I wanted to create a coffee frosting recipe that was fluffy and lighter than American buttercream but a little less complex than Italian buttercream. So this was the perfect opportunity to put together a coffee version of my vegan Swiss meringue buttercream for you!
The result is quite similar to my vegan Italian meringue buttercream recipe but this Swiss meringue method takes a little less preparation making it much easier to whip together. Plus, it only uses 4 ingredients!
This fluffy frosting makes the perfect accompaniment to my vegan coffee walnut cake.
What makes this vegan frosting so good?
- Made with brown sugar giving it a slightly caramelized flavor! You can also use regular white caster sugar (superfine).
- Tastes like buttery whipped coffee
- Light and airy consistency
- Not overly sweet like most American buttercream recipes
- Fully customizable, you can mix up the flavors or just keep it plain and simple
- Easier to make than Italian meringue buttercream but still follows a somewhat traditional Swiss meringue buttercream method (with a vegan spin!).
- Doesn't require a candy thermometer
- No need to reduce the aquafaba.
What is Swiss meringue buttercream?
Swiss meringue buttercream (SMBC) is a meringue-based frosting that involves heating egg whites and sugar over a double boiler. The mixture is then whipped to stiff peaks before slowly incorporating the butter.
What's the difference between Italian and Swiss meringue buttercream?
Italian meringue buttercream is a little more technical in terms of cooking temperatures and methods in general. It involves making a sugar syrup which is then slowly added to whipped egg whites (or in our case, aquafaba) before incorporating butter and flavoring. I do find that my vegan Italian meringue buttercream is a little less dense in comparison to this vegan Swiss buttercream, yet it is very stable.
Ingredients overview
Aquafaba: This is the viscous liquid left over from cooking chickpeas or other white legumes. It works as an alternative to egg whites in many ways. You can use it to make cakes and brownies, marshmallows, meringues, and many other vegan-friendly versions of classic desserts and treats.
Light brown sugar: I find that brown sugar gives a nice "caramel" flavor to this vegan frosting which compliments the coffee really well.
Vegan butter: There are many brands of vegan-friendly butter available these days, it’s important to note that this recipe calls for stick butter, not the spreadable kind from a tub, I use flora unsalted plant butter.
Coffee: You can't have coffee buttercream without coffee lol. Make sure it's a good quality one that you don't mind drinking as the flavor will shine through in this recipe.
How to make vegan Swiss meringue buttercream
(Full ingredient quantities and instructions are in the recipe card at the end of this post)
Add the aquafaba and sugar to a large bowl and place the bowl on top of a saucepan with a few inches of water in the bottom - this is known as a bain-marie (water bath).
Bring the temperature up to medium and heat for a few minutes until the sugar dissolves. The mixture will be dark brown in color, but don't worry! It will become lighter once whipped up later.
Remove the bowl from the heat and use an electric whisk and beat on high speed for about 20 minutes. Keep whisking until the mixture is completely cooled and combined. You can also use a stand mixer. It should be thick and glossy, and thick enough to stay in the bowl if you turn it upside down (carefully!)
Start slowly adding the chunks of butter to the meringue, one at a time, allowing the mixture to incorporate for about 5 seconds between each one. The mixture will flatten as you add the butter, just continue to add the butter as it will stiffen when the full amount of butter is incorporated.
Once all the butter has been added the mixture be thick like buttercream, continue to whisk on low for 5 minutes. If the mixture looks split, don't worry it will come together with enough blending.
Lastly, add the cooled coffee mixture to the buttercream and continue to whisk for a couple of minutes until combined. You can make the coffee flavor as strong or weak as you like, however, I don't recommend adding more liquid as this will affect the texture of the buttercream. Just increase the coffee strength if you want a stronger flavor.
Ways to use vegan coffee buttercream
- To frost cakes such as my vegan coffee walnut cake.
- To frost vegan cupcakes.
Variations
- Plain vegan Swiss meringue buttercream: You can skip the coffee flavoring and keep this buttercream plain. I recommend adding a half teaspoon of vanilla instead to give a creamy vanilla flavor.
- White sugar: You can use caster sugar (superfine) instead of soft brown sugar for this recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sometimes in warmer, more humid environments, it can take a bit longer to whip the mixture to stiff peaks. Place the mixture in the fridge for an hour and then whisk it again, it should come together with some patience!
Generally, this can happen if the butter you used was too soft. The vegan butter should be room temperature and firm to the touch (not soft!).
If your buttercream appears to be split once all of the butter has been whipped in, continue adding some chilled vegan butter in small amounts and the mixture should emulsify.
You can store it in an airtight container in the fridge. It will harden when chilled, so before use, allow it to come to room temperature until it comes back to a creamy consistency.
More vegan frosting recipes
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star ★★★★★ rating in the recipe card below and consider leaving a comment as well, thanks!
Stay in touch with me through social media @ Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, and Facebook. And if you like one of my recipes, tag me
Description
Ingredients
- 9 tablespoons (133 g) aquafaba, *see recipe notes
- 1 cup (220 g) soft brown sugar, or caster sugar (superfine)
- 8.8 oz (250 g) vegan block butter , room temperature, cut into 1" chunks, *see notes
- 1 ½ tablespoons (7.5 g) instant coffee granules, plus 1 tbsp boiling water
Instructions
- Mix together the instant coffee and boiling water and set aside to cool.
- Add the aquafaba and sugar to a large bowl and place the bowl on top of a saucepan with a few inches of water in the bottom - this is known as a bain-marie (water bath). Bring the temperature up to medium and allow the mixture to heat for a few minutes until the sugar is dissolved.
- Remove the bowl from the heat and use an electric whisk (or transfer the syrup into your stand mixer) and beat on high speed for 15-20 minutes until the mixture is completely cooled and glossy. The mixture should be stiff and glossy and should stay in the bowl if you turn it upside down (carefully!).
- Start slowly adding the chunks of butter to the meringue, one at a time, allowing the mixture to incorporate for about 5 seconds between each one. The mixture will flatten as you add the butter, just continue to add the butter as it will stiffen when the full amount of butter is incorporated.
- Once all the butter has been added the mixture be thick like buttercream, continue to whisk on low for 5-10 minutes until the mixture is fluffy and lightened in color. If the mixture looks split, don't worry it will come together with enough blending.
- Lastly, add the cooled coffee mixture to the buttercream and continue to whisk for a couple of minutes until combined.
Storage
- You can store this coffee buttercream in an airtight container in the fridge. It will harden when chilled, so before use, allow it to come to room temperature until it comes back to a creamy consistency.
Notes
- Aquafaba: The liquid part from tinned chickpeas.
- Vegan butter: I use flora plant butter, I have not tried Earth Balance, therefore, cannot personally recommend it.
- Room temperature butter should be firm to the touch, not soft. If you live in a warmer environment then take the butter out of the fridge 15-20 minutes before using.
- Plain vegan Swiss meringue buttercream: You can skip the coffee flavoring and keep this buttercream plain. I recommend adding a half teaspoon of vanilla instead to give a vanilla flavor.
- White sugar: You can use caster sugar (superfine) instead of soft brown sugar for this recipe.
- Sometimes in warmer, more humid environments it can take a bit longer to whip the mixture to stiff peaks. Place the mixture in the fridge for an hour and then whisk it again, it should come together with some patience!
- Generally, this can happen if the butter you used was too soft. The vegan butter should be room temperature and firm to the touch (not soft!).
- If your buttercream appears to be split once all of the butter has been whipped in, continue adding some chilled vegan butter in small amounts and the mixture should emulsify.
Nutrition
© addictedtodates.com. All content and images are protected by copyright. If you want to share this recipe, please do so using the share buttons provided. Do not screenshot or republish the recipe or content in full. instead, include a link to this post for the recipe.
