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Aquafaba Swiss Buttercream Recipe

October 24, 2017 By Gretchen 249 Comments

The best recipe for Vegan Buttercream is definitely the Aquafaba Swiss Meringue Buttercream method.

It’s so silky and smooth with just the right amount of sweetness!
Aquafaba Swiss Buttercream Recipe

Made from the whipped up water from a can of chickpeas

You can magically mimic the egg white meringue from our past lives!

 

Aquafaba Swiss Buttercream Recipe

 

Aquafaba Swiss Buttercream is a more adult style buttercream that is a dream to work with

Light, silky and not too sweet!

The Best Vegan Buttercream Recipe

If you have not yet worked with Aquafaba this is a great place to start!

Aquafaba is simply the water leftover from a can of chickpeas.

Due to it’s composition of carbohydrates and a good amount of protein that has leached from the beans into the water during cooking;

Aquafaba has the ability to hold structure similar to egg whites when whipped!

Aquafaba Whipped Meringue

If you are boiling your own beans instead of using canned: 2 cups of dry beans to 6 cups of water.

First rinse them well, then soak them (2 cups beans : 6 cups water) 12 hours or overnight.

Then the next day you will drain and rinse the soaking liquid and replace with clean fresh water (6 more cups).

Once the beans are cooked through and are fork tender, the remaining liquid is the magical bean water that we used to throw down the sink!

Reserve that golden aquafaba and cool it to room temperature, then store it for up to 1 week in the refrigerator or up to 2 months in the freezer.

When that boiled aquafaba liquid gets cold it actually gets gelatinous too!

If the chick pea water seems too thin just keep boiling it and it will reduce and thicken more.

It seems the more concentrated the AF is to start the firmer and stronger your meringue will be.

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL YOUTUBE VIDEO STEP BY STEP TUTORIAL FOR HOW TO MAKE AQUAFABA SWISS MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM

For another look at making Aquafaba Swiss Meringue Buttercream and what could go wrong (and often does!)

Click here for How to Save a Failed Buttercream!

UPDATE! I have since made another buttercream recipe for those with a sensitivity to Chickpeas.

Its made with flax seeds and the result is almost identical

CLICK HERE FOR AQUAFLAXA BUTTERCREAM

 
4.6 from 29 reviews
Aquafaba Swiss Buttercream Recipe
 
Print
Prep time
30 mins
Total time
30 mins
 
Serves: 6 cups
Ingredients
  • Aquafaba Liquid 1¾ cup *from approx 2- 15ounce cans of chickpeas *see note above the recipe for cooking your own chickpeas
  • Granulated Sugar 1 cup (200g)
  • Vanilla Extract 2 teaspoons
  • Confectioners Sugar 1 cup (120g)
  • Cream of Tartar ½ teaspoon *optional
  • Vegan Butter 3 sticks (1½ cups) (339g)
  • Hi Ratio Solid Vegetable shortening 1 cup (226g) *or more vegan butter if you don't want to use use shortening
Instructions
  1. Combine the sugar with the aquafaba in a sauce pot and bring to a full boil.
  2. Boil for 5 minutes then transfer to a mixer bowl to cool completely
  3. With the whip attachment of the kitchen aid (a hand beater will work but it will take a very long time) whip the aquafaba on high speed until it is thick and glossy and has firm peaks
  4. Combine the cream of tartar with 2 Tbs of confectioners sugar and then add that to the whipped, firm peaked meringue, continue whipping and add the remaining confectioners sugar
  5. Add the shortening and softened vegan butter and continue whipping on high speed to a smooth emulsion
  6. Add vanilla last
Notes
Buttercream can be stored for 2 days at room temperature in an airtight container or in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Bring it to room temperature for several hours then re whip back to smooth consistency
3.5.3251

 

Filed Under: All Recipes, Icings and Fillings

Previous Post: « Going Vegan Is Not JUST What You Think
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Barbara Wamsley

    October 26, 2017 at 6:23 pm

    I couldn’t access (or see) the links to find out how to re-whip the buttercream after refrigeration…

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      October 26, 2017 at 8:27 pm

      Thank you for letting me know here it is CLICK HERE

      Reply
      • sage

        January 19, 2021 at 3:39 am

        Do you have to use cream of tartar because you didn’t mention in your youtube video?

        Reply
        • sage

          January 19, 2021 at 3:52 am

          Don’t worry. I just realized that you made a new video

          Reply
        • Sowmya

          August 17, 2021 at 1:26 pm

          Hi there, can we make just half of this recipe?
          Thanks

          Reply
          • Sowjanya

            August 18, 2021 at 7:20 pm

            Hi! Can we color this aquafaba smbc? I’m doing it right now and it all got separated. I’m trying to rewhip it since long time. I used some after making it, but after adding red color, I microwaved it and kept it in refrigerator to deepen the color. I saw so many videos of colouring the smbc this way to achieve deep colors. But after rewhipping it , curdling happened. I don’t understand what to do now? Cake is due tomorrow:(

          • Gretchen

            August 18, 2021 at 7:24 pm

            Hi, Yes you can color the buttercream, gel paste colors work the best and to get a deep red it is always best to color it the DAY BEFORE as it will intensify as it sits.
            CLICK HERE for HOW TO RE-WHIP & Save the bUttercream

      • Elizabeth

        April 2, 2021 at 8:27 pm

        Thank you for this recipe. My little grand daughter is allergic to eggs, dairy, and soy. With this recipe I can bake a cake with delicious icing.
        I know some of Duncan Hines canned frostings are vegan, but they don’t have that luscious buttercream taste.
        My frosting curdled a bit when I started whipping in the butter, but adding a TBS at a time it smoothed out.
        Thank you again. Even the “everything vegan tastes horrible” husband loved it.

        Reply
        • Gretchen

          April 2, 2021 at 9:43 pm

          YAY! Awesome!!

          Reply
      • Christy

        August 7, 2021 at 10:47 pm

        Hi I have an egg allergy and I tried this today, it whipped up beautifully The texture was spot on but it tasted very buttery. Maybe because I used regular salted butter sticks ? Did I do something wrong you think, is it supposed to be that buttery? It really was almost like I was eating butter. 🙁

        Reply
        • Gretchen

          August 8, 2021 at 12:54 am

          Hey great! I’m glad you had success as many people DO NOT! Great job!
          Is this your fist “swiss bc?” If so, many people are shocked that “butter”cream tastes like butter LOL
          They are so used to that American style buttercream which is mostly sugar and shortening. So it could just be that you are not used to a true Swiss Meringue Buttercream?

          Reply
      • Ally

        January 4, 2022 at 11:47 am

        Hi Gretchen,
        My chickpea water is salted since I am using the cheap kind lol from coles. So will I need to use unsalted butter. Also can I use Copra vegetable fat solid.
        Thanks for your time.

        Reply
        • Gretchen

          January 4, 2022 at 11:52 am

          Hi there, yes I have been told that using copha is OK, however I have never used that. I have been now leaving out the shortening altogether and just using all vegan butter- that may be better for you since I have also heard that using Copha can be a nightmare.
          The reason we use unsalted is because you just never know how much salt they put into the butter, but if you use salted just leave out the salt in the recipe

          Reply
          • Ally

            January 4, 2022 at 12:15 pm

            Thanks for your fast reply so can I just use vegan butter instead of shorting although or will I have to add more butter? Thanks soo much

          • Gretchen

            January 4, 2022 at 1:30 pm

            Yes exactly replace the shortening amount with more vegan butter

          • Ally

            January 4, 2022 at 11:06 pm

            Sorry I have so many questions it’s just I am a beginner and 11 years lol.so do I add 566g of butter or less.also what is the difference between vegan and non vegan butter?
            Thank you!

          • Amalija

            February 18, 2022 at 12:02 am

            Hi Ally 🙂

            Yes, if you want to replace the shortening with butter just add them together!
            So it originally calls for: Vegan Butter 3 sticks (1½ cups) (339g), and, Hi Ratio Solid Vegetable shortening 1 cup (226g). Therefore, we would want 1.5 Cups (339g) + 1 Cup (226g), = 2.5 Cups butter (565 grams) total!

            Vegan butter is different than typical butter because vegan products are free from animal substances. Typical butter is made from mother cows breastmilk. Vegan butter is just made from different plant oils, like sunflower or soybeans.
            Try to find a vegan butter that is high-fat content! I like Country Crock or Earth Balance, but there are many brands.

            I hope this helps. 😀

      • Alesha

        January 5, 2022 at 1:07 am

        Hi Gretchen,
        When I whip my aquafaba it turns into a foamy soup should I keep whipping or give up at this point. I am using a hand mixer. Thanks

        Reply
        • Gretchen

          January 5, 2022 at 3:37 pm

          A hand held mixer is VERY DIFFICULT to get a strong whipped AF. Some have done it, others have burned out their blenders.
          The high speed power with the balloon whip attachment is sadly the most effective way to get there

          Reply
        • Ashley

          January 26, 2022 at 4:38 am

          Hi Alesha and Gretchen!

          I just made this recipe with a hand mixer, and it took foreverrrr to form peaks…it eventually did form them though! It did feel like it was never going to come together and it took about 20 mins of just whipping before I even added the fats. I also used the whisk attachment. Hopefully that helps give someone reading a better idea of what it is like to work with the hand mixer 🙂

          Ashley

          Reply
      • Rebecca

        January 5, 2022 at 5:26 am

        Hi Gretchen,
        Isit possible to over whip your aquafaba?

        Reply
        • Gretchen

          January 5, 2022 at 3:36 pm

          If it has separated and looks curdled than yes, but it would take alot to overwhip it, I have not had that happen to me

          Reply
      • Janice Sanchez

        June 19, 2022 at 5:22 pm

        Hi hun
        I’m looking for the original recipe Of the Swiss meringue buttercream from you you tube video from when you were crumb boss it was my favorite lol and now I can’t find it any where on the site it was the egg whites , sugar , butter , shortening and vanilla. I just don’t know the measurements please please tell me the measurements it was for about 5 pounds worth thank you I appreciate you

        Reply
  2. Karin Druck

    October 31, 2017 at 11:51 am

    So If I wanted to replace the sugar, could I use monk fruit sweetener or stevia and still get good results?

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      October 31, 2017 at 2:39 pm

      Yes definitely!!

      Reply
      • Karin Druck

        November 3, 2017 at 1:41 pm

        Fantastic! I can’t wait to make it!! Are you on Instagram? The vegan/vegetarian community there is awesome.

        Reply
        • Gretchen

          November 5, 2017 at 11:28 pm

          yes thankyou! Gretchens_Bakery on instagram

          Reply
          • Grace

            August 23, 2020 at 12:51 am

            As soon as I added my butter and shortening it flattened and went to shit 🙁

          • Gretchen

            August 24, 2020 at 5:50 pm

            Yes that is not surprising and very frustrating, did you CLICK THROUGH TO HOW TO SAVE A FAILED BUUTERCREAM?

    • Sowmya

      July 9, 2021 at 6:50 am

      Hi there,
      Quite an interesting recipe. I am a vegetarian, and find the ambc very sweet and grainy. So wanted to try this.
      Can we make just half of the recipe? Can this Buttercream be stored in freezer for how long? Also, can we use it to frost fondant cakes?
      Thanks.

      Reply
      • Gretchen

        July 9, 2021 at 1:44 pm

        HI Yes you can halve the recipe- CLICK HERE FOR MORE ABOUT AQUAFABA
        CLICK HERE FOR RE-WHIPPING after freezing (store frozen up to 3 months)
        Yes to under fondant, I find Earth Balance to be the best butter- it actually gets hard in the refrigerator which is helpful for under fondant cakes

        Reply
  3. anj

    December 5, 2017 at 2:52 am

    Amazing, amazing, amazing. What a wonderful treat for a longtime vegan like me. Did some cupcakes for a wedding with this on top and they got devoured! It was really hot in the event space, but the piping held up well.

    What kind of vegan butter do you use? Earth Balance seemed a little salty.

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      December 5, 2017 at 6:07 pm

      Great! Yes I agree that earth balance is salty, so definitely use unsalted beans or boil your own from dry beans
      I sometimes use an unsalted margarine which is cheaper too (but less healthy 🙁

      Reply
      • anj

        December 10, 2017 at 2:20 am

        Cool! Will try that. I just cooked a huge batch of chickpeas and froze the bean juice!

        Reply
      • Diane

        November 28, 2020 at 7:09 pm

        I love this recipe! Before going vegan SMB was my go to. So happy to have found this recipe as all my other attempts at vegan buttercream were just too sweet. My only problem is when I try to add cocoa powder or melted chocolate to the buttercream it separates. I have tried mixing it loner but nothing brings it together. Any tips?

        Reply
        • Gretchen

          November 29, 2020 at 12:48 am

          Awesome! But yes- these Aquafaba buttercreams are definitely less stable when adding in other things, CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO
          BUT- I do find that the vegan butter plays key role. The more moisture a butter or margarine has will cause this separation.
          I find earth balance to be the best (pricey but the best for this type of thing) and of course the sweetex (shortening) will help

          Reply
          • Courtney Monigold

            July 21, 2021 at 12:54 am

            Can I freeze this? I had some
            Left over and I’d hate to throw it out!

          • Gretchen

            July 21, 2021 at 3:39 pm

            YES! Click here for more info on re-whipping after freezing

  4. Camelle

    December 22, 2017 at 9:17 pm

    Do you have to use chick peas or could you use others like cannellini beans? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      December 23, 2017 at 2:33 am

      yes you can use other beans for sure

      Reply
  5. Kapila

    December 26, 2017 at 8:26 pm

    Can you make this with all butter? I am not vegan, just trying to make an egg-free frosting. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      December 27, 2017 at 6:01 am

      yes

      Reply
  6. Maisha

    January 8, 2018 at 10:29 pm

    I am so excited to make this – I thought I had to kiss my Swiss buttercream goodbye for vegan cakes. I feel like Earth Balance is really salty. Have you ever substituted refined coconut oil in place of the vegan butter? I am having a hard time finding unsalted margarine. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      January 9, 2018 at 5:10 am

      Yes I agree that the earth balance is salty (Ive actually emailed them to ask them to make an unsalted version! No reply though 🙁 maybe if we all start emailing them, they wil hear us??
      But, Ive used my own homemade butter (made form coconut oil ) with good results, just not straight up coconut oil.

      Reply
      • Suzanne

        February 10, 2018 at 5:12 pm

        Would you share your homemade butter with coconut oil? I am very sensitive to all additives and flavors and I cant find a proper commercial butter replacement. Thank you

        Reply
        • Robin

          August 28, 2018 at 2:55 am

          Miyoko’s creamery makes an amazing vegan butter.

          Reply
          • Gretchen

            August 28, 2018 at 2:33 pm

            agree

        • Harpreet Singh

          September 16, 2020 at 8:40 pm

          Hi Gretchen!

          I tried making the vegan smbc but mine ended up being too runny! Is there anything I can do to fix that? The butter I used is the “Miyoko’s Creamery Cultured Vegan Butter” and Crisco shortening.

          Reply
          • Gretchen

            September 16, 2020 at 11:02 pm

            Hi Suzanne! I’m sorry that happened to you, I have not had luck with homemade vegan butter in buttercream recipes, nor did I have success with Miyoko’s brand either.
            I only use Earth Balance and when I am being super cheap I use Fleishmann’s margarine. I’ve even left out the shortening at this point (since Crisco is kinda yuckk…) But if you need super stability definitely use the shortening, since the ALL vegan butter version will be softer

      • Leo

        August 8, 2019 at 8:05 am

        Ohh homemade vegan butter … a woman after my own heart. Have you posted the recipe? If not could you – for a pretty please with a cherry on top.

        Reply
      • Jahnavi Harris

        January 21, 2021 at 2:38 am

        I also asked them to create an unsalted butter stick 😂 They just sent me coupons to get free products but didn’t mention anything about an unsalted line.
        I saw that someone else posted about adding flavors to this recipe. The link you posted didn’t work for me. Do you have any advice on flavoring this frosting—chocolate or mocha or something.

        Reply
        • Gretchen

          January 21, 2021 at 9:28 pm

          LOL
          Yes CLICK HERE FOR MORE
          But chocolate is easy by just adding cocoa powder, and mocha is coffee granules dissolved in water and then added to the choco BC (*I just “eye” everything to taste)

          Reply
  7. Yahaira Barreto

    January 13, 2018 at 7:33 pm

    Gretchen, I live in PR, does this buttercream is recommended for humid climate? Thank you

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      January 14, 2018 at 12:09 am

      By using the shortening in the recipe it will help to stabilize for hotter humid climates, so yes

      Reply
  8. Tati

    February 1, 2018 at 5:36 pm

    Is it a lot harder to get the Aquafina aerated if you use a hand mixer rather than a stand mixer?

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      February 1, 2018 at 5:42 pm

      yes unfortunately

      Reply
  9. Jahnavi

    February 12, 2018 at 3:33 pm

    Thanks for the great recipe! I’m using Spectrum organic shortening. I’m not sure if it’s considered hi ratio or not. Do you think it will work fine? Sometimes I have the problem of the frosting separating when I’m working with it and spreading it on the cake—I’m not sure if it’s because of temperature, my shortening, or perhaps because I use about half a cup of sugar less. I’d love your feedback! And also recommendations on how you might flavor this buttercream. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      February 12, 2018 at 7:34 pm

      Hi, I have used the Spectrum as well and I don’t love it, it’s very soft and leaves an unstable icing. Sadly I’ve resorted back to Crisco for some projects as many people have told me since Sweetex changed their formula (due to new FDA regulations to get trans fats out of food) it it disastrous.
      CLICK HERE for creating your own buttercream flavors

      Reply
      • Jahnavi

        February 18, 2018 at 11:03 pm

        Thanks for your response! Such a bummer about spectrum! I just bought a bunch in bulk. Hopefully I can figure out a way to make it work!

        Reply
        • Michelle

          May 8, 2019 at 5:07 am

          Would this buttercream be ok under fondant?

          Reply
          • Gretchen

            May 8, 2019 at 5:32 am

            yes

    • Cathy

      September 3, 2020 at 6:40 pm

      Can you taste the beans in the frosting at all? Need to make it for my kids birthday, she’s allergic to eggs but don’t want to serve bean tasting cake!

      Reply
      • Gretchen

        September 3, 2020 at 9:46 pm

        I do not, but some people have said they do, I guess it depends if you are sensitive to beans in the first place?

        Reply
  10. Philip

    March 26, 2018 at 3:37 am

    Love this recipe!!!!!! Your regular SMBC is my all time favorite Buttercream…but this one is so great! Especially since my wife has recently switched to a vegan diet! I made a batch today and had my inlaws try it, they had no idea it was a vegan recipe, and they LOVED it!! Thank you for sharing such an awesome recipe!

    Reply
  11. Lauren

    April 15, 2018 at 11:09 am

    I’m trying to make a 6 inched layered cake and wondering what kind of buttercream (swiss, italian, american) would be best for this purpose? I’d be filling the cake with it aswell as covering it in buttercream. anything you’d suggest? Thankyou your recipes are amazing!! 🙂 xx

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      April 15, 2018 at 4:04 pm

      Hi Thanks! CLICK HERE to decide!

      Reply
  12. Daniela Nyvltova

    July 5, 2018 at 11:48 pm

    Hello, I have a quick question: would this recipe cover a 3 layer, 9 inch cake? Thank you!

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      July 7, 2018 at 7:47 pm

      yes!

      Reply
  13. Krysten

    August 9, 2018 at 5:48 pm

    Thank you for this recipe! Do you know if I can use agave as the sweetener instead?

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      August 9, 2018 at 7:44 pm

      I haven’t tried that but I don’t see why not!

      Reply
  14. Lumey

    August 29, 2018 at 4:25 pm

    Gretchen, I’m going to try to frost mini cupcakes(with your vanilla cake recipe). Will this icing stay up in fridge and not deflate after I frost them? What about at room temp? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      August 29, 2018 at 5:14 pm

      yes will be fine both ways (at room temperature it is a bit more unstable, but a day would be fine!)

      Reply
  15. Connie MacNeil

    August 30, 2018 at 12:24 am

    Can I leave out the cream of tartar. I forgot to get some and have my daughter’s cake to ice before I head to work?

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      August 30, 2018 at 1:18 am

      yes

      Reply
  16. Alice Claussen Destri

    September 3, 2018 at 5:05 pm

    Hi! It’s my first time making buttercream and many people told me your recipe is the best so here I am!
    I’m making a vegan chocolate cake for my kids’ birthday so I was wondering if I could add some cocoa powder or melted chocolate to this recipe and make a vegan chocolate swiss buttercream. What do you suggest? Maybe 3 tablespoons of sifted cocoa powder would do the trick?

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      September 3, 2018 at 6:34 pm

      Hi Great! thanks!! yes I usually add melted cooled ganache to make chocolate buttercream (less chance of getting chocolate chip buttercream from adding straight chocolate! and I always have ganache on hand or so it seems so for me it is just easiest) But all will work. Be sure the chocolate is super cool before adding, OR if you go with the cocoa powder I often make it into a paste for that same reason (I don’t like grainy chocolate buttercream) so by adding hot water to the cocoa powder and mix to a paste (similar to the consistency of melted chocolate) you are good to go, just be sure to also cool that to cold before adding.
      The cocoa paste version is a good idea because it does not introduce more sugar and the recipe has already got enough sugar!
      ¼ cup cocoa : 6Tbs hot water is a good ratio
      The perk of using chocolate is that chocolate when colder/set is super stable so it aids in making the buttercream a bit stronger rather than softer, because anytime we add soft ingredients to buttercream it just makes it softer and harder to pipe
      CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO

      Reply
      • Laura

        March 10, 2019 at 5:31 pm

        What recipe for the ganache and how much should be added to make this a chocolate version please? x

        Reply
        • Gretchen

          March 10, 2019 at 7:55 pm

          CLICK HERE for ganache recipe and I usually just “eye” it, but I’d say about 1/2cup? to the recipe be sure it is COOLED

          Reply
  17. Bob

    October 2, 2018 at 8:04 pm

    If we’re adding agar to this recipe, should we add it based on the preboil volume or measure then add after the 5 minute boil? 1/2c to 1/2tsp

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      October 3, 2018 at 12:17 am

      after the boil

      Reply
  18. Lynn

    October 6, 2018 at 12:46 am

    Made this for the first time today, turned out great! So many possibilities with this frosting. I see it keeps for two weeks in the refrigerator but can it be frozen as well, to be thawed and re-whipped later?

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      October 6, 2018 at 11:47 pm

      Yes CLICK HERE FOR MORE

      Reply
  19. Lynn

    October 7, 2018 at 2:30 pm

    I appreciate the quick reply, Gretchen. One other question. I used Nutiva brand shortening and it seemed to work well but I haven’t tried this recipe with Spectrum (the other option at the store) or any other brand. Have you personally ever used Nutiva Shortening and if so, do you have an opinion on how well it works in this recipe?

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      October 7, 2018 at 3:34 pm

      I’ve only used Spectrum, it’s soft.. in my opinion, not great at all and the reason we shortening in the first place is for stability. I have resorted back to Crisco 🙁

      Reply
      • Nana

        May 19, 2019 at 3:47 am

        Hello, are you still using Crisco or have you found a better option? I don’t like the taste ?

        Reply
        • Gretchen

          May 19, 2019 at 5:04 pm

          I do use the crisco, Someone else recently sent me one to try. Its by CookieGiftCanQueen.com (cake & icing shortening) Its very stable, but honestly I felt like the mouth feel was worse than crisco

          Reply
  20. Jesus

    October 13, 2018 at 4:33 am

    Hey Gretchen, I made this buttercream and I have a question about the flavor. The texture of the frosting is really good but it doesn’t really taste like anything except it has a weird aftertaste. Is it supposed to taste like this since it’s made from aquafaba?

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      October 14, 2018 at 9:05 pm

      Some people are sensitive to the chickpea water. I am not, and find that once all the other ingredients are in I can never taste anything “beany”.
      I’m not sure if that is the “weird” you taste though? I do prefer to use Earth Balance vegan butter as it does have the best taste.

      Reply
  21. Amanda Chan

    October 18, 2018 at 3:39 am

    HI Gretchen, my son is allergic to eggs, milk, peanuts. I have made traditional swissmeringue buttercream before he was born, but now I need a vegan alternative/\.
    Thanks for this recipe! I can’t wait to try it! Would it be possible if I soaked my own dried chickpeas and boil down that water? And if possible, what is the ratio of beans to water and how long would I need to soak and boil off the water you think?

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      October 18, 2018 at 4:31 am

      Hi! yes great you will love this recipe!!
      And yes to soaking your own beans for sure! First rinse them well, then soak them (2 cups beans : 6 cups water) 12 hours or overnight.
      Then the next day you will boil the soaking liquid and reduce it down to about half the amount you started with. It should get thick and resemble the same liquid that is in the cans. When that boiled AF liquid gets cold it actually gets gelatinous too! (If it seems too thin just keep boiling it)

      Reply
      • Jahnavi Harris

        January 23, 2021 at 2:24 pm

        Hi Gretchen,
        Is this still your recommendation for homemade aquafaba? I wasn’t clear if you just cooked the soaking liquid or the beans too. I recently used the water from cooking some chickpeas and it just wouldn’t whip up! I’m not sure if it’s just more difficult with homemade aquafaba or if maybe some residue of buttercream got into my mixing bowl from my mixer.

        Reply
    • Kiara

      April 25, 2020 at 7:52 am

      Hey Gretchen just a question about colouring the aquafaba swiss meringue should I use gel colours or powder?
      Thanks
      Kiara

      Reply
      • Gretchen

        April 25, 2020 at 4:22 pm

        Powder colors are good because they are dry color and the AF BC is quite sensitive to too much moisture, but I typically use gel paste (just because…) both will work!

        Reply
  22. Rajinder Bharaj

    October 23, 2018 at 9:39 pm

    Hi

    Can you add flavour to this buttercream like rhubarb as you can with traditional Swiss meringue buttercream?

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      October 23, 2018 at 9:53 pm

      yes, CLICK HERE FOR MORE

      Reply
  23. Wil

    November 28, 2018 at 3:50 am

    We made this and it is awesome, however we brought vegan butter from the store and it is contains a-bit soury taste. Just wondering to make it more healthy, it is possible to replace the vegan butter with something else so that the aquafaba does not dissolve into water? Previously we made the cream without vegan butter and cream of tartar and it melts completely after one day.

    Thanks in advanced

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      November 28, 2018 at 4:11 am

      Hi< well I really don't know what to suggest to replace vegan butter with, since you do need it to make the buttercream. I mean you could use all shortening but that would be a bit more strange (tasting) than the taste you experienced. Im not sure if it was just the brand of Vbutter you used? or if you are put off by the AF bean water?? I want to say it is the AF since some people are sensitive to that bean taste. You may want to try a more basic BC recipe? CLICK HERE

      Reply
  24. Novia

    December 5, 2018 at 1:42 am

    I’m excited to try this recipe! I made a cake for my son’s birthday party and this looks perfect for some guests who have dairy allergies. I am interested in adding a ginger flavor to the frosting (I read your other post about adding flavors) and I’m wondering if I could omit the vanilla extract and use a homemade ginger syrup/reduction instead?

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      December 5, 2018 at 1:44 am

      Hi! Yes you can! Sounds great!

      Reply
  25. Novia

    December 6, 2018 at 1:52 pm

    My first comment didn’t post…

    Thank you for this recipe! I’ll be using it on a layered birthday cake this weekend and would like to infuse some flavor into the buttercream. Do you think I could throw some ginger and orange peel into the AF sugar mixture while it boils? Or maybe use a flavored syrup instead of the vanilla extract?

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      December 6, 2018 at 2:50 pm

      Hey there, Im not sure about adding those things to the AF as it boils. I was following a post recently about someone who added essence OIL while whipping the AF and it never whipped up. O I warn that may happen here if you add those things since especially orange has natural oils to it. It is definitely worth a try, I hate to say know just based off someone elses experience, since you just never know! let me know if you try!

      Reply
  26. Emma

    December 10, 2018 at 8:17 am

    I just tried making this recipe using the aquafaba hack using agar you recently posted.. I first boiled the aquafaba + the sugar together, then cooled as per this recipe. Then once it was a bit cooler I added the agar and boiled for 20secs as per your aquafaba hack video, and then followed the remaining swiss meringue steps. However, when I was done and tasted it there were sugar granules in in even though when I boiled the aquafaba all the sugar had dissolved. any thoughts as to why this is? Thanks 🙂

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      December 10, 2018 at 2:16 pm

      Hmm that’s odd, perhaps it was the confectioners sugar? I have been told that some different brands (not sure where you are in the world) have a grittiness to them?

      Reply
      • Emma

        December 11, 2018 at 2:34 am

        yeah maybe i will try a different brand and see. I also thought that it could have happened when i cooled the aquafaba/sugar mixture? am I correct in boiling the aquafaba and sugar together first, then cooling, and then adding the agar?

        Reply
        • Gretchen

          December 11, 2018 at 3:38 am

          Hmm, could it be little balls of agar? You can boil the agar with the sugar since the agar needs to activate by boiling, but then you will not wait until it is COLD to whip because the agar will set as it gets too cool. so you can start whipping it when it is “tepid” warm, not cool… and it will be better

          Reply
  27. Thatalo

    December 10, 2018 at 1:56 pm

    Hi Gretchen,

    This looks lovely! I’d like to make an aquafaba frosting that tastes of coconut. I hate coconut extract (it tastes too fake), so can I add a few tablespoons of coconut milk or coconut cream to this? Is there anything else I should omit if I am doing that?

    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      December 10, 2018 at 2:14 pm

      You can add in your flavorings at the end. But I will warn that anything you add to this already super soft recipe will just make it softer AND adding a “few tablespoons” of the coconut cream will not add much flavor at all, but consequently just deflate your buttercream and make it heavy.
      CLICK HERE for more info

      Reply
  28. Virginia

    December 24, 2018 at 3:55 pm

    It’s a shame we don’t have the butter or shortening here in Brazil. I tried making the buttercream with my own homemade butter, but it just didn’t work. It’s a shame I wasted the merengue because it was sensational!

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      December 24, 2018 at 4:00 pm

      yes sadly I have found the same thing happened when I tried it with homemade butter! CLICK HERE

      Reply
  29. Rahne

    December 24, 2018 at 8:09 pm

    This worked perfectly! I’ve tried to use aquafaba in frostings before and it never quite turned out correctly, but this recipe was perfect. My mixture did curdle and separate after I added my shortening and earth balance, but I just popped it in the fridge for 20 minutes and then whipped the cooled mixture for about 3 minutes on medium-high and it came back together without issue. I did double the vanilla and added an extra half cup of powdered sugar to add just a slight bit more sweetness and it was absolutely perfect. Thank you for such a quick, easy recipe!

    Reply
  30. Roni Landau

    February 8, 2019 at 11:37 am

    Hi Gretchen, this looks great and I’m about to try this for the first time 🙂 I live in Germany and I can’t really find shortening.. Can I use coconut oil instead? Or just the Vbutter?

    Thanks a bunch!

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      February 8, 2019 at 5:24 pm

      All vegan butter will be best- I have NOT had success using coconut oil in buttercream, its a disaster!

      Reply
  31. NIck

    February 9, 2019 at 5:45 am

    How essential is the powdered sugar in this recipe—especially if it’s agar stabilized? I’m really not a fan of the grittiness it can cause

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      February 9, 2019 at 6:52 pm

      You can leave it out for sure!

      Reply
  32. Sakshi

    March 2, 2019 at 5:18 am

    How to replace cream of tartar ?

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      March 3, 2019 at 4:48 pm

      It is not 100% necessary (as there is not substitute for it) it DOES make a stronger meringue so it is really great if you can get it, but again it will work without it (final result will just not be as strong)

      Reply
  33. Maja

    March 3, 2019 at 3:33 pm

    Dear, thats the most wonderful meringue Ive ever made❤️

    Reply
  34. Lauren

    March 6, 2019 at 11:51 am

    Hi gretchen,
    I have a couple questions about this recipe..
    Firstly, I find this isn’t sweet enough for me but I looove the texture etc. If I wanted to make it sweeter how would I do this.. can i add more caster sugar or will that mess up the meringue part?
    I also found that when i had boiled the aquafaba and sugar and let it get cold, it wouldnt whip up into peaks, it only went to a slightly thicker liquid. It still came together when i added the shortening etc but just wondering why this could be?
    Thanks 🙂

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      March 7, 2019 at 6:24 pm

      You can add more confectioners sugar sure!
      Hmm, about the AF though: Perhaps use a superfine sugar next time if you can get it, I’m not sure this is the problem though because I use regular granulated sugar with no trouble.
      have you seen my AF HACK Video? this could help too!

      Reply
    • Edith

      January 10, 2020 at 6:02 am

      Could you help me!! My buttercream totally deflate after I had began ton incorporate the butter (Earth balance)
      Before that step, IT looks perfect and is really similar to your’s.
      I did IT 3 Times. Each try had the same result.
      A thick sauce….😔☹️🤔
      What am i doing wrong??

      Reply
      • Gretchen

        January 10, 2020 at 7:16 pm

        Hey Edith, this is not uncommon, CLICK HERE for more info on how to fix it and why it happens

        Reply
        • Lorena

          October 23, 2020 at 6:37 pm

          I’ve had the same issue. I tried the faba once and the flaxa twice. I tried the tips in the video but it does not come back together after adding less than 1T of EB.

          Reply
  35. Ellen

    March 13, 2019 at 9:35 pm

    Hi!

    Thank you for this recipe! I tried to make this twice now and both times the frosting came out runny. My meringue was very stiff and thick. The first time, my frosting separated when I added the fats (EB & Nutiva). But I kept whipping, as recommended, and it came back together. But it was very very very soft. So I went out to buy Crisco for another try. This time, my meringue was so thick it was hard to keep whipping! I added the fats slowly and had no issues with it separating. I used slightly less EB so it wouldn’t be quite so buttery… but it came out runny. It’s thickened a little since I stopped whipping but like pancake batter…. do you think it is runny bc of the heat from the whipping? Or any other ideas to save it so I can use your amazing aquafaba Swiss buttercream?

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      March 14, 2019 at 4:17 am

      It could be the excess whipping, since the friction will cause heat naturally.. but I the super soft almost disastrous effect after putting in the fast is normal, however it does come back together, as you saw. The vegan Swiss & Italian BC’s are definitely softer than regular BC’s though, I would say to refridge it for a little bit then try to mix it again

      Reply
  36. Tanja Eissfeldt

    March 26, 2019 at 4:14 pm

    Hei hei from Norways westcoast. Vegan baking becomes more and more an issue here, so I LOVE your inspiring recipes. Could you please help me with one thing? I have allready reduced AF in my freezer. It has this gelatinous consistency you mentioned, but is unsweetened. How many ml/ccm do I need for your swiss meringe buttercream recipe? I plan to add all sugar amount as confectioner sugar and hope this will work…..thanks in advance, Tanja

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      March 26, 2019 at 7:01 pm

      HI Tanja thanks! Just use the AF amount as listed here in the recipe, 1¾ cups, just heat it to dissolve the sugar no need to reduce or boil for a long time

      Reply
  37. Aylin

    April 3, 2019 at 5:39 am

    Hi Geetchen,
    Thanks for sharing this great recipe. I tried it, and had a smooth buttercream at first. I put it in the refrigerator and the next day, after I put it in the piping bag;, something strange happened.
    It beuild up something like a syrup in the bag, which came out, as I piped the cream on the cake.
    The taste was still great, but I didn’t have a very nice piping pic.
    Do you have an idea, what happened?

    BR
    Aylin

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      April 3, 2019 at 9:48 pm

      Hi Aylin, this is not uncommon, as buttercream is a delicate emulsion of fat and liquid so the temperature changes will cause separation here is a video to help you see how to come back from that!
      CLICK HERE

      Reply
  38. Tcali

    April 10, 2019 at 2:52 am

    how sturdy is this buttercream under fondant? will it hold up or if this a softer buttercream?

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      April 10, 2019 at 2:26 pm

      vegan butter is softer than real butter, so any recipe for buttercream you make will be softer because of that, even upon refrigeration these buttercreams stay softer, BUT they will work fine under fondant if you do not put a super thick layer under. CLICK HERE FOR MORE

      Reply
  39. Merrie Mckinnon

    April 11, 2019 at 8:30 pm

    Hello,
    I live in the UK and shortening isn’t a thing apparently, what is a substitute I could use?
    Using in accordance with you vanilla cake recipe, very excited about the result!

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      April 12, 2019 at 1:26 am

      Hi There, I’m not too familiar with UK brands, but most of the people I talk to use Trex, which is apparently available pretty much everywhere

      Reply
  40. Timesaflyin

    April 20, 2019 at 12:04 am

    Hey, Gretchen, I’m really enjoying your vegan bakery. Where am I missing the additions for the chocolate buttercream that you use on tha Almond Joy Cake?

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      April 20, 2019 at 2:25 am

      Hi thanks! You can add 4-6 ounces of melted COOLED chocolate at the last stage of mixing OR a cocoa poaste mixture (which will be chocolate but NO SUGAR ADDED since the BC is already sweet) which is about 4-6 Tbs Cocoa plus 3-5 Tbs hot water, whisk add COOLED

      Reply
      • Timesaflyin

        April 20, 2019 at 4:47 am

        Thank you for that speedy reply. I can’t decide if I want to use aquafaba or flax seeds. I think I’ll make both tomorrow so I can compare and see what works best for me. WOW, this is so exciting and you are a genius in my book.

        Reply
        • Gretchen

          April 20, 2019 at 5:17 pm

          Thankyou! Many have had trouble with the flax version for some reason. I suspect it could be that it is very difficult to always get a consistent level of protein from the flax seeds depending on how old they are how they were handled etc…

          Reply
  41. Quetzal

    May 11, 2019 at 5:56 am

    Can you add reduced berry puree into this? I LOVE this recipe, it’s my new go to ?

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      May 12, 2019 at 1:53 am

      Great thanks! It is not a great idea to add more liquid to this already delicate balance of an emulsion. I feel like this BC is already teetering on the edge, so to add puree to it will definitely put it over. I prefer to use powders and compounds CLICK HERE for more

      Reply
  42. Laura

    May 12, 2019 at 2:01 pm

    Hi! Looks good and I wish to try it but where I live we don’t have such thing as shortening. Is there any way to replace it ? How necessary is it for the consistency?

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      May 13, 2019 at 1:52 am

      the shortening really helps the stability, all vegan butter can be used as quite honestly it is in fact shortening really

      Reply
      • Phil

        June 6, 2019 at 10:43 pm

        Hi, if using all vegan butter (don’t think I need super stability as I live in cool Seattle and can’t find any high ratio shortening) is it a 1:1 substitution, so 1.5 cups + 1 cup of vegan butter = 2.5 cups (5 sticks)? I am hoping to make this tomorrow for my dairy allergic kid’s birthday cake (regular buttercream frosting is too sweet/buttery for our taste, so hoping this will be “lighter”) so any info would be super appreciated thank you so much!

        Reply
        • Gretchen

          June 7, 2019 at 2:09 am

          Hi Phil, not sure if you saw my response to the first question? Vegan butter is essentially “shortening” when you think about it, but it is definitely less stable than using a shortening addition (and the only reason why I do.. for stability) that said there are quite a few shortening brands out there (Spectrum to name 1) that is not stable at all! It actually makes my icing softer! Uggh so what’s the point! I have resorted back to Crisco since Sweetex was only available to me in 50lbs (when I had my bakery) and this CK brand had some good reviews in cake groups, people use it all the time for icings… again I have gone back to Crisco because it is stability I am after, BUT I will add it in a smaller ratio, for example 3/4 vegan butter: 1/4 crisco
          So yes, if you are not looking for stability, then all vButter is totally fine.
          No – it doesn’t necessarily make it “lighter” in all honesty it weighs it down=stabilty LOL

          But if you are asking a different question? Yes 1:1 is correct

          Reply
  43. Michelle

    May 15, 2019 at 4:50 pm

    Will this buttercream be ok under fondant?

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      May 15, 2019 at 5:13 pm

      yes

      Reply
  44. Kayla

    June 9, 2019 at 3:22 pm

    Hi Gretchen I love your recipes! My sisters birthday is tomorrow and I have no time to order hi ratio shortening. Would regular crisco work? Or do you have another suggestion/brand thst could ?

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      June 9, 2019 at 11:35 pm

      yes! I use it all the time now

      Reply
  45. Rebecca

    June 20, 2019 at 9:18 pm

    If using to frost cupcakes, will the texture be shinny, sticky or hard? Had issues with that when using meringue frostings before.Thanks!

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      June 21, 2019 at 12:52 am

      this is more on the “shiny side”

      Reply
  46. Pam

    July 22, 2019 at 3:54 pm

    Hi Gretchen!
    Love your recipes and blog. Is using shortening necessary? Just asking because I don’t want to head to the market again for one item if I don’t have to. ?

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      July 22, 2019 at 5:34 pm

      Hi Thanks! Not necessary but helpful for stability, all vegan butter would be fine

      Reply
  47. Ash

    July 23, 2019 at 11:42 pm

    I’ve made this recipe (and the one from the cookbook, which calls for a bit less butter, I believe) three or four times, and it’s been perfect every time. Pipes wonderfully, has a silky texture, tastes great (not very sweet, kind of creamy/fatty [not exactly a taste, but I’m not sure how to describe it otherwise]), and rewhips really well. I’ve also made half the recipe and found it came out fine, but normally try to make the whole recipe, as Gretchen recommends. Super glad to have found this recipe.

    Reply
  48. Jillian

    August 5, 2019 at 9:34 pm

    Hello! I tried your recipe today, and after adding the miyokas butter the mixture only seemed to set softly 🙁 when I put it on my cake it turned to soup. I am wondering where I might have gone wrong. The only things I did differently was I mixed the creator tartar with the full amount confectioners sugar and pulverized freeze dried strawberries. Could this s face affected it? I am wondering if maybe the boiling time wasn’t right for mine either or perhaps the meringue was a touch too soft when I added the powdered sugar. Any suggestions would be great because I am a pastry chef but also a new nursing mother and working on new recipes for df and gf ales. I don’t want to keep messing

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      August 6, 2019 at 4:13 am

      Hi, While others have said they have had success with Miyoko’s butter in buttercream recipes, I have not. I will suspect this is the problem, it is a coconut oil based butter and it literally has turned to soup for me as well. I stick to Earth Balance Vegan Butter always

      Reply
  49. Yams

    August 6, 2019 at 9:29 pm

    The aquafaba whipped to still peaks really well. But when I added the shortening and butter, it turned into a custard like liquid instead of the emulsion you show in the video. I am using a hand mixer and have tried keeping at whipping it for atleast 15 mins and it still didnt change :(.

    Reply
  50. Kate

    August 12, 2019 at 10:22 pm

    Hi Gretchen. I am venturing into the world of vegan baking for the first time, and was happy to see a vegan version of the Swiss Meringue Buttercream that I typically use. However, I find this version to be very sweet. Can you recommend a way to reduce the sugar, or recommend an alternative in place of either the regular sugar or confections sugar, that still results in a stable buttercream?

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      August 12, 2019 at 11:57 pm

      Sure you can leave out the 10X sugar altogether or adjust it to your liking, it is very forgiving.

      Reply
  51. Treena Frain

    August 24, 2019 at 2:54 pm

    Hi Gretchen,
    The recipe says to completely cool the aquafaba sugar mixture after boiling, but on the how to fix a failed buttercream page, you mention that you put it it in the fridge, which to me would mean to chill, as opposed to cool. I cooled it on the counter, it was room temp when I started and the buttercream didn’t curdle, but it was obviously greasy. Could this be why?

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      August 24, 2019 at 6:11 pm

      Hi, the AF sugar mixture needs to cool before whipping. The “save a failed buttercream” is referring to chilling the entire buttercream AFTER it has all been mixed and unfortunately failed.
      So we are talking about 2 different things, however I am reading that you cooled the AF sugar mixture on the counter which is fine, no matter how you cool it, it just needs to get cooled.

      Reply
  52. Amanda

    September 2, 2019 at 3:06 pm

    Can you freeze this “butter”cream ?? I have some aquafaba I need to use and I’d love to try this recipe. I make traditional SMB all the time, but my son has a dairy allergy and I’d like to try this for him. His birthday is at the end of the month ?

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      September 3, 2019 at 8:24 pm

      yes CLICK HERE for more

      Reply
  53. Nicole

    October 12, 2019 at 1:41 pm

    Hi Gretchen! I made this recipe and it was a massive hit with my family. I am using this recipe again to make lemon raspberry cupcakes. Could I substitute vanilla extract for lemon extract?

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      October 12, 2019 at 2:42 pm

      YAY! and yes you can!

      Reply
  54. Deepti

    November 21, 2019 at 4:09 pm

    Hi Gretchen. I’m from the UK . Would you know what brand of shortening I could use ? I haven’t found any shortening in the stores here. Is there an alternate I could use instead ? Thank you !

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      November 22, 2019 at 6:34 pm

      I have been told that Trex is the UK version of the USA veg shortening?

      Reply
  55. Zully

    January 4, 2020 at 4:38 am

    The cake texture consistency was perfect and moist. The frosting consistency was beautiful.
    But this cake had absolutely 100% NO FLAVOR WHAT SO EVER.
    My son said it was like eating water.
    I actually threw the whole beautiful cake in the garbage bc no one wanted to eat another slice.
    It was super defeating.
    I followed the instructions to a tee!
    Every ingredient measured perfectly.
    Like I said- it came out beautiful- but tasted like NOTHING.
    Everyone got stomach aches from all the butter and sugar and vegetable shortening.
    I’m so sad. It was almost a three hour process.
    I’m not sure why that was so…. it was quite upsetting and sad. I worked so hard and just tasted like nothing but a stomach ache .

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      January 5, 2020 at 2:01 am

      CLICK HERE for a possible reason for the stomach aches

      Reply
  56. Ishtmeet Bhoey

    January 7, 2020 at 11:01 am

    Hi Gretchen! This looks like a great recipe! Before I try it on a vegan cake I’m making I was wondering if you could tell me whether or not this buttercream behaves like a traditional Swiss meringue buttercream? As in, does it harden the same way in the fridge once the cake has been covered in it? Thanks for your help!

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      January 7, 2020 at 8:32 pm

      Vegan butter does not harden like regular butter, so this will stay soft even directly out of the refrigerator

      Reply
  57. Kayla

    January 20, 2020 at 6:31 pm

    Do you still have your old pre-vegan recipes? I am looking (without success) for your butter-laden Chocolate SMBC for some cupcakes 🙁

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      January 21, 2020 at 7:40 pm

      HI Kayla my non vegan blog is shut down
      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 to host such a huge database was close to $400 a month (with the maintenance cost, I needed to hire a tech guy to help keep it running smoothly)
      So that cost was severely outweighing any small profits I had been making though running ads on the videos & blogsite.

      I have not kept any of the non vegan recipes, since for over 4 years now I have been strictly vegan;
      so for me they are of no use. They were all housed in the database and that has shut down. Sorry

      Not to mention I am not comfortable sharing non vegan recipes anymore,
      as it promotes animal abuse and torture not to mention animal agriculture is a disease on the earth as well as human health.

      Thanks for your support and encouragement though the ages!
      ~Gretchen

      Reply
  58. Patrice

    February 4, 2020 at 7:07 pm

    Hi Gretchen! To reduce the saltiness, can I use no salt added garbonzo beans? Or will this mess up the aquafaba? I made this buttercream yesterday and it is so stable!! I just thought it was way too salty. (I used EB vegan sticks)

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      February 4, 2020 at 8:30 pm

      yes definitely! that is the best idea always!

      Reply
  59. Viva

    February 6, 2020 at 6:22 am

    Hi Gretchen,
    What happened to the original, non-vegan recipes for Swiss and Italian buttercreams? I’m not vegan and want to find those

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      February 6, 2020 at 6:27 pm

      Hi Viva, my non vegan blog is shut down
      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. Many people had been helping through Patreon & PayPal, but at this point it is just not enough to pay for everything to keep it all going.
      The cost to host such a huge database was close to $400 a month (with the maintenance cost, I needed to hire a tech guy to help keep it running smoothly)
      So that cost was severely outweighing any small profits I had been making though running ads on the videos & blogsite.

      I have not kept any of the non vegan recipes, since for over 4 years now I have been strictly vegan;
      so for me they are of no use. They were all housed in the database and that has shut down. Sorry

      Not to mention I am not comfortable sharing non vegan recipes anymore,
      as it promotes animal abuse and torture not to mention animal agriculture is a disease on the earth as well as human health.

      Thanks for your support and encouragement though the ages!
      ~Gretchen

      Reply
  60. Eilish

    February 21, 2020 at 7:23 am

    I made this recipe today. I stupidly thought I wouldn’t have enough and doubled the recipe. Now I have enough for three cakes. Winning. To think I was going to buy the ready made icing.
    I used vegan flora butter had to add a good bit more icing sugar as it was to buttery. Still though it’s yum. My sister has dairy gluten egg allergies. Can’t wait to blow her away tomorrow with this icing.

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      February 21, 2020 at 5:54 pm

      wooohooo! LOL awesome! CLICK HERE in case you have to save the excess BC for later

      Reply
  61. Dhriti

    March 16, 2020 at 5:01 pm

    Hello mam
    I made this recipe. I avoided that confectioners sugar. But I am now finding it little less sweet. Can I add sugar to adjust sweetness as now my buttercream is fully ready.

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      March 16, 2020 at 6:39 pm

      Yes of course! You can adjust or leave out the confectioners sugar altogether!

      Reply
      • Kate

        April 7, 2020 at 9:05 pm

        Isn’t granulated sugar, powdered/confectioners/10x sugar, and brown sugar all non-vegan? They use bone char, which is made from animals.

        Reply
        • Gretchen

          April 8, 2020 at 2:29 pm

          That is true UNLESS you buy Organic/Vegan sugars in all that you mentioned.

          Reply
  62. Hannah

    April 16, 2020 at 2:50 am

    Hello!
    I am trying to make this from Australia and everything goes perfect up until the adding the butter and shortening and then it seems to separate and go lumpy – I’m not sure what’s going wrong, or if you have any suggestions on what butter/shortening I should be using?
    Would really appreciate the help!!

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      April 16, 2020 at 2:32 pm

      That’s quite normal CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO AND HERE FOR MORE ABOUT AF

      Reply
  63. Jessie

    May 4, 2020 at 8:55 am

    Hello! I’ll be making this recipe to add to mini chocolate cakes for a Mother’s Day tea. I had two questions:

    1. Can I sub baking powder for the cream of tarter? (I’ve done that in cookie recipes with success.)
    2. If I add 3 teaspoons extra liquid, will it affect the texture? (3 teaspoons instant coffee dissolved in 3 teaspoons water to make the meringue frosting “mocha”.)

    Any guidance would be appreciated. 🙂

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      May 4, 2020 at 9:15 pm

      Hi the cream of tartar acts as an acid stabilizer that “seems” to help the structure of the whipping AF. You can leave it out, as baking powder will not do much to help this particular application.
      Yes you should be able to add the instant coffee, but I would not add the water to dissolve, it will (or should) dissolve in the AF and then just whip it all together
      CLICK HERE FOR MORE

      Reply
  64. Gianmarco

    May 21, 2020 at 9:16 pm

    Hi! hope you don’t mind me asking 😊 can i omit the shortening from the recipe and use all vegan butter? I live in Italy and it’s almost impossible to find shortening here. Even if ur lucky enough to find it that’s usually crazy expensive, i’ve once been to an American grocery store in downtown Rome, they did actually have crisco but it was about 12€ (13 USD) for just a small 1lbs can….

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      May 22, 2020 at 11:02 pm

      yes definitely! All Vegan Butter is fine, it will just be much less stable, but I do it all the time because Crisco is gross! LOL

      Reply
  65. Michele

    July 2, 2020 at 8:13 pm

    Help. I didnt read the instructions 🙄
    I added everything all together than read the instructions. Can this be saved?

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      July 2, 2020 at 10:27 pm

      Im not sure what you mean by “added everything all together” but I am taking that literally to mean you put everything, like everything including the vegan butter?? In a bowl and mixed?
      In which case, no- it cannot be saved

      Reply
  66. Tamara Grcki

    July 2, 2020 at 11:19 pm

    Hi Gretchen!
    I have trouble with buttercream! 🙁
    everything goes well with aqafaba, sugar and cream of tartar, it becomes so nice and glossy! But when I add vegan butter and shortening it destroys the buttercream. And I tried to whip it again until forever, but it doesn’t work.
    I have done this twice, and both times I it ended up in my garbage can. 🙁 Any advice?
    —————————-
    I have your book and love all the recipes!
    Thank you
    Tamara

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      July 3, 2020 at 3:21 am

      Yeah that’s pretty normal actually & unfortunately! CLICK HERE for some helpful info!
      **And thankyou!

      Reply
  67. r

    July 5, 2020 at 6:26 pm

    I tried this recipe a few weeks ago and i couldnt make it work for me. Im going to try it again but i have some questions. How can i make it so its not so salty? What is the purpose of boiling the aquafaba? If i have a hand mixer instead of a stand mixer, how much longer does it take for it to gather? Because i was at it for a good 20 minutes and it was still super thin and watery. Please help!

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      July 5, 2020 at 6:41 pm

      The saltiness is going to come from both the beans (try to get NO SALT canned beans if you are using canned) and the vegan butter almost always has salt. Again try to find one that is NO SALT.
      Boiling the aquafaba makes it stringer, however I don’t always do it. I have found that straight from the can works fine, but if you seem to be having trouble with the whipping, it may benefit you to boil the bean water to make it more gelatinous (*stronger)

      CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO

      Reply
  68. Isabela

    August 5, 2020 at 3:23 am

    I’ve had a three-day journey with this buttercream and am here to report success, at last! I went into total soupy/pancake batter despair. I tried chilling—20 minutes, 40 minutes, overnight—and it was still soupy upon remixing with my little hand mixer, no matter for how long I chilled or mixed. So I left it in the refrigerator for another 24 hours and did research on saving meringue buttercream (including non-vegan). Those tricks helped me IMMENSELY. I don’t know what part helped the most but:

    – I let my soup sit in the fridge till it was as fridge-cold as could be.
    – I took it out and first hand-whisked it for a bit (ouch) with a balloon-ier whisk. I read somewhere that the hand mixer baby whisks can be discouraging to meringues because they don’t allow as much, uh, breathing. I only hand-whisked until I noticed a little bit of ridging and felt confident it wasn’t going to keep being soup. I then switched to the hand mixer for a bit and it started to look a bit curdle-y. OOOOH.
    – Then, I scooped out about 1/3 cup of my mixture into a microwavable bowl and microwaved that small portion until warm (not hot). I poured it back in to the cold bowl with the rest of the buttercream, and hand whisked for a bit, until it hurt. I switched over to the hand mixer, and at this point it started reeeally curdling, which was EXCITING BECAUSE IT FINALLY WASN’T SOUP! I did another two rounds of microwaving a small portion and adding it back in to the cold majority, and kept mixing, always doing a bit with the balloon whisk first to get things going, and then switching to the tiny hand mixer. Eventually the curdles un-curdled and everything smoothed out to silky goodness. HURRAY!

    It’s my first time making buttercream with aquafaba, and for the record I used only dairy butter, and it was a little less than the combined total of vegan butter and shortening in the original recipe (it’s what I had in the fridge). Things still worked out, besides the drama above. I used lemon juice as a cream of tartar substitute and accidentally put too much vanilla extract, but I added a pinch of salt, too, and in all it’s pretty tasty.

    My arm is definitely going to be sore tomorrow and I’ll probably be finding meringue splatter in my kitchen for months, but it’s okay because I finally have buttercream and didn’t have to toss anything. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
  69. Coni

    August 9, 2020 at 1:38 am

    Hi, i need to know if this would work with coconut Cream whipped instead of butter. I need it to decorate a cake. Thanks

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      August 9, 2020 at 2:53 am

      I haven’t tried that, but I’m not so sure it will work, you should try this recipe click here

      Reply
    • Lauren

      September 8, 2020 at 6:38 am

      👋 can you recommend a brand of hi ratio shortening to work with other than spectrum or crisco? Thank you

      Reply
      • Gretchen

        September 8, 2020 at 2:19 pm

        Sweetex if you can get it, I used to buy it in 50Lb bulk, not sure if they (at this point) have scaled down for home bakers.

        Reply
        • [email protected]

          September 8, 2020 at 3:18 pm

          thank you for your quick response! I will use that. Do you also have an organic brand you would recommend? have you tried nutiva? I have a little home baking business and sometimes I need to make all organic. thank you so much.

          Reply
          • Gretchen

            September 9, 2020 at 12:43 pm

            I believe I’ve heard of that one? But not used it. Good luck I hope it works out great for you!

  70. Annie M

    August 24, 2020 at 4:05 am

    Hi Gretchen! Love this recipe! So thankful of your work so that I can deliver an egg free buttercream. In general, Can you just sub out the egg whites for aquafaba in any Swiss meringue buttercream? I’d love to just use my stand by recipe, and be able to directly substitute the bean water. Will that work? Thanks in advance!

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      August 24, 2020 at 5:49 pm

      HI Thanks! I think yes, you just have to figure out how many whites : AF typically we say 3 Tbs AF= 1 egg white

      Reply
  71. Eva

    August 29, 2020 at 9:03 pm

    I was extremely disappointed in this recipe. I followed it to the letter, watched the video, and it looked perfect. But it tasted like butter. It was so gross. No amount of additional sugar made a difference. I thought the ratio of fat to sugar was way off but I stuck to the recipe. Now I’ve wasted my time and ingredients. Really a shame.

    Reply
  72. Brenna

    September 12, 2020 at 11:29 pm

    I normally don’t leave comments or reviews on recipes because I’m a bit lazy, but Gretchen is owed one here. This recipe was fantastic. Im an experienced cake maker but recent vegan and really wanted something more complex than normal buttercream. I love Swiss meringue but obviously couldn’t use it because it’s not vegan. This recipe was right in and it turns out beautiful. It made enough for my 10 inch high four layer vegan cake & enough for decoration. I added maybe a half of a cup more powdered sugar and vanilla bean paste. To some who recipes didn’t work out, it’s probably your temp or the amount of time you are whipping. When the buttercream looking like it’s coming apart, that’s perfect. Let it continue to whip & you’ll eventually have a perfect silky buttercream. Bravo, Gretchen!

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      September 13, 2020 at 6:34 pm

      Thank you so much for the comment!

      Reply
  73. Riddhi

    October 7, 2020 at 11:04 am

    Hi Gretchen! have you updated this recipe? I am not vegan so I use the total amount (vegan butter+ shortening) as butter (Lurpak) instead. I tried both your vegan IMBC & SMBC recipes, but shortly after it is whipped I see small droplets of water form in the crevices, the buttercream slides off a spoon, spatula, and the cake too and basically has condensation in the bowl & on the cake. Iv tried melting and rewhipping it cold. I have tried freezing a batch and rewhipping again too. nothing seems to work! Can you please please help

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      October 7, 2020 at 12:59 pm

      Hey there, no I have not changed this recipe at all.
      Yes I also use all vegan butter now as I try to stay away from shortening as much as possible.
      I find this happens at times when the vegan butter I am using (*which is essentially margarine, which is essentially shortening! at the end of the day….) has too much moisture content it it.
      This is s tricky recipe already with the AF being less stable that egg whites, which causes the deflation immediately upon adding the fats, but as you mentioned you do all the right things to try to get it to come back from “broken” separation phase.
      I find this to be the case with almost all the buttercream recipes except for the American Style recipe which is my go-to lately since I cannot wrestle with all these different results everytime. It is the most consitent, easiest to make.

      Reply
      • Riddhi Bhanushali

        October 7, 2020 at 6:22 pm

        Hi! so there have been times where I have had amazing results with both the vegan Italian Meringue Buttercream & Swiss Meringue Buttercream, but lately, those water droplet issues have been frequent & I’m wondering where I’m going wrong! do u think reducing butter amount by 20gms or so resolve this issue?

        Reply
        • Gretchen

          October 7, 2020 at 9:07 pm

          yes! that’s a good possibility and worth a try- some people will just add more confectioners sugar- but that also adds sweet!

          Reply
  74. Graceann

    October 25, 2020 at 7:41 pm

    Just made it, and after a few hairy minutes where it seemed greasy and soupy as I was adding the butter, it magically came together at the end! Granted, I used dairy butter, so I can’t attest to the efficacy of vegan butter. But as far as the aquafaba meringue is concerned, it created a lovely, smooth, and airy base for the buttercream. I’ll definitely try this again using vegan butter. And whether you’re vegan or not, it’s good to know there’s a SMBC recipe out there that doesn’t require a ton of egg whites and you’re left with the problem of what to do with the yolks. Also vegan is always better for the planet and animals of course! Someday I hope to have the willpower to graduate from vegetarian to full-on vegan….

    Reply
  75. Kate

    November 1, 2020 at 3:16 am

    Miss the original with the eggs. Do you have that still posted somewhere? Can’t find it in the search. Even in your post about what type of buttercreams, there is a link for the swiss buttercream, but it goes to the vegan version.

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      November 1, 2020 at 4:21 am

      Hi Kate, Since last 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, I would Love it if you also tried!
      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

      Reply
  76. Ana

    November 21, 2020 at 3:48 am

    Hi Gretchen, thanks sharing ao much wisdom! You mention okra as an egg white replacer in one of your videos. Have you had much success with it? Would you mind sharing your experience?

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      November 21, 2020 at 2:42 pm

      HI Ana thank you too & you’re welcome! Hmm, I don’t recall mentioning okra as an egg sub – except in my Vegan Baking Mastery Course on Egg replacers – but only when giving naming it as a comparison to flax seed gel & the mucilage that is naturally occurring in that seed similar to the gel that occurs in okra?

      Reply
  77. Áine

    December 14, 2020 at 10:38 pm

    So my first time making this I had some trouble bringing the split buttercream back from the brink.

    I made the plain version alright. Then halved it to add different flavours. Strawberry to one, this turned out okay and almost split but not quite.

    Then I added matcha powder to the other one And it split pretty badly. I tried beating it like you advise in the video- no dice. I put it in the fridge to set a bit but still nothing.

    It all tasted just fine and no issues until adding this extra flavouring!

    Any advice?

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      December 19, 2020 at 8:21 pm

      Im sorry for the late reply! I have not had internet connection for the last 4 days!!
      I’m surprised the Matcha split worse than the strawberry? (although I’m not sure what you used for strawberyy?) I find adding DRY flavors work best since any more “liquid” to an already Liquid heavy ratio is a recipe for disaster, this BC is already very fragile. CLICK HERE FOR MORE about adding in flavors

      BUT It sounds like you did everything correct in trying to SAVE the mix- Did you CLICK HERE for the troubleshooting guide?

      Reply
  78. Nataliya

    January 27, 2021 at 9:20 pm

    Hi Gretchen! Thank you so much for sharing with us your wonderful recipes! Do you know that in USA you can use aquafaba powder ?!! I just ordered and waiting for the delivery :)) I already tried powdered aquafaba and it works amazing! But it was not from US. Now will try this new one. You can find it on Vor foods website. 10 g of powdered= 170 gr ready “egg whites”

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      January 27, 2021 at 9:40 pm

      Hi Thank you too and you are welcome!! yes I have heard of VOR!

      Reply
  79. Mimi

    February 18, 2021 at 2:52 pm

    Hey there! Super intrigued by your vegan recipes and want to try soon. Question: How important is it to let the aquafaba + sugar mixture cool completely before whipping to a meringue? What happens if we whip it hot, like the original SMBC? (Same question for the sugar + flax seed mucilage mixture). Thanks in advance 🙂

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      February 18, 2021 at 3:36 pm

      Hi Thanks! Well, It’s not as important as it is convenient. It will just take a really long time if it’s hot. It will stress your machine this way, I’ve tried it and found it’s just better to let it get cold. But it works hot if that’s what you mean

      Reply
  80. Patrice S

    March 26, 2021 at 1:14 pm

    Hi Gretchen! Can I use this under vegan fondant? Thank you!

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      March 26, 2021 at 3:57 pm

      yes! The only problem I find with vegan buttercream is that vegan butter doesn’t get as hard when cold as regular cow butter. I DO however find the opposite when using Earth Balance though! Just some things to consider!

      Reply
  81. Dani

    March 27, 2021 at 4:53 pm

    This is absolutely amazing! I used Spectrum shortening and Country Crock plant butter. 10/10 and I can’t wait to pipe it on the King Arthur vegan clementine cupcakes I made for the birthday girl. So easy and it came out perfectly! It colored really well with Americolor gel.

    Reply
  82. Patti

    April 18, 2021 at 3:14 am

    Hi Gretchen, thanks for sharing this fantastic recipe! I have been making egg based Swiss Meringue buttercream for years and was skeptical that a Vegan alternative would work, but was blown away when I saw all the ingredients come together and to make smooth creamy icing that I was after! I only had one issue, the icing seemed to split as I was icing which made it really hard to get the smooth finish, I rewhipped it but it split again after a while and I’m worried that it will split while the cake is being transported etc, have you ever encountered this before? Any tips?

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      April 18, 2021 at 3:56 pm

      Hey Patti! I find that the vegan butter is the cause of this, because many of them are very high in moisture which throws the balance of the emulsion. I find Earth Balance to be the best vegan butter- as it is lowest in moisture content. Also using the shortening helps too. CLICK HERE for more about this!

      Reply
  83. Tiffani

    April 30, 2021 at 7:57 pm

    Hi Gretchen!
    I’ve made this recipe a couple times already and I love it. I just have a quick questions. How does this hold up in the summer months? I wanted to use it for a birthday cake but the event is outside.
    Thank you

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      April 30, 2021 at 9:56 pm

      HEY GREAT THANKS! i WOULD RECOMMEND TO USE THE SHORTENING FOR ADDED STABILITY AND KEEP IT IN THE REFRIGERATOR FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE BEFORE DISPLAYING OUTSIDE, ALSO KEEP IN THE SHADE 🙂

      Reply
  84. Sakshi Jethwani

    July 6, 2021 at 8:11 am

    Can i use regular butter instead of shortening and vegan butter?

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      July 6, 2021 at 7:22 pm

      yes

      Reply
  85. Bonnie

    July 8, 2021 at 2:08 pm

    Hello! I am going to try your recipe for the first time, as I am making a cake for my granddaughter’s Sweet Sixteen birthday party. I have used a tablespoon of aquafaba meringue powder in American buttercream before for stability. Can I use that in this buttercream, and if so at what stage? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      July 8, 2021 at 4:35 pm

      I have not tried this, but ~yes sure! You can add that in with the confectioners sugar if you are adding it in dry?
      If you are reconstituting it, add it with the liquid AF & sugar in the beginning stage

      Reply
  86. angie

    July 16, 2021 at 11:05 pm

    hi Gretchen! do you think I could add strained jam to this recipe to make a blueberry buttercream?

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      July 16, 2021 at 11:25 pm

      Hi Angie! CLICK HERE FOR MORE ON FLAVORING BUTTERCREAM I talk specifically about using Jams & Jellies

      Reply
  87. Annette

    July 29, 2021 at 8:17 am

    Hi Gretchen,
    today for the first time I made your aquafaba swiss buttercream.
    it turned out amazing, you gave very easy to follow instructions
    thank you

    Annette

    Reply
  88. Dominique

    October 26, 2021 at 12:38 am

    Hey Gretchen!
    I love this recipe and have used it for a while now. I do find that it doesn’t last long outside the fridge though. It starts to melt/ / get very soft and the pipped decorations don’t hold their shape. Does the hi ratio veg shortening help with this? I can’t find it here in Canada. Or is there something else I can do to help it hold better out of the fridge?

    Love your recipes and videos ❤️😊

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      October 26, 2021 at 12:13 pm

      Hi Thanks! yes stability is the only reason we use shortening in recipes so if you need to use this for decor or to keep it from drooping over time out of the refrigerator the shortening is going to fix that!

      Reply
    • Soda

      February 13, 2022 at 3:41 pm

      I’m in Canada as well (BC) and have only found it at bulk barn.

      Reply
  89. Liz

    November 26, 2021 at 12:28 am

    Hi Gretchen,
    I am wanting to make this in the coming weeks- you mention vegan butter ‘sticks’. Butter isn’t sold in sticks here in NZ, so I’m a little unsure the consistency this would be… Is the Earth Balance that you mention a soft, spreadable consistency or is it more firm like ‘regular’ butter? Just trying to hunt out a similar product I could use!

    I have used this recipe in the past using normal butter in place of the vegan butter and shortening combo and it worked beautifully which was lovely (needed to be egg free but not dairy free/vegan). 😀

    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      November 26, 2021 at 1:18 am

      HI there, the vegan butter sticks are exactly like butter sticks, but if you cant get them in sticks, that’s Ok. Just use whatever vegan butter you can get in the quantity listed in grams measure 🙂

      Reply
  90. Jackie

    December 20, 2021 at 1:28 pm

    Hi! Is success possible if I were to use all butter, no shortening? I would probably use Miyoko’s or Om Sweet Home (Have you tried!? It’s incredible!!) Both of these harden up a lot in the fridge.

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      December 20, 2021 at 1:48 pm

      yes! I use all vegan butter now, rarely will I use the shortening addition.
      I have tried Miyokos with terrible results (since it’s a coconut oil butter it turned to soup ~ for me) Others say they use it all the time!
      maybe it has changed since I tried in several years ago,
      I use Earth Balance and it hardens up in the fridge as well!

      Reply
  91. Kelly H.

    December 22, 2021 at 8:43 pm

    Does this work with only using Miyoko’s cultured butter, and no shortening?

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      December 22, 2021 at 10:51 pm

      I have had ZERO luck with Miyokos in ANY buttercream recipe~ but others have had it work out. Maybe it’s changed since I’ve used it? I suppose I’ll have to try again, but that said, you can use all vegan butter anytime, the shortening in ANY buttercream recipe is there for stability, so if that is not a concern for you (meaning a heavily decorated cake or one that needs to be displayed for hours on end….) then you are good 🙂

      Reply
  92. Katharina

    May 4, 2022 at 9:23 pm

    Hey
    I would like to make raspberry cupcakes with a Lillet rose or a Lillet rose raspberry topping. Do you have any suggestions for when and how much Lillet I can add?
    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      May 5, 2022 at 12:15 pm

      Hi! I only have experience with Rose water which is a super concentrated rose extract so you only need a little bit to flavor your bakes.
      Since Lillet Rose is a wine (which I have not tried & have no baking experience with) I assume it is going to be a less concentrated flavor so you would need more in order to get the punch you are looking for. That said adding anything *liquid* to this buttercream recipes (or any buttercream for that matter) will likely cause breaking (curdling- separation)
      I would recommend to get the rose extract instead, as I did here in my Rose Pistachio Cake

      For more information on Flavoring your buttercream CLICK HERE

      Reply
  93. Amanda

    May 29, 2022 at 3:12 am

    Hi! I just wanted to add on to the praise. I have struggled with frosting for as long as I’ve been vegan, like three years now. I’ve had moderate success with chocolate frosting (I think the cocoa powder added stability) but vanilla and cream cheese have been super difficult. THIS RECIPE IS AMAZING. The shortening adds the stability I’ve been missing and the Aquafaba brings the soft, fluffy texture that I haven’t been able to get via vegan butter alone. This recipe tastes exactly like the nonvegan fancy bakery frosting I remember. I am in shock. I can’t wait to put this on literally everything and try out all the modifications too. You’re amazing Gretchen; thank you :,)

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      May 29, 2022 at 4:50 pm

      YAY! Thank you for the comment!

      Reply
  94. Geets

    July 3, 2022 at 9:16 pm

    I’m so sad. Every single time I try to make this I get soup when I add the fat. No matter what. And I can’t seem to fix it. Any tips please please please?!

    Reply
    • Gretchen

      July 3, 2022 at 10:42 pm

      Are you using the shortening? If so, add that first, while whipping on high the whole time.
      I also often get “close to soup” with this recipe since AF is a jerk & don’t ever wanna play nice….. But if I keep whipping and use vegan butter that is not soft but still cold (since vegan butter never really gets hard in the fridge, it is not necessary to bring it to soft room temp)
      The best advice is to just keep whipping, but also the cold vegan butter (*Unless it’s Earth Balance which WILL GET HARD when cold) it’s better to use all the other vegan butters straight from fridge. WHIP ON HIGH

      Reply
      • Geets

        July 4, 2022 at 7:54 am

        Shortnening not the easiest to get here so I’m using all butter, but I’ll definitely try again with it straight from the fridge. Thank you – I’m hopeful again!

        Reply

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