Creme de Framboise, the key ingredient

I actually prefer vegan buttercream over traditional buttercream.  I enjoy the vegan version for its lighter, fluffier mouthfeel and for how easy it is to make.  Vegan buttercreams also tend to hold up better in warmer temperatures.  And by the way, the term “vegan buttercream” is completely nonsensical because there is absolutely no butter in a vegan buttercream!

For this recipe, I decided to add a good dose of creme de framboise, a French raspberry liquor, to up the raspberry flavor in the frosting and to give the buttercream some complexity.  With the use of a good quality seedless raspberry jam you can get bold fruit flavor instead of just adding sweetness to the frosting.  In addition to the confectioners’ sugar, I also chose to add some cornstarch to firm up the buttercream at the last stage.  It’s a rather untraditional ingredient to add cornstarch to a buttercream, but this addition allows me to achieve the perfect frosting consistency without making the buttercream too sweet.

Vegan Raspberry Framboise Buttercream

Makes enough to frost 12 regular cupcakes or fill 45 small sandwich cookies.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup nonhydrogenated shortening

1/4 cup trans-fat free margarine @ room temperature (I used Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks)

1 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

2-3 Tbsp seedless raspberry jam

1 Tbsp framboise liquor

2-3 Tbsp cornstarch

Directions:

1.)  Cream shortening and margarine together to a fluffy consistency.

2.)  Gradually add confectioner’s sugar to the creamed mixture.

3.)  Mix in raspberry jam, then add and mix in framboise.

4.)  Gradually add cornstarch, one tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is achieved.

Step-By-Step Process:  

Nonhydrogenated shortening and vegan margarine

Cream the two ingredients together

Gradually add confectioners’ sugar

Add in the best quality seedless raspberry jam you can find

Mix in the jam

Then add and mix in the framboise liquor

Add cornstarch until you achieve the desired consistency

The most beautiful shade of pink!

You can use this frosting for cupcakes, cakes, or as a filling for sandwich cookies like macarons.  It would also be great as a filling for a lemon sandwich cookie.  It has a medium body to it, not too heavy or too light.

Adapted from Raspberry Buttercream recipe in Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World by Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero