This Vegan Strawberry Frosting is perfect for beautiful, fuss-free cakes, cupcakes, bars, and cookies! It's EASY, rich, creamy, and can be made with other fruits for limitless flavor possibilities! Pair it with my Vegan Strawberry Cupcakes for a crowd-pleasing treat.YIELD: makes enough frosting for 12 cupcakes or a 2-layer, 8-inch cake.
1tablespoonnon-dairy milk, optional - for consistency, only if needed
Instructions
Blend the freeze-dried strawberries until powdered. Sift the powder into a bowl, and discard seeds and larger bits caught by the strainer. Set the powder aside.
Make sure the butter is at room temp. In a large bowl, using a handheld or stand mixer, cream the butter until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Onecup at a time, sift the powdered sugar into the bowl, beating on low speed between additions. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Add the extract(s), and beat to incorporate. Sift in 3 to 4 tablespoons of the strawberry powder. You can start with less then decide whether to add more. Beat on low speed.
Taste for sweetness, adding more powdered sugar and strawberry if desired. Keep in mind that the more sugar you add the stiffer the frosting will be. If the frosting seems too stiff, add just 1 tablespoon milk. Beat on medium-high speed until fully incorporated, smooth, and spreadable.
The frosting will likely be too warm and soft to use right away. Chill it in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes to firm it up for spreading and piping.
Notes
Butter - if you can find unsalted vegan buttery sticks choose that and add ¼ teaspoon fine salt to the frosting. If you can only find regular, salted butter do not add salt.How to Store
at room temp: this strawberry buttercream is fine at room temp for up to 8 hours on a cake. After this I recommend keeping the dessert in the fridge.
chilled: frosting keeps in the refrigerator for up to 6 days, which is helpful if you need to prepare it in advance. Let the frosting come closer to room temperature before using so that it's easier to pipe and spread.
frozen: freeze for up to two months in an airtight container. When you’re ready to use the frosting, transfer it to the refrigerator to thaw. Then let it come closer to room temp, and briefly beat it with the mixer again until fluffy.