Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Vegan Buttercream Icing and Chocolate Cake

Many people are vegan for environmental reasons and we could write many posts on the topic.  However,  I'm currently not eating dairy or soy because of the baby.   As a result, I've been discovering many new vegan treats, particularly in the cereal bar and dessert lines.  I have been finding that many mainstream items don't have any dairy (or soy) in them, which has been making my life much easier.

When I started this diet I was pointed to an amazing cake recipe that uses baking soda and vinegar as the leavening agents.   This cake is moist, fluffy, delicious and has a great cake texture.  It's also a very easy to make, one-dish recipe.  I highly recommend it!  http://www.choosingvoluntarysimplicity.com/mix-in-the-pan-chocolate-cake/

I often "healthify" recipes to sneak stuff into my family's diet.  However, I decided this time that I should try the recipe as written,  to evaluate if this was a good basic recipe to start with and use for occasions where I need a special treat.   Next time I'll add whole wheat flour, maybe some brown sugar and wheat germ.  I will definitely post an updated recipe if that works.

Now, for the piece de resistance amazing vegan buttercream icing!  In this case I didn't measure,  so I'll have to guess at the exact measurements.  I made more than enough for the 8x8" cake.  It was probably the right amount for a 9x13" cake.

4 T earth balance natural buttery spread (pictured)
4 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup vanilla rice milk

Cream butter substitute with electric mixer.  Add powdered sugar and beat until mixed and crumbly.  Add vanilla and some of the rice milk.  Beat well.  Add more rice milk until spreadable consistency.  I did not measure, so 1/2 cup is a guess.   Beat well to create a smooth and fluffy consistency.

We loved this icing!  It was a great substitute for regular butter cream frosting.  The spread I used was soy free as well as dairy free and it stated clearly on the side that it is vegan.  I found it at Whole Foods.  The rice milk was Market Basket generic vanilla rice milk, which had calcium and Vitamin D in it (the reason I drink it).  It spread easily,  I let my 5 year-old ice the cake that is pictured above (and half eaten).

I heartily recommend the cake, the icing and the buttery spread.  I used this spread in place of butter on bread and in apple crisp.  So far, it's a great find!

Happy Greening and Happy Eating!
Alicia
Posted by Green Lifestyle Consulting at 2:10 PM
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3 comments:

  1. How do you avoid soy? My husband is allergic and it seems like everything has soy in it. I will definitely try the cake. I want and need to start eating healthier as does my husband. The way we eat will help hopefully keep our kids healthy and get them on the right track eating healthy! Any suggestions on how you add to recipes to make them more healthy would be greatly appreciated!
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  2. wow..this looks yummy, but I try to avoid processed flour, too..just want win ;-(
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  3. I read the labels and avoid soy... I can have soy lecithin and soy oil, so it's a little easier than if I had to avoid those as well.

    This time I made the cake I used 50% whole wheat flour and I sprinkled a few tablespoons of wheat germ in. It was great. Just as delicious as the time before and no one noticed (but now my husband will know!) I find that when I add wheat germ and ground flax seed into things my family rarely notice and for things like pancakes they actually give it a nice nutty flavor, if anything.
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