What in the world is 2 2 2 cream cheese icing you ask?
Well it’s just the most amazing, easiest vegan cream cheese icing recipe you will ever taste
Not only is it vegan cream cheese free, which makes it room temperature stable
It’s also nut free and shortening free!
And you will always remember it because of the 2 2 2
2 pounds of vegan butter
2 pounds of confectioners sugar
2 teaspoons of vegan lactic acid
That’s it!
Add a pinch of salt if you want to get all complicated, but seriously it’s only three ingredients!
I know most of you have probably heard this trick of adding acid to a buttercream recipe to mock the tang of a cream cheese icing
So this is not my creation, and most people use apple cider vinegar to get that tang
What sets mine apart is that not only do I want to avoid adding more moisture to vegan buttercream by adding liquid vinegar
The addition of powdered lactic acid is the ultimate key to authentic, tangy and perhaps most importantly:
STABLE CREAM CHEESE ICING!
I’ve been using this method for all things cream cheese icing nowadays
Including all of my most recent Key Lime Cake Recipes!
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- Key Lime Sheet Cake
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- Key Lime Cupcakes
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- Key Lime Petit Fours
Notes for Success:
*not sponsored by any of the following name brands
I am using Druids Grove Vegan Lactic Acid
For icings I prefer to use Earth Balance vegan butter, it has the lowest moisture content and it will get firm in the refrigerator
Most vegan butter and margarine will not ever get hard in the refrigerator which can pose a problem for stability if your cake is sitting out at room temperature for long periods of time
In this case if you absolutely need added stability I would probably opt for substituting some of that vegan butter with hi ratio cake/icing shortening
But be sure to also watch the tips on re-whipping a cold buttercream!
Check out the other recipes where I am using this amazing 2 2 2 Cream Cheese Icing!
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- Tropical Carrot Cake
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- Death to Diets Cake
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- Banana Cupcakes
Banana Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
2 2 2 Cream Cheese Icing
Ingredients
- Vegan Butter 2 lbs (908g)
- Confectioners Sugar 2 lbs (909g)
- Vegan Lactic Acid 2 teaspoons
- *If using apple cider vinegar use 2 teaspoons
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer, cream the room temperature vegan butter on medium to high speed until light & fluffy I usually let this go for about 5 minutes
- Add the sifted confectioners sugar and vegan lactic acid (*or apple cider vinegar if using) and mix on low speed until all is incorporated, then increase the speed to medium high and whip for 1 minute
Notes
222 Cream Cheese Icing is room temperature stable up to 80F
If the conditions in your area get hotter than that, the icing will start to get soft, so it is best to refrigerate until serving.
Any un-used icing will stay fresh in a clean airtight container for up to 1 month in the refrigerator.
Freeze for up to 3 months
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Hello quick question so I can replace the acid with apple cider vinegar? So it’s butter 10x sugar and apple cider vinegar? Thank you
yes correct
is it powdered lactic acid or liquid?
powder
SUPER IDEA! Gretchen, you are Vegan Pastry God <3
but…here in Czech Republic I can´t find it as a powder, just like a liquid. How can I use it, or is it possible to us it instead of powder? They say it has 80% concetration. Thanks for your answer 🙂
Sara
HI Sara, Thanks! I have not ever used the liquid (I’ve not seen it to be honest!) But I would recommend to use a teaspoon or half at a time and taste as you go to make sure it is to your liking
Hi Gretchen! I just made this the other day and it was fantastic! I used vinegar and my question is if you use the lactic acid does it give it a better taste? Thank you!
Great! Yes in my opinion the lactic acid really gives it that authenticity! I have used both & I DO see a difference in the Lactic powder
Can this be halved?
Yes!
Have you tried adding lactic acid to any other styles of buttercream to any success? I wonder if it would be possible to do a ermine or swiss style “cream cheese” buttercream this way
Yes! It would work for all the buttercream recipes! Especially because lactic acid powder is//well..Powder! So this is a bonus vs adding apple cider vinegar as an alternative
Thanks for the response – nice! I feel like the thickness of your ermine recipe will lend well to the “cream cheese”-ness. I’ll give it a try!
I have to share that it was a huge success! I was requested to make a lemon cream-cheese carrot cake, and it came out SUPERB – several people said it’s the best cake I’ve made.
For the buttercream, I followed your Ermine buttercream recipe. I substituted a quarter cup of the plant milk for lemon juice, and then after the custard was done I whisked in one Tbsp of lemon zest and four Tsp of vegan lactic acid along with the vanilla extract. The lemon + lactic acid worked amazingly together!
For the cake, I followed your carrot cake recipe, with the only modifications being substituting the orange zest for lemon zest and adding 1 Tbsp lemon juice. KILLER.
WOW! I love it! Sounds so amazing!