What in the world is 2 2 2 cream cheese icing you ask?
Well it’s just the most amazing, easiest vegan cream cheese icing recipe you will ever taste and not only is it vegan cream cheese free, which makes it room temperature stable
But it’s also nut free and shortening free!
And you will always remember it because of the 2 2 2
2 pounds of vegan butter
2 pounds of confectioners sugar
2 teaspoons of vegan lactic acid
That’s it!
Add a pinch of salt if you want to get all complicated, but seriously it’s only three ingredients!
I know most of you have probably heard this trick of adding acid to a buttercream recipe to mock the tang of a cream cheese icing
So this is not my creation, and most people use apple cider vinegar to get that tang
What sets mine apart is that not only do I want to avoid adding more moisture to vegan buttercream by adding liquid vinegar
The addition of powdered lactic acid is the ultimate key to authentic, tangy and perhaps most importantly:
STABLE CREAM CHEESE ICING!
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Notes for Success:
*not sponsored by any of the following name brands
I am using Druids Grove Vegan Lactic Acid
For icings I prefer to use Earth Balance vegan butter, it has the lowest moisture content and it will get firm in the refrigerator
Most vegan butter and margarine will not ever get hard in the refrigerator which can pose a problem for stability if your cake is sitting out at room temperature for long periods of time
In this case if you absolutely need added stability I would probably opt for substituting some of that vegan butter with hi ratio cake/icing shortening
But be sure to also watch the tips on re-whipping a cold buttercream!
2 2 2 Cream Cheese Icing
Ingredients
- Vegan Butter 2 lbs (908g)
- Confectioners Sugar 2 lbs (909g)
- Vegan Lactic Acid 2 teaspoons
- *If using apple cider vinegar use 2 teaspoons
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer, cream the room temperature vegan butter on medium to high speed until light & fluffy I usually let this go for about 5 minutes
- Add the sifted confectioners sugar and vegan lactic acid (*or apple cider vinegar if using) and mix on low speed until all is incorporated, then increase the speed to medium high and whip for 1 minute
Notes
222 Cream Cheese Icing is room temperature stable up to 80F
If the conditions in your area get hotter than that, the icing will start to get soft, so it is best to refrigerate until serving.
Any un-used icing will stay fresh in a clean airtight container for up to 1 month in the refrigerator.
Freeze for up to 3 months
Hello quick question so I can replace the acid with apple cider vinegar? So it’s butter 10x sugar and apple cider vinegar? Thank you
yes correct
is it powdered lactic acid or liquid?
powder
SUPER IDEA! Gretchen, you are Vegan Pastry God <3
but…here in Czech Republic I can´t find it as a powder, just like a liquid. How can I use it, or is it possible to us it instead of powder? They say it has 80% concetration. Thanks for your answer 🙂
Sara
HI Sara, Thanks! I have not ever used the liquid (I’ve not seen it to be honest!) But I would recommend to use a teaspoon or half at a time and taste as you go to make sure it is to your liking
Hi Gretchen! I just made this the other day and it was fantastic! I used vinegar and my question is if you use the lactic acid does it give it a better taste? Thank you!
Great! Yes in my opinion the lactic acid really gives it that authenticity! I have used both & I DO see a difference in the Lactic powder
Can this be halved?
Yes!
Have you tried adding lactic acid to any other styles of buttercream to any success? I wonder if it would be possible to do a ermine or swiss style “cream cheese” buttercream this way
Yes! It would work for all the buttercream recipes! Especially because lactic acid powder is//well..Powder! So this is a bonus vs adding apple cider vinegar as an alternative
Thanks for the response – nice! I feel like the thickness of your ermine recipe will lend well to the “cream cheese”-ness. I’ll give it a try!
I have to share that it was a huge success! I was requested to make a lemon cream-cheese carrot cake, and it came out SUPERB – several people said it’s the best cake I’ve made.
For the buttercream, I followed your Ermine buttercream recipe. I substituted a quarter cup of the plant milk for lemon juice, and then after the custard was done I whisked in one Tbsp of lemon zest and four Tsp of vegan lactic acid along with the vanilla extract. The lemon + lactic acid worked amazingly together!
For the cake, I followed your carrot cake recipe, with the only modifications being substituting the orange zest for lemon zest and adding 1 Tbsp lemon juice. KILLER.
WOW! I love it! Sounds so amazing!
I can’t find confectioners sugar, can I replace it with regular powder sugar? Thanks!!
Hi Sandra, Confectioners Sugar = Powdered Sugar
Hi Gretchen I need to leave this in room temperature a few hours. How much of the butter should be replaced by high-ratio shortening, 1/2? 1/3?
Thanks!
1/3 is good
Can’t wait to try this! My husband doesn’t do well with vegan cream cheese, so this is a great option. I made my own birthday cake with buttercream frosting just for him… It was too sweet for me, but he loved it, lol
I actually have lactic acid for my vegan fresh mozzarella 🙂 YAY!
Yay! awesome! You (& he) will love it!
Hi Gretchen, if you make ahead will it need to soften before using?
Thanks!
Similar to buttercream yes! CLICK HERE FOR MORE
OMG NEXT LEVEL GENIUS!
You really nailed this recipe! Incredibly easy to make, with such a brilliant result! Super silky, smooth and over-the-top tasty! Customers at the café went crazy for it. You continue to raise the bar in vegan baking. Thanks so very much! (I’m a 24 year vegan and professional baker, fyi, so I have a fairly decent sense of judgement when it comes to vegan food 🙂 )
Oh, and a question please…have you tried to make a chocolate version by chance? (any tips would be helpful so I can nail it first (or second) time around. Need to make a chocolate on chocolate, with extra chocolate, birthday cake for the weekend.
Awesome! Thank you! Yes you can follow this recipe for Easy Chocolate Buttercream but also add the lactic acid if you like that taste with the chocolate!
perfect thanks!
Gretchen!
2-2-2 is a 10/10/10!!!!
Im obsessed with finding ways to put this frosting on EVERYTHING!
Question: If I wanted to drizzle it on muffins, could I heat it a little bit? Add almond milk??
Thanks again!!!
Christine
I’m a bit confused. In one section the ingredients are listed as “2 pounds of vegan butter, 2 pounds of confectioners sugar, 2 teaspoons of vegan lactic acid.” Later in the article they aer listed as:
“Vegan Butter 2 lbs (908g)
Confectioners Sugar 2 lbs (909g)
Vegan Lactic Acid 3 teaspoons
*If using apple cider vinegar use 2 teaspoons.”
Not sure whether to use 2 or 3 teaspoons of Vegan Lactic Acid. Please advise! Thank you!
Ah yes good catch! It is 2 teaspoons (although you can adjust to your liking & I sometimes add more!) But to keep it with the 2-2-2 it is indeed 2 TWO!
Thank you! I’ll update that now sorry for the confusion!
Can this be used to decorate a cake?
Yes! Absolutely!