I’ve been taking a cake decorating class and for the most part I love it. It’s been a lot of fun and I like improving my decorating skills and learning new techniques. I don’t care for the “buttercream” recipe, though. As you know from several of my recipes, I usually use all margarine in my “buttercream” frosting. The instructor’s recipe calls for mostly shortening and a little margarine. I really don’t care for the taste at all. Even with flavorings and extracts, the taste and texture is not pleasant to my personal palate. For a long time I have wanted to try my hand at Italian or Swiss meringue buttercream. For those of you who aren’t familiar with this type of frosting, it’s a egg white frosting (like a 7 minute frosting) with butter whipped into. Obviously, I can’t use butter. I have tried several times to use margarine and so far, all attempts have been met with failure. It’s been quite frustrating. I’ve asked someone who is quite adept at baking and unfortunately for me, they are a baking purist. You never use anything other than butter. Well, that’s all well and good if you can eat butter, but if you are allergic or intolerant, that’s just not possible. I am not giving up, yet! I will keep trying. I will try adding more margarine and also try a different dairy free brand. Hopefully, I will get it and will be able to share a dairy free Italian/Swiss meringue buttercream frosting recipe with you all. Keep your fingers crossed!!!
Update: The frosting is frustrating no more! Check out my Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream recipe. This is the ultimate chocolate frosting!
Hi Rebekah
I did it!! I made it with margarine!!
I've baked a GF cake that also neded to be sugar and dairy free.
I also looove swiss meringue buttecream, and ususally I can make it with xylitol and real butter but this time challenge was to make it with margarine.
After 7 unsuccesful trials, i did it!!
I used Blossom margarine (i live in South africa), which was around 80-84% fat,trans fat free, and I melted it in microwave for 30 sec before whipping it with firm egg white and xylitol meringue. And it just came out, looking awesome and tasting nice rather.
I tried with some other margarines, and they all tasted different, this one worked for me.
So pls have another try and let me know if my tips helped!!
I used 4-5 free range egg whites (fresh)
1 cup xylitol (u can use normal sugar too)
220g margarine
2 big tsp of vanilla extract
I think the success was due to margarine being super soft (30 sec in microwave), and I beat it in on high speed with whisk attachment.
Keeping fingers crossed for you!!
Love from Cape Town
Jelena
Instead of margarine that has a higher water content than butter, you can use Earth Balance buttery stick and high ratio shortening together. Another alternative is Spectrum Butter flavored palm shortening but I find this is too soft.
I've used both but find I need the high ratio shortening in order to have it set up firm so I can frost with dairy free chocolate ganache.