). It’s less sweet, but tastes in the end, basically like a saltier version of the fake butter it’s made from.
The aqua faba whips up beautifully, and takes the hot syrup… but the additional emulsion of vegan butter and shortening combo just kinda sucks.
Thanks for the recipe though! I enjoyed trying it (theee times)
Hi!!
If I have already aquaflaxa in my fridge, I just need to measure 1 cup for whipping it?
Thank youu
yes correct (sorry for the late reply, I was at a wedding this weekend!)
Hi Gretchen!11
I want to know if I have already aquaflaxa in the fridge, i must only measure the 1 cup needed? Because you mentionned to reduce it to 1 cup.. 🙂
Also, I want to try the aquafaba recipe and when I measure the can juice, I have already 1 cup of liquid. So I not need to reduce it?
Thank you so much
Carolanne
HI yes, that’s right. to both questions (some people like to reduce their AF from the can, I think it works fine just as is..it is your option
Hi
I wanted to ask if you were to use aquafaba direct from chickpea cans do you still need to boil it to reduce the volume?
I do not reduce straight from the cans, no. If I boil my own, yes I do
This recipe completely failed for me. I used a candy thermometer. I used a stand mixer. I weighed all of the ingredients. The ingredients were at the right temperature. I followed every step precisely. I’ve made Italian meringue buttercream with egg white and butter with no problem in the past. Still, for some reason, the meringue broke and became running. It’s a shame. I LOVE Italian meringue buttercream and wanted to make this for a vegan friend. I wouldn’t make this again because it was a waste of expensive ingredients.
Oh no! That’s so unfortunate. I really hope you’ll give it another shot. This recipe is so delicious and beautiful.
Would this recipe still work if you halve/quarter it?
Yes, However I find it harder to whip small amounts of AF. It seems to do better (more volume, more strength) when whipping a larger amount
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO
Hey Gretchen! I’m making a chart of baking conversions for my kitchen and I noticed that your gram measurements are not correct:( 1 Stick of Vegan Butter is 113g so 3 would be 339g? And Vegetable Shortening measures at 145g for 3/4 cup.
Hi Thanks! I used 12 Tbs (which is ¾ cup) for the shortening at 14g per Tbs= 168 (I rounded up to 170g)
hey gretchen, I tried this recipe today and after adding the margarina, it became really runny and meringue and the butter seperated. I tried to whip it 10 more minutes but it didn’t work, they just won’t stick together and the consistency is really off. will probably chuck this batch out because I can’t really think of any way to save it.
Hi Irem, I’m sorry this happened to you (it has also happened to me in the past)
Before you chuck it, if you have a blender, put in in the blender with some xantham gum (if you have it) or even soy lecithin. (about 1 tsp)
This will help to re-emulsify it since it is broken. CLICK HERE FOR MORE ABOUT EMMUSIFICATION although the video is about ganache, it explains the concept of emulsification in general
The biggest problem with this method of buttercream is that vegan butter (margarine) is higher in moisture and all brands are different. Not to mention AF is a tricky bugger to work with already.
But I have found that putting the borken mixture in the blender works, then I re-whip it (or paddle it out) on the mixer again and even adding a few tablespoons more butter will help rebalance the ratios.
Thank you Gretchen! This is an amazing recipe.
I’ve made it twice now, first time with spectrum shortening and second with KitchenKrafts Hi-ratio. First time was no Saturday enough to frost with and second time is looking much much better! This has been my biggest challenge with vegan buttercream, making something sturdy enough. Now I get why hi ratio is so important! Thank you!
The recipe came together easily and beautifully! I love the consistency of this icing. The mouthfeel is like whipped cream and it’s so silky smooth and easy to get a perfect finish on a cake. I love that it is less sweet than American buttercream, but the flavor is strange.It’s like having a mouthful of whipped shortening. I even added almond extract in addition to the vanilla, but the flavor just isn’t there for me. I do love this recipe and it held up well in a two layer 8″ cake for two days on my counter at room temperature with no melting or sagging. I’m going to try again and increase the vegan butter and decrease the shortening.
Hi, I tried to make this recipe 2X , but when I add trex shortening (I live in the UK), it becomes “curd” and I need to bin it. Any idea please what I can use instead! (I have just bought your book!)
Thank you
Hi Thank you!! I am not familiar with working with Trex here in the USA, but those who have, have told me to try to whip the trex first? then add it to the buttercream
Also if I am not understanding correctly CLICK HERE FOR MORE
Hopefully you tried again as it does curdle, just walk away and leave it whipping, it comes out fine!
Also I left my TREX out for about 24 hours so it was super soft to add in.
Hi Gretchen,
I absolutely ADORE your recipe, it works every time for me and I get so many compliments on my buttercreams!
I saw another asking about whether it would work with maple or coconut sugar. If using maple syrup, please could you advise the quantities needed to use in this recipe in place of the granulated sugar?
Additionally, if I were to use coconut sugar, would you say that I should use the same measurement of granulated sugar?
Thank you!
Hi Thanks! Maple syrup has a slightly higher “sweet” measure in terms of taste, and overall sweetness it imparts, so you can go slightly less on the quantity as listed here. By maybe 1/4 cup?
I have not tried it with coconut sugar (or maple for that matter) but both will also make it slightly “off” in color as they are both darker sugars. I find coconut sugar to be less sweet tasting than granulated, so the same quantity there would be fine. Let me know if it works!
Hi, thanks a lot for the recipe. I checked your table, and the shortening is not available in my country at all. Can I substitute it with vegan butter?
yes!
Hi does Italian buttercream harden in the refrigerator like American buttercream?
It is not the recipe as it is the vegan butter you are using.
The only vegan butter I have found that will actually harden in the fridge like cow butter is Earth Balance
Hello Gretchen, I LOVE your recipes ? always a winner!
I need to make a sugar free version, any suggestions? I’ve tried making sf simple syrup, but it always crystallizes
Hi Thanks! Sorry I am the wrong one to ask about sugar free, I really don’t ever do sugar free baking! Sorry!
How big of a difference do you notice with the canned aquafaba straight from the can vs. reduced?
And how long can Italian MB frosting be stored in the fridge before going bad?
Sometimes it is a very stark difference, but at other times it has not been so contrasting. It depends on how much I’ve boile my beans, the amount of water used, how much I’ve let them soak overnight…all of this plays in. SO for a more consistent result I would say to use canned.
I store IBC for a few weeks in the fridge for longer storage I would freeze it
Sorry, I was asking about straight from can vs. canned reduced 🙂
Oh LOL Anytime you reduce it – it will be stronger, but I do not find any need to reduce it from the can at this point
Hi Gretchen! I use IMBC for all of my cakes, except for vegan requests. In the past I have made an “american” vegan buttercream but I don’t find it stable for tiering or pretty enough for the outside of the cake. This one looks more smooth and I’m excited to try it. That said, will this vegan italian meringue buttercream be stable enough for stacking a two tiered cake? (Each tier will have three layers of filling). Thank you!!
Hi Yes will be great!
Hello Gretchen!
I’m just wondering why all your non-vegan buttercream recipes couldn’t be found it your website anymore? Would love to use it please.
Hi Nicole, Unfortunately my blog is no longer available.
I just couldn’t keep up the cost to host it on the internet and maintain it monthly anymore
I had always said I would continue to share my recipes for free & give free tutorials on YouTube for as long as I could afford to do so, and well.. I just can’t anymore
The cost is severely outweighing any small profits I had been making though running ads on the videos & blogsite.
For some time now, I had been asking for people to help support the channel/blog through PayPal & Patreon to keep it going longer and to help offset the costs to run it all, and many people have been so great & supportive, but at this point it is just not enough.(**Not to mention the curious case of COPPA laws being strictly enforced on YouTube as of Jan 1, 2020 is going to change things for many creators on YouTube going forward. Yikes!)
So for me, this dream of making this my business has turned into a very expensive hobby.
Thanks for your support and encouragement though the ages!
~Gretchen
I also am not a fan of the flavor of Earth Balance Buttery sticks. I have had wonderful results in both taste and texture using Country Crock Plant Butter Avocado Oil buttery sticks. The taste is nearly indiscernible from dairy butter!
Hi , I enjoy your site and your tube page. I attempted the flaxseed egg buttercream. But the flaxseed egg won’t floam, it stayed liquid. Please help.
I tried this yesterday but after reading the comments thought I’d just go with half the recipe …
I’ve made “traditional” IMBC many times so kinda know the pitfalls from it. I’m in the UK and used NATURLI vegan block for the butter and TREX for the shortening. Worked like a dream!!! Was ever so slightly oily in the bowl at the end up tasted fine and went on the triple layer so smoothly. Loved it and will 200% use again!!
Fantastic! I made this a week ago and generously frosted 36 cupcakes with it with some left over. Not too sweet and didn’t have a margarine aftertaste. Very creamy. It felt even more stable than the Italian Meringue BC I used to make all the time when I wasn’t vegan.
I accidentally somehow reduced the 350ml of aquafaba to 150ml and I panicked and added the water from a small can of chickpeas to the reduced aquafaba. Cream of tartar is difficult to get here in Germany so I used a spoonful of apple cider vinegar – it whipped up extremely stiff within 5 minutes with egg beaters. I’m not a fan of vegan butter (too salty and expensive), so I used a soft margarine that I like the flavour of (the vegan one from Aldi-Süd) for the butter and Sanella for the high ratio shortening. My reasoning was that Sanella gets very hard in the fridge… and it worked! I added a paste of cocoa powder and instant coffee granules at the end.
I’m not sure if it was because of my mistake with the aquafaba, but it was SO thick. It held its shape very well (I piped roses on the cupcakes) and did not droop or leak at all being at room temperature 2 days. Thanks for the recipe!!
Hello Gretchen. Can I use all vegan butter in this recipe instead of vegetable shorting or even coconut oil?
Hi Gretchen thank you so much for sharing, I hope you are not offended but i have misplaced the original non vegan recipe for this with shortening addition i am absolutely devastated that i cant access it any more is there any chance that you can send it to me personally via email i would be so grateful as i would like to use it for my daughters birthday cake on the weekend if not i understand all the best and again thank you so much for sharing
Hi Nicole! Thank you & you are welcome too
Since December my non vegan blog has shut down.I couldn’t keep up the cost to host it on the internet and maintain it monthly anymore
The cost to host such a huge database online was close to $400 a month with tech support monthly to keep it clean & safe and smooth.
I certainly do not (did not) make that much in adsense revenue through Youtube & Google.
That became a pretty steep price to pay for a website that had been conflicting me financially & emotionally for so many years,
so after 5 years of keeping it free & open to the public I finally decided to shut it down.
I did not keep any of the recipes for myself when I shut down the database
(which was the only place the recipes were stored)
I just did (do) not feel comfortable anymore sharing recipes laden with animal ingredients promoting the very industry I loathe
so it really didn’t make sense for me to keep them nor keep open and available such an expensive website.
I do thank you so much for your support and encouragement through the ages,
I have stunned NON Vegans with my vegan recipes, perhaps you could try to do the same?
If not, I am sure there are tons of great (if not better than mine) recipes out there for you to use!
Thanks again~ Best, Gretchen
Hi Gretchen unfortunately in the uk a lot of the substitute ingredients are quite costly . And the cake is already made resting in the freezer Not to worry thank you for your response And if you do ever happen to remember it please let me know I remember 7 egg whites about 210g I just can’t remember the amount of fat for the life of me
Hi Gretchen, I’ve made this 3x now and honestly I’ve had varying results. I bake fairly often (I have your book as well) so I feel confident following recipes accurately, I’m hoping you can help me fix my issues. My problem usually is the frosting splits and becomes runny, I can usually save it a bring it back but mine always taste too buttery. So much so that’s its like eating a stick of butter. I’ve added powdered sugar and it helps with flavor but it loses volume, becomes runny and sometimes break again. I use this for cakes and cupcakes so need to to hold it’s shape. Any suggestions or thoughts would be greatly appreciated!
Also I always use your vanilla cake recipe for my kids last 3 birthdays. Always a winner!
Hi Jenn, I do understand the trickiness of this buttercream (and the Swiss Recipe for that matter)
I have also had perfect results at times and then sometimes it’s over saturated and breaks as well.
I found that using shortening (like crisco yuckkk) is the best bet for keeping it stable but the taste is not all that desirable, as some are sensitive to the greasy heavy mouthfeel.
In my bakery days we always use Sweetex Hi Ratio shortening which was a dream to work with however it is hard to come by as a home baker.
But back to the subject at hand, the vegan butter is going to make all the difference, and I like to stick to Earth Balance (STICKS not tubs) for he best results the moisture content in the margarine that you choose will be different and can lend itself to good or disastrous results.
Since I have little patience for these hit or miss moments, my go-to recipe lately is the American Style Buttercream, since I no longer like to use shortening at all, (I use all vegan butter) the results are always fantastic, never breaks and is super stable.
Attempted this twice. Both times a soupy mess. Made sure the second time it was less than 90 degrees. Any tips?
This is definitely not an easy breezy recipe. I’ve always got fingers crossed when making a swiss or the italian meringue BC since the vegan version is just not very friendly. This is due to the fat we are using which is essentially margarine which has a much higher moisture content than butter. BUT also because aquafaba is NOT egg whites which are much more table under this process. While we do “force it to work” it sometimes fights back against us really hard. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO
Hi Gretchen! Thanks for this awesome recipe. How long can this frosting be stored in the refrigerator? I’m making a wedding cake and would like to make the frosting about a week ahead of time and keep in the fridge, if possible.
I’m glad I missed some of the comments because I may not have tried this otherwise. Overall, I’m quite happy with how it turned out and I intend to make it again, even with some big caveats. I am a non-vegan baker most of the time, but I love that I can make a luxurious and silky buttercream for my vegan loved ones.
The biggest caveat is that the vegan butter is carrying much of the flavor here, and I did NOT like the flavor of the Earth Balance sticks at all. They are very salty and have a strange aftertaste. Fortunately, I also had some Miyoko’s on hand which tasted much more similar to regular butter in this. It’s more expensive but I hope that the lack of butter being used in the cake and frosting evens the cost out. The shortening also adds a bit of a strange flavor, but when I make the chocolate version of the buttercream, it’s less noticeable.
Second, this is not an easy buttercream to work with, as Gretchen notes. It is quite a bit more sensitive to temperature than non-vegan, non-American buttercream. I had to frequently chill it, then warm it, then chill it again, to keep it at a good temperature for decorating. On the other hand it tastes pretty good when it’s slightly cold (whereas non-vegan buttercream is unbearably greasy-tasting when colder than room temp), so I intend to err on the side of serving it slightly cold. . I also covered it in vegan sprinkles, so stability for decorations wasn’t a big deal. Personally, I think it’s worth the caveats to avoid the grittiness of American buttercream!
Hey thank you so much for this thoughtful comment! I have actually stopped using shortening myself lately. Unless of course I need the decor to be super stable, but that is a rarity for me nowadays. I agree (*and often note in most recipes about the salt in the Earth Balance) sometimes I use Fleishmans Margarine when I can’t find (or afford!!) earth balance especially when I’m just testing recipes! The major difference I see between those two “butters” is that EB will get super firm when refrigerated whereas the Fleishmans stays very soft even when cold.
Anyway- thank you again for the comment, it will surely help others to read your experience
Do you have to reduce the canned bean water first or could you use it straight from the can?
Will aquafaba be stabilized if we dont add butter and shortening. If this is left out for 2 hrs will it melt?
it will be ok for a day or two (refrigerated best, but OK at room temperature is ok for a couple hours)
Can you do the preheat and cool of the AF ahead of time? Ie. the night before and then use the next day? Or does that process need to be done right before whipping?
YES! definitely!
Hi Gretchen! Thanks for the amazing recipe – it works like a dream? And it’s not too sweet either.
Can this buttercream hold up under fondant? As in would you use it as the base under fondant for a large buttercream? I’m worried about sagging fondant on the wedding day, which would be a nightmare!
Sorry typo above – I wanted to know whether this buttercream will hold up under fondant for a large wedding cake?
yes! Be sure to use Earth Balance butter though *if possible it is the only one that will actually set firm under refrigeration all the others stay soft which is not great for under fondant
Thanks Gretchen!
Hi Gretchen,
I hope you and yours are well in these challenging times. Thank you so much for all your wonderful vegan cake wisdom you share. I had a couple questions re your Italian meringue bc. I made your Swiss meringue bc it was awesome.
I’m in the uk so have no shortening. Is it best to use naturli bloc butter mostly and a small amount of cocoa butter? Also, is it ok to use some or all caster sugar in place of the granulated sugar? (I don’t have enough granulated sugar for the recipe but do have lots of caster sugar!)
Thanks so much in advance x
Hi Thank YOU too! 🙂
I am not familiar with naturli bloc butter, I’m sorry it’s difficult to comment on that not knowing really what to compare it to.
As for the caster sugar though YES! Interchangeable here!
I used this recipe for 9″, 3 layer vegan cakes, and it was amazing! With different fillings between the layers one recipe would be sufficient, if I was to have used frosting for the filling as well I would want to make 1 1/2 recipes. Nobody would have thought that this was vegan, with all the advantages of Italian buttercream over the American buttercream I usually see used on vegan cakes. A gem!
I accidentally added Lemmon juice (as cream of tarter) before reading your directions of boiling to one cup. I’m now boiling both 1/4 + 1/4 Lemmon juice with the bean juice 😣. What will this do? Will I still need to add cream of tarter?
Hmm, Im not sure I’m reading your comment correctly, It’s unclear what 1/4 is? 1/4 cup lemon juice? 1/4 lemon? But either way no to the cream of tartar at this point!
Dear Gretchen, thank you for the recipe! I would like to add fruit to the buttercream. Is that possible? What is best: puree, juice or dried fruitpowder perhaps? How much should I add, and at what step? Regards, Mirelle
YES! CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO
Thanks for the recipe!
I have a question: when I whip de aquafaba it becomes super stiff (I can put the bowl upside down). When I add the sugarsyrup, it becomes very glossy and still fluffy but it is not as stiff anymore. When I put some on a spatuala, it wil drip of very very slowly. Is this normal or did I not make the Italian meringe correctly?
Hi Mirelle,
I think your ‘problem’ will be solved when adding the rest of the sugar and then also the butter. Just go ahead and you will see😃.
Kind regards from The Netherlands!
The video says to let the mixture cool to 90 degrees before adding the butter and shortening, but the recipe says the let it cool to 100 degrees. Can you clarify how much it needs to cool before adding the fats? Thanks!
Hey thanks for pointing that out, I would go on the safer side of 90° to prevent melting the fats
In your Swiss Meringue buttercream recipe your added that you can make your own aquafaba with 2c chickpeas : 6c water. I’m assuming that would work for this recipe as well.
But is it necessary to reduce the homemade aquafaba to 2/3 its original volume like instructed here? After cooking and straining out the chickpeas? If not, will the stability, texture, structure etc. be the same as the buttercream using canned reduced aquafaba? And have you noticed any differences in general using homemade vs. canned aquafaba?
Yes it would work for this recipe, however I find that homemade AF is never as thick & strong as canned varieties. So definitely reduce the homemade AF for sure, this is 100% necessary whereas sometimes I don’t even reduce the canned variety anymore.
Hi thank for the recipe, it is amazing!!!!! I never try this buttercream and the first try came out wonderful, thank you. I wanted to ask you how long I can keep it in the fridge. I made it on 02\03 can I keep it until 16\03 ? I’ll keep it in the fridge at a temperature of about 4 degrees
Hi Thanks! Yes I have stored buttercream for longer than that! CLICK HERE FOR MORE
I made this IMBC this past weekend for my vegan mom’s Birthday cake. I was skeptical as I’m not vegan and I had never tried using aquafaba in something so good as IMBC. I didn’t use reduced salt chick peas and when I whipped them into stiff peaks and tasted it, I was scared-so salty! And sort of chickpea-y tasting! Now I was really scared, LOL! I crossed my fingers that the sugar syrup would be enough to counter it AND thankfully I was able to find unsalted EB at Whole Foods. After adding the hot sugar syrup I was so pleasantly surprised! Tasted great and no chickpea flavor to be found! Sadly, the entire emulsion broke when I added the EB and I had soup. I forged ahead adding the rest of the EB and then I had curdled soup. I’ve made IMBC many times and have never had this happen to me before so I’m not sure where I went wrong. I did take the temp of the meringue and it was around 90 degrees. Maybe too cool? Not sure but I did what the internet (and Gretchen) told me to do and that was get the blow torch out. Now I really had my fingers crossed because I didn’t have enough time or EB to start over. To my surprise, as I passed the flame back and forth along the bottom of the bowl, MAGIC happened and it all came back together again!
I cannot believe how GOOD this frosting was! I just put it over a simple 3 layer vegan chocolate cake and everybody in my family (all non-vegan except my mom) were shocked when I announced that it was completely vegan. Thank you for this fantastic recipe and all the tips! I had heard of making ‘whipped cream’ from aquafaba before but I never know you should reduce it to get the water out nor to refrigerate it. Thank you for making my mom’s Birthday memorable and so so TASTY for all of us!
YAY! thank you for the detailed feedback! very helpful!
I would like to make another comment if you don’t mind.
I usually whip the butter to make it creamy before adding it to the aquafaba/meringue. To me it seems everything solves/mixes better to a very soft and silky bc.
Greetings from The Netherlands!
Yes! very good idea! Thank you
Hi Gretchen! Was wondering how many cake layers is this recipe good for? I was planning on making 3 layers 8″ cake. Thank you!
This will fill & ice a 3 layer 7″ cake
Hello Gretchen,
You said before that you don’t reduce aquafaba you get from canned chickpeas. Does this mean that you use 1 1/2 cup canned chickpea juice or do you use 3/4 – 1 cup canned chickpea juice. In a previous comment you said to use the entire amount as listed but wasn’t sure what that meant in this scenario.
I also wanted to say that finding quality recipes is hard as a vegan baker but you have been a reliable resource.
Thanks,
Cooper
Hey thanks so much, sorry for the confusion ~ in step one the I clarify that the 1 cup of AF is reduced to 3/4 cup- but yes you remember correctly that I do not reduce down the CANNED AF- just if I had boiled it from fresh beans
I will have to see how I can make this more clear – thanks again!
LOVE this recipe. I have been making a vegan Swiss meringue buttercream recipe from a different source as my go-to frosting, but that all changed the first time I made this Italian meringue!! Yes, it’s a *little* more labor intensive, having to reduce the aquafaba and make a sugar syrup, but…… It’s SO WORTH IT.
I made chocolate cupcakes last minute for a holiday potluck at work (I baked 5 dozen, took 4 dozen with me) and made a peppermint version of this frosting for them. ONE batch of frosting was enough for 54 cupcakes; which left 6 that I’d baked unfrosted, but fortunately, my mom loves unfrosted cupcakes.
I almost made a batch of regular vegan buttercream first (I was out of aquafaba after reducing enough for one batch) because I was sure I would need more if I planned to take a full 4 dozen cupcakes to the potluck, but….. Nope! I’m glad I made this recipe first.
Not to mention…. It PIPES LIKE AN ABSOLUTE DREAM. My piping “skills” leave much to be desired, but this recipe pipes so smoothly and beautifully that I can’t wait to use it on something larger than a cupcake.
I’m already planning flavors to bring Valentine’s day cupcakes to some of my coworkers (though definitely not enough for the entire store this time) because I can’t wait to try different flavor variations of this Italian meringue! THANK YOU Gretchen!
Hey! Awesome! Thanks for the feedback! It’s very helpful!
Hi Gretchen! Love this recipe and appreciate the details that make it easy to follow. If I wanted to add some flavoring (freeze dried strawberry powder) at what stage should I add it and should I alter any of the core ingredients? Thank you!
Hey there! Great thank you too! The best way to flavor is by adding the freeze dried fruit powders for sure! Not only are they intense flavor but since they are powder they will help to absorb any excess moisture thus making this recipe even stronger & more stable!
Always add the flavorings at the last stage of mixing & no- nothing else needs to change!