Plant-Based Icings: Honey Cinnamon & Chocolate Almond

As avid bakers, we are always looking for new and interesting icings to put on our cakes. These two icings are simple to make and absolutely delicious. They have unique tastes that add to the flavor, but are subtle enough not to overpower the cake.

In shifting from dairy to dairy-free icings, the biggest challenge is getting the texture right. Dairy-free icings are usually thinner and refrigeration is more important to keep their shape and texture. In order to adapt to this, we refrigerate our icing before using it for about 30 minutes to make sure it is nice and chilled. As with any icing, it is important to make sure the cake is completely cooled as well. I know I have fallen into the trap of trying to add the icing too early and everything just turns to goo. This is especially true of vegan icing, and the ingredients will also start to separate. If you are not eating your cake or cupcakes right away, you should make sure too store in the fridge to keep the icing looking picture perfect!

Both of these icings are super simple to make! All you need to do is combine all the ingredients in a stand mixer, or use a hand mixer, and then refrigerate before icing. Since plant-based butter is softer than dairy butter, you don't even need to soften the butter before you make it.

The first icing is the Dairy-Free Honey Cinnamon Buttercream Icing. Though not completely vegan because of the honey, there are many benefits to using honey. It is a natural sweetener that tastes delicious and if you use local honey, it may help your allergies by giving your body the opportunity to get used to the pollens that are in your area.

The second icing is a chocolate almond that has distinct flavors but in a subtle and delicious way. This makes it the perfect icing to go on almost any cake because it is not overpowering with the rich ingredients that are in it. I especially love this icing on a chocolate cake because it add an almond flavor that is just a little different. If you do like a richer icing, you can simply increase the amount of cocoa powder to taste. This will also make the icing thicker which is a benefit to the dairy-free icing texture.

We hope you enjoy these icings! If you would prefer to follow the video tutorial, check out the YouTube video below!