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White Cake Frosting

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White Cake Frosting – perfect for decorating with

I will start off by boldly stating that this is the perfect raw, vegan frosting for cake decorating. There are many different types of frostings out there that are job-specific. They are used to decorate a variety of desserts, they add another layer of flavor and texture, as well as enabling you to decorate your creation so that it is a treat for the eyes as well as the palate. This frosting is creamy, gently sweetened, and can withstand being at room temp (70 degrees F) for a few hours. That’s pretty amazing actually.

raw vegan white frosting

Tips and Techniques

Cashews — Soaked

  • Soaking the cashews is key (!) when it comes to making this recipe. It is a step that shouldn’t be skipped.
  • The soaking process causes the cashews to swell, giving a bit more volume for the money and it softens them which is vital when creating a creamy texture.  

Coconut Milk

  • Whether you use fresh blended Young Thai Coconut meat or canned full fat coconut milk, this ingredient helps to give structure, creaminess, and a hint of coconut undertone to the frosting.
  • If you can’t find Young Thai coconuts, you can use canned full-fat coconut milk.  I always keep a few cans of Native Forest Organic Classic Coconut Milk on hand for such recipes. I realize it isn’t a raw product but I am ok with that.

Sunflower Lecithin

  • It is a natural alternative to soy lecithin that works as an emulsifier to bind the fats found in the nuts and oil, helping it to bind with other liquids creating a creamy consistency. However, if over blended, the mixture will separate and lose its creamy consistency.
  • Lecithin is a natural preservative and will add shelf life to whatever you’re baking or un-baking. If you look at the ingredients of most commercial goods, you will notice lecithin in almost everything. That is because it will add shelf life to products without adding any harmful chemicals.
  • It comes in two forms, powder and liquid.  I prefer the raw powdered sunflower lecithin. Watch the wording when buying sunflower lecithin… look for powdered not granules. If you can only get your hands on granules, I recommend powdering it down otherwise it is harder for it to dissolve in the frosting batter.
  • Sunflower lecithin is made up of essential fatty acids and B vitamins.  It helps to support healthy function of the brain, nervous system, and cell membranes.  It also lubricates joints; helps break up cholesterol in the body.

raw vegan white frosting

Maple Syrup

  • I used maple syrup because it is more alkalizing for the body than most other liquid sweeteners.
  • You can use coconut syrup or any other liquid sweetener that you like to use but keep in mind that each different sweetener comes with its own unique flavors and can affect the color of the frosting.

Vanilla & Salt

  • Vanilla and salt are added to sweets because they enhance all the other flavors in the recipe.
  • You can use vanilla bean (seeds only), powdered vanilla, extract, or vanilla paste.

Coconut Oil

  • Coconut oil is the key ingredient when it comes to the overall body of the frosting. Once chilled below 76 degrees it firms up, which is why it makes this frosting perfect for decorating with.
  • Look for cold-pressed coconut oil that is packaged in glass containers.
  • To melt the oil for this recipe, scoop some out in a measuring cup and place it in the dehydrator to soften. I do this while I am gathering all the ingredients.

I will post photos below of all the different desserts that I have decorated with this frosting. If you have any further questions please leave a comment below in the comment box. blessings, amie sue

raw vegan white frostingIngredients:

Yields 5 cups

Preparation:

  1. After soaking the cashews, drain and rinse them well.  Set aside.
  2. In a high-speed blender combine in the following order; coconut milk, maple syrup, vanilla, salt, and cashews.
    • By placing the liquids in first, it helps the blades spin more easily.
    • Blend until creamy and don’t feel any grit in the frosting.
    • Depending on the blender, this may take anywhere from 1-5 minutes.
  3. While the blender is running and a vortex is in motion, drizzle in the coconut oil.  Make sure that it gets well incorporated.
  4. Now add the lecithin and process just until mixed in.
  5. Place the frosting in an airtight container and slip into the freezer for 2-4 hours or until firm.
    • How long it takes to set up will vary as some freezers run colder than others. Also, if the batter got warm during the blending process, it will take longer to cool off.
    • If it freezes solid, that’s ok. Take it out and let it soften a tad before using, depending on the usage.
  6. Storage and shelf-life:
    • Regardless of where you store the frosting, make sure you keep it in an airtight container. After you place the frosting in the container, smooth out the top of it and press plastic wrap on top so it isn’t exposed to air.
    • In the fridge for 3-5 days.
    • In the freezer for 1-3 months.

Additional Cake Tips:

Examples of how I have used this frosting —

59 thoughts on “White Cake Frosting

  1. Pilgrim says:

    Hi Amy,
    Your site is so fun! Thought I would share with you an idea form a South African friend of mine.

    In S. Africa they put the cashews in a blender and blend them to powder, then process with liquids. The end product is incredibly smooth. Not sure this would work with soaked nuts, but did try it with dried. The dried nuts need to loosened from the sides of the blender after blending before adding liquids.

    Thanks for sharing your love for raw foods.

    Blessings,

    Pilgrim

    • amie-sue says:

      Good morning Pilgrim,

      Thank you :)

      Thank you for sharing that with me. Do you soak and dehydrate the nuts first to make sure you are releasing the phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors? That would be my one concern. So far with a high-powered blender I can completely smooth results when process nuts in these recipes. But it is wonderful to have a few more tricks up our sleeves. I appreciate that. :) Have a wonderful weekend, amie sue

      • T. Jones says:

        Hi Amie Sue,

        In my research I found that cashews don’t have enzyme inhibitors (don’t know about the phytic acid, though). Have you come across this as well?

        • amie-sue says:

          Hello T,

          I have read it in enough places throughout my research that cashews do in fact have some enzyme inhibitors… either way, why risk it. :) amie sue

    • elke says:

      dear amie sue,
      i tried the frosting and it is amazing, but the lecithin does leave a bit of a disagreeable taste. i used soy lecithin. is there a way to avoid this? or did i use the wrong kind?
      elke

  2. Laura Hansen says:

    Good Morning Amie Sue, I have spent the last half hour checking out your website, your awesome Cherry Cake, and all things Amie Sue. I wanted to tell you that, though we have only met a couple of times, you really have “it”. Whatever that is. That something special , enthusiasm, love of life, a good mate. And it really shows. What a blessing. It isn’t often I get to meet someone that has the ‘glow-on’ but it is nice. I hope at some point to get to know you a bit better, that glow -on is contagious!

    Have you considered selling the stuff you make? You work so dang hard, I know you love it but it’s still work.
    Just a thought. You probably already do.

    I am with Eric in Phoenix this week, he’s doing pretty good. 3 more weeks before he can go home.

    Love to you and that man of your Bob.
    Send peaches and pears(I make pies)
    Laura

    • amie-sue says:

      Good morning Laura! So wonderful to hear from you. I have been keep up on how you all are doing through your emails. Will you guys be in Tucson on June 8th? That is our grand opening. Please give my love to Eric. :) Once in OR we will continue to work on creating our commercial kitchen so I can get into manufacturing. One step at a time and right now the store here has been the focus. Thank you for such sweet words, please keep in touch! hugs, amie sue

  3. T. Jones says:

    Hi Amie Sue,

    I have one more question if you don’t mind.

    Just wanted to know how this frosting held up in heat and humiditity? I am going to start baking soon and I wanted to get into something healthy. While I know that there are other (somewhat) healthy alternatives you can take to frosting, I don’t know of one with fondant.

    Please help.

    T. Jones

    • amie-sue says:

      Hi T,

      I haven’t tested this frosting in humid weather. I made it while here in AZ and it is a dry heat here. My house tempt is usually set at 70 degrees and it held up quite well…. for many hours. It was a great pleasure to work this frosting and as close to fondant as I have come close to. Granted real fondant will last a year on the shelf but then I can’t stand to eat the stuff and talk about unhealthy. Have a blessed week end, amie sue

  4. Daasya says:

    Dear Amie Sue,
    This recipe looks so amazing!!! I can’t wait to try it out. Thanks for all that you do, sharing your amazing raw recipes with the world. How very kind and generous of you. Do you have a store in Tucson now? Is it open? I would love to come visit. Thanks a lot for everything

    • amie-sue says:

      Hello Daasya,

      You are welcome, thank you for the kind words. :)

      We have several stores in Tucson, but not for raw foods. We have permanently located our home in Oregon now. We will always have our other business there in AZ, but my raw food adventures will be established here now… but we are working to share my products with world. :)

  5. Naomi says:

    Hi Amie Sue,
    Is there anything that you might use as a substitute for the lecithin in this frosting? Would softened cacao butter be of any use?
    Thank you,
    Naomi

    • amie-sue says:

      Hello Naomi, softened cacao butter would work pretty good as long as you are ok with the chocolate hint to the over-all recipe. :) Have a great evening, amie sue

  6. Gayle says:

    Hi Amie Sue. Is there any way to use agar agar or such instead of coconut oil? I am really trying to cut way back on processed oils.

    • amie-sue says:

      Gosh Gayle, I haven’t tried it myself so I can’t really advise. Do you have issues with cold-pressed coconut oil? I hope you had a wonderful weekend. amie sue

      • Gayle says:

        My cholesterol is high so I am trying to back off the oils and also I have heard not great things about coconut oil along with the good so in a quandry there. I have used it often though especially for desserts. Sigh.

        • amie-sue says:

          I believe that coconut oil has amazing healthy properties, but you have to do what you think is best for you! You know your body and how it responds to foods better than anyone else. I am glad that you are honoring it. How do you feel about avocados in your diet? amie sue

  7. Kay says:

    Dear Amie Sue

    Is there something I can substitute for lecithin as you can’t get sunflower lecithin in South Africa?

    Many thanks
    Kay

    • amie-sue says:

      Kay, you can omit it all together. I don’t know what you have available to you as a replacement in Sough Africa. Can you get lecithin at all? You can use the soy based lecithin granulas (be sure to powder it before using). Be sure to look for non-GMO if at all possible. :) Good luck and have a great day, amie sue

      • Kay says:

        Thanks Amie-Sue. We can get soya lecithin here but 1.) it isn’t organic and 2.) I noticed someone on your blog saying that the soya lecithin had a horrible flavour.
        Will try it with no lecithin.

        Would arrowroot / any of the gums / tapioca flour / agar agar help with thickening? I’m not too worried if it isn’t raw as long as it isn’t bad for you.

        Thanks a lot. Have a lovely day.

        • amie-sue says:

          Personally, I have never had a bad experience with the taste of lecithin… in fact I never taste it in my recipes. To be honest, I can’t really advise you about the arrowroot, gums, flours… since I don’t use them and don’t know exactly how they will respond. Did you give it a try? Would love to hear your experience. Blessings, amie sue

  8. Stella says:

    Hi Amie-Sue,

    First of all would like to say I love your website and have made several of your cake recipes and play around with them and love it.
    Now doing some research for my little boys birthday cake and need a fondant like frosting, but refuse to use actual fondant, especially for a 3 year old!

    This recipe looks great, am needing to make a brown coloured chocolate fondant like icing though (pirate ship ;)).

    Would I just add some raw cacoa powder? How much would you add to this recipe? And would it still stay as smooth with the powder added?

    Thank you so much, Stella

  9. Alejandra says:

    Hi Amie-Sue;

    There is anyway to replace the lecithin? I am allergic to soy an I love the idea of using this cake frosting recipe.

    Thank you!
    Alejandra

    • amie-sue says:

      You can omit it but they do make a sunflower lecithin which is what I use because I can’t eat soy either. Just FYI :) Have a great evening, amie sue

  10. Belinda says:

    Are soy lechitin granules ok if I grind them to a powder?

  11. Belinda says:

    Oops never mind that’s been asked & answered. Thx.

  12. B says:

    Hey, first of all I wanted to tell you that i absolutely love your blog and recipes! They all are so perfect omg… I wanted to ask, could i substitute the coconut milk with homemade almond (or nut) milk? I would probably use only one cup of almond milk with 2c of cashews and 1c of coconut oil, so the frosting is really thick.. but do you think that could work?
    Thank you for the answer, have a nice day x

    • amie-sue says:

      Hello B,

      Thank you for the sweet and encouraging words.

      The original recipe reads as:
      Ingredients: yields 5 cups

      2 cups cashews, soaked 2+ hours
      1 3/4 cups thick coconut milk, fresh or canned
      1/2 cup maple syrup
      2 Tbsp vanilla extract
      1/8 tsp Himalayan pink salt
      1 cup coconut oil, melted
      2 Tbsp lecithin powder or liquid

      You can try:
      Ingredients: yields 5 cups

      2 cups cashews, soaked 2+ hours
      1 3/4 cups thick almond milk (using roughly 2 cups of almonds and 3/4-1 cup of water)
      1/2 cup maple syrup
      2 Tbsp vanilla extract
      1/8 tsp Himalayan pink salt
      1 cup coconut oil, melted
      2 Tbsp lecithin powder or liquid

      Good luck and enjoy! amie sue

  13. Frank says:

    Hi Sue

    -Do you think the thickness of coconut milk can have a big impact? I made the recipe as written but after 24 hours in the fridge it is still a liquid slug. Impossible to frost with it.
    -Could I substitute coconut oil for coconut butter, could give it more body.
    -What would you do to recover this batch if possible
    Flipping good though…I could drink it :-)

    • amie-sue says:

      Shew, that would be a hefty drink. lol But I understand. :)

      Yes, it is possible that the coconut milk thickness could have an impact… Since all the ingredients are in it already, I am going to suggest putting it in the freezer for a few hours and then check on it. Keep it in there till it gets really firm. Then remove it and scoop some out to soften a little (this is your tester) but the remaining in the fridge to keep it hard. Let is soften just enough to spread with a butter knife on something complimentary (i.e. cookie)

      Once it is spread on your little goodie, let it sit at room temp (70 degrees F) or below and see how it holds up. What do you think of this approach? I have done this in the past and there is something about freezing raw frostings that sometimes is enough magic to pull molecules together. :) Blessings and keep me posted. amie sue

      • amie-sue says:

        P.S. I make this recipe all the time and it has never failed me so I would change up the ingredients unless you want to just experiment around. amie sue

  14. Maru says:

    hi Amy Sue!
    I´m wondering about the proportions of the lecithin..
    First, in one of the articles you wrote you said that when using liquid, it would be half amount of the powder..
    Second, which would be the proportion here? in some blogs it says that the lecithin is used in a proportion of 0,3 – 1%..
    I think you use more, why is that?

    thenk you very much! you are very wise!!

  15. TAW says:

    HI Amy Sue, I have someone who I would like to make a cake for using frosting but they are not allowed cashews in their diet, what nut could I replace it with that would be best work for frosting? Thank you, Tracey

    • amie-sue says:

      Hello Taw,

      You can try replacing the cashews with Young Thia coconut meat. I need to work on some frosting recipes without cashews, but until then… that is my suggestion. :) Blessings, amie sue

  16. naturalkandy says:

    super bummed about this recipe, I tried this today, it has been in the fridge 4 hours already and isn’t firm. I have a raw carrot cake with no frosting for my husband when he gets home for his birthday.

    • amie-sue says:

      Pop it in the freezer… it will help firm it up. If the batter was warm after blending, it takes longer for it to chill. I hope there’s time! If its still thin by the time of the part… use it as an icing, spoon it on and let it drip over the edges. Blessings, amie sue

      • naturalkandy says:

        I poured the runny frosting on the cake, stuck it outside {it’s about 30*F right now} and it finally did the trick. For some reason it has a funky flavor though, I assume its the raw vanilla powder I added(not part of the recipe), I’m not liking the flavor of this new brand I bought. Will try again soon since I now have sunflower lecithin. The carrot cake itself tastes wonderful!

        • amie-sue says:

          I am happy to hear that the cake turned out well. Sorry you had the struggles with the frosting. Vanilla can surely taste different from brand to brand. Give it another try and keep me posted. I hope your husband had a wonderful birthday. blessings, amie sue

  17. Mary says:

    Hi Amie-Sue,

    I made this wonderful frosting last night (for the red velvet cake) and just realized a made a snafu. It’s been in the fridge and today it has a soupy consistency. I just realized I followed your fresh thick coconut milk recipe and put the entire 2 cups in, rather than 1 3/4. But really it even seems thinner than what an extra 1/4 cup liquid would do. Do you by any chance have an easy fix for this to thicken it up substantially? It’s strange, as I would think all that coconut oil would have thickened it anyway. I’m out of cashews, but could run and get some. Thank you for your thoughts.

    Mary

    • amie-sue says:

      Good afternoon Mary,

      Try placing the frosting in the freezer, set a timer for 1 hour, stir it and see it how it is. Keep in the freezer until it reaches the right consistency for you. I have frozen the frosting and used it later… letting it warm up a bit at room temp so I can pipe or spread it. Let me know how it goes! blessings, amie sue

      • mary says:

        Thank you Amie-Sue, well I’m going to have to freeze it anyway as I’m taking it tomorrow in a cooler to Oregon (from CA). But it likely won’t be frozen anymore and I’m not sure that I can refreeze. Probably I should have made it there, but time constraints. I think I’m just going to go to the store and get more cashews and put in more of all the ingredients except the liquid, to compensate. Thanks again Amie-Sue.

        • amie-sue says:

          Hey Mary, I am sorry that I respond sooner… how are things going? Did you make it to Oregon? What part are you traveling to? I live about one hour East of Portland. I hope the frosting turned out for you. Keep me posted. blessings, amie sue :)

  18. jillianlove says:

    can yakon syrup replace maple?

  19. Betty says:

    Hi Amie-sue,
    This part of world in the South Pacific, the cashew nut is so expensive. What would be next best nut to use that would give the same consistency as the cashew nut.
    Looking forward to your advice.

    • amie-sue says:

      Hello Betty,

      To be honest I haven’t tested any other nut since cashews create an ultimate creamy texture with little influence on the flavor of the frosting. It’s not easy to create a raw frosting recipe that can stand up to being spread, piped, and one that can hold it’s shaped at room temp (not above 70 degrees (F). It would require a whole new experiment to test other nuts and whatever ingredients it would need to support it.

      The only other nuts that I would remotely think of are pili nuts (very expensive), macadamia nuts (very expensive), skinned raw almonds (may not hold the same texture). Other nuts would influence the flavor and texture too much. Sorry that I don’t have a solid answer for you. blessings, amie sue

  20. maureen says:

    Hi Amie….. well it’s show time for my niece’s birthday cake.

    Question.

    It late and just realized I have one can of 13.5 FL OZ coconut milk.

    And six cans of ( 13.5 Oz) of coconut cream.

    I want to do a double batch of your cultured version.

    Can I make a batch using the cream instead of the milk?

    Thank u in advance.

    • amie-sue says:

      Good morning Maureen,

      You can use one can of coconut milk and 1 can of coconut cream. It should be just fine. Let me know how it goes. Sending birthday wishes to your niece! blessings, amie sue

  21. jdjacobson says:

    Hey Amie-Sue,

    I plan on making this frosting to go on your cinnamon rolls, but wanted to ask your expert opinion & guidance about a few alterations.

    1. Would using thick coconut milk made from coconut shreds work in this recipe?

    2. I have sunflower lecithin liquid. What measurement could I use to substitute the powder with liquid?

    Thank you,
    Joel

    • amie-sue says:

      Good morning Joel,

      Oh, those cinnamon rolls! I love those things! To answer your questions…

      Q. Would using thick coconut milk made from coconut shreds work in this recipe?
      A. No, I am afraid that dried coconut shreds won’t work. It doesn’t produce the same thickness and texture as the young Thai coconut meat or canned
      full-fat coconut milk does.

      Q. I have sunflower lecithin liquid. What measurement could I use to substitute the powder with liquid?
      A. Typically I use the same measurement when bouncing back and forth between liquid and powder. Keep in mind that the liquid version is very dark in
      color and will affect the color of the frosting. The powder doesn’t.

      I hope this helps. blessings and have a great day, amie sue

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