Aquafaba Swiss Meringue Buttercream!
Dairy Free. Egg Free. Nut Free. Gluten-Free. Vegan.
It’s finally here! I’ve been working on this recipe for FOUR MONTHS y’all. I’m so so excited to share this with you. This is hands down some of the best buttercream I have ever used and believe me, I have tried them all.
I wanted to start this post by calling out some trailblazers that have been so supportive of the vegan baking community and also of me personally!
I’m in an amazing group on Facebook run by the awesomely wonderful Sara Kidd. She’s a goddess and does revolutionary things for the vegan community. Her impact and dedication and the fact that she’s so open and down to earth all make her a force to be reckoned with in baking, vegan or otherwise. Give her all the love.
Some other awesome ladies who do wonderful things in name of vegan baking and buttercream specifically are Gretchen Price and Meggan Leal!
I began my vegan baking journey with Gretchen’s recipes and would never have made it where I am today without her insight and guidance. She’s recently taken a step back from baking for personal reasons but I could not post this recipe without acknowledging the impact she’s had on my journey!
Meggan, I’ve had the pleasure of knowing and speaking with personally and she’s an amazing amazing person who provides so much of her time and her resources into creating great and dynamic content for us and I think it’s so important that we as vegan bakers uplift and recognize each other whenever we can!
Meggan’s American Meringue Buttercream is an amazing alternative to a traditional buttercream if you want the taste/texture of meringue without touching the stove or pots and pans. She’s brilliant!
But let’s get back to why you’re here. Buttercream!
I began developing this recipe because I like the challenge of trying things and then seeing the positive results! This recipe is EASY, tastes great, has amazing texture, and is definitely less sweet than your typical buttercream.
Some fun facts about this buttercream:
It pipes cleanly at room temperature. Something I always hated was having to chill buttercream after making it or working with it for more than 3 minutes to get the best definition, but not this one! And it will keep on the counter in a cool place for up to 4 days.
It pipes out of the fridge. Going in the opposite direction, for basic swirls it’s perfectly usable just popped right out of the fridge. I’m talking about those last minute cupcake and macaron orders. Scoop it into the bag and with a few quick massages, you’re golden.
It colors beautifully! No streaks or running colors over here!
It’s completely allergen free. No nuts, dairy, eggs, or soy ( depending on what kind of butter/shortening you use.) 100% vegan, though no one will believe you.
Do you love it yet?! The versatility is really so wonderful and I’ve never gotten so many compliments from friends and colleagues on my frosting!
So the recipe I tried to keep simple. No fancy thermometers or dealing with 250 degree sugar.
It’s a 1 pot:1 bowl kind of scenario. We love that for us.
Combine the sugar and Aquafaba in a pot with HIGH sides. This very important as anyone who’s ever put aquafaba on the stove knows that it likes to boil up and over in the blink of an eye.
I personally was victimized during one of my tests when I had the stove on the lowest possible setting and ran to the bathroom only to hear the telltale sound of sizzling just 15 seconds later. It can really go wrong that fast so make sure not to leave once you’ve gotten it onto the stove.
Because I don’t measure the temperature, I make this using visual cues. During my first tests I did take the temperature but found it had no significant impact on the final result.
I simply heat the sugar and aquafaba mixture until it just about boils over.
Above is what the mixture looks like as it’s just started heating and what I’m looking for when it’s ready to take off the stove. It should appear much thicker and cloudier.
After this, I add the aquafaba to the bowl of a stand mixer. I use a 6qt size and if your mixer is smaller, I might consider halving the recipe.
I then whip the aquafaba to stiff peaks and add the fat (BUTTER FIRST!) 1 TB at a time. I tried adding the shortening first, but for some reason this caused the entire mixture to deflate.
I’m still not sure why, but I’ve learned my lesson!
Once all the fat is added, I mix in the flavor/coloring of choice and that’s it!
It’s a really simple recipe and I hope if you try it you’ll let me know what you think! I’ve also put together a short video demonstrating the process from start to finish as I know lots of people are visual learners!
There’s a couple of steps that didn’t make it into the finished video so make sure to read the recipe well before you start!
Thanks again for visiting and happy baking!
Aquafaba Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Yield: Enough to frost and fill an 8’ 2 layer cake OR 6’ 4 layer cake
2 Cups (~474ml) Aquafaba
600g Granulated Sugar
1/4tsp Cream of Tartar
565g Vegan Butter (5 Sticks) I recommend Country Crock Plant Butter Sticks
150g Vegetable Shortening
1 -2 tsp Strong Vanilla Extract ( I use double strength so add more to your taste)
100g Powdered Sugar (optional)
Instructions
Measure and weigh all the ingredients and set aside. Wipe down all the bowls and tools with vinegar.
Add aquafaba and sugar to a pot with HIGH sides. Place on the stove over medium heat. WATCH CLOSELY!
Once aquafaba reaches a gentle boil and begins climbing up the sides of the pot, remove from heat and pour mixture into the bowl of the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. For optimal results, allow the AF to come to room temperature but it is not necessary!
Add cream of tartar and beat aquafaba on high speed until it forms stiff peaks. About 7-10 minutes.
Begin adding butter 1 TB at a time until all the butter has been fully combined. The meringue will deflate a little and may begin to appear curdled. This is completely normal.
Add shortening to a separate bowl and mix well with a hand mixer to remove any lumps. Add to the bowl of the stand mixer 1 TB at a time while continuing to mix on high speed until all the shortening has been fully incorporated.
Add your vanilla and powdered sugar (if using) and mix well, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
(Optional) Switch to paddle attachment and mix buttercream on low speed for 5-10 minutes to remove any bubbles if desired. I personally skip this step as I use hot metal tools when decorating.
ENJOY!
Check me out on instagram at justsomethingfancy to see more cakes made with this awesome buttercream!
