So I've been on a bit of a vegan Swiss meringue buttercream roll lately so naturally, a chocolate edition was in the works after last month's vegan coffee buttercream recipe. The results of both recipes are quite similar to vegan Italian meringue buttercream, but the method is a little more simplified, yay!
Swiss meringue buttercream is traditionally made using egg whites and dairy. Luckily, making your own vegan Swiss meringue buttercream at home is so easy. In this recipe, we'll be following the traditional method of making Swiss buttercream pretty closely, but we'll of course be using fully vegan ingredients.
Here's what's to love about this chocolate buttercream recipe:
- Deep and intense chocolatey flavor thanks to a combination of dark chocolate and cocoa powder.
- Light and airy consistency
- Not overly sweet like some American-style buttercream recipes.
- This recipe calls for brown sugar, not powdered sugar. We’ll be melting sugar into a syrup with aquafaba which will magically whip up into fluffy clouds!
- Using brown sugar also gives a slightly caramelized flavor! You can also use regular white caster sugar (superfine).
- Doesn’t require a candy thermometer
- No need to reduce the aquafaba.
- Fully customizable, you can mix up the flavors or just keep it plain and simple.
Ingredients overview
- Aquafaba: Or chickpea brine, is the viscous liquid leftover from cooking chickpeas or other white legumes. It works as an alternative to egg whites in many ways. It can be used to make a cake, brownies, marshmallows, meringues, and many other vegan-friendly versions of classic desserts and treats. And in this case, forms the perfect egg white substitute for a vegan Swiss meringue buttercream.
- Soft brown sugar: I use light muscovado, but you can also use caster sugar for this recipe.
- 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.
- Dark chocolate: You'll want a good quality dark chocolate for this recipe, I use 78%. The flavor will shine through in the frosting.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: For an intense and deep chocolate flavor go for Dutch-processed cocoa powder, for a milder and more acidic flavor opt for raw cacao powder.
- Sea salt: This is optional, but it really brings the chocolate flavor of this buttercream to the forefront.
How to make vegan chocolate buttercream (with step-by-step images)
(Full ingredient quantities and instructions are in the recipe card at the end of this post)
Melt the dark chocolate over a double boiler (bain-marie) and set it aside to cool slightly.
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.
Add the cooled melted chocolate to the buttercream and continue to whisk for a couple of minutes until combined. Next, add the cacao powder and sea salt and blend for another minute or two until evenly mixed.
Ways in which to use chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream
- To frost cakes such as vegan devil's food cake.
- To frost vegan cupcakes.
How to store this buttercream
Serve this buttercream at room temperature. Use it immediately to frost your cakes or cupcakes or store them in an airtight container in the fridge. Because of the melted chocolate in this recipe, the buttercream will stiffen in the fridge. Bring it back to room temperature for a few hours until it comes back to a creamy consistency before serving.
More vegan frosting
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Description
Ingredients
- 3.5 oz (100 g) vegan dark chocolate
- 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
- 2 tablespoons (10 g) Dutch processed cacao powder
- pinch sea salt
Instructions
- Melt the dark chocolate over a double boiler (bain-marie) and set it aside to cool slightly.
- 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.
- Add the cooled melted chocolate to the buttercream and continue to whisk for a couple of minutes until combined. Next, add the cacao powder and sea salt and blend for another minute or two until evenly mixed.
Storage
- This buttercream is best served at room temperature. Use it immediately to frost your cakes or cupcakes or store it in an airtight container in the fridge. Because of the melted chocolate in this recipe, the buttercream will stiffen in the fridge. Bring it back to room temperature for a few hours until it comes back to a creamy consistency before serving.
Notes
- Aquafaba: The liquid part from tinned chickpeas.
Nutrition
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