gluten-free Dairy Free Icing?

[glutenfreegirl]

Ok so you all have given me wonderful ideas to bake can you now help me top them off with gluten-free/dairy free icing?? is this even possible no one i n my family eats diary do to sensitivities to it....

[lonewolf]

I've made icing using powdered sugar, spectrum organic shortening, vanilla and rice milk with a pinch of salt. I basically follow the recipe in my Betty Crocker cookbook. I've thought about using butter flavoring, but don't usually like artificial anything. The icing tasted pretty good - make sure to beat the heck out of it to get it fluffy. If you can't find the basic recipe, post again and I'll go find my cookbook and give you the proportions.

[RiceGuy]

I'm pretty sure coconut oil would make a good starting point. I like mixing it with carob, Stevia, and some salt, which makes a yummy creamy frosting sort of stuff.

[lonewolf]

Coconut oil is good in that coconut/brown sugar frosting for German chocolate cake, but it doesn't work well for regular icing, especially in the summer. It will melt right off the cake on a warm summer day. (I know this from experience.

[purple]

You could make peanut butter frosting if not allergic.

Here is the recipe but I have not used it in years so I don't remember how much it makes, prob for a 9x13:

Peanut Butter Frosting

1/2 pound of powdered sugar(just dump some in and taste test the frosting)

2 T. margarine or butter

1/4 cup peanut butter

milk as needed

Try switching the margarine to vegan or coconut oil or shortening. (I would try Spectrum shortening).

Use almond, soy, rice milk or water.

Add some cocoa for peanut butter-chocolate frosting.

Taste test it...mmm

[RiceGuy]

Coconut oil is good in that coconut/brown sugar frosting for German chocolate cake, but it doesn't work well for regular icing, especially in the summer. It will melt right off the cake on a warm summer day. (I know this from experience.

Yeah, it sure would. If I understand the difference between frosting and icing correctly, frosting is sorta soft and creamy like, while icing is sorta stiff, almost like a glaze, no? So I'd think it's probably due to it being mostly sugar. That's why I said it was like frosting - to make some distinction.

If it had to hold up to a little warmth, I'd probably use walnuts or something. Maybe even agar agar, but neither of these would be all that much like icing. I don't use sugar, and I don't usually try to mimic the physical properties of it.

I would think that just powdered sugar and water would work (plus whatever flavoring). Looking it up, there are all sorts of recipes. Some use only sugar and water, while others use one kind or another of milk, butter or margarine, or varying combinations of these. So perhaps there is no single definition of icing.

Here's some dairy-free icing/frosting recipes:

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

[Darn210]

If you are looking for a decorating icing (can make flowers, borders, etc), here is a version of Wilton's . . . note the Crisco . . . it's not healthy, but what icing is? <--emoticon getting ready to lick the spoon )

1 cup solid vegetable shortening (I suggest Crisco)

1 teaspoon Clear Vanilla Extract

1/2 teaspoon Clear Butter Flavoring

4 cups confectioner's sugar (approximately 1 lb.) sifted (Personally, I put in about 8 cups otherwise, I think it's too greasy(?) . . . and I don't sift)

pinch of salt

Enough water to get to desired consistency

The original recipe calls for milk or milk and water, but I always use ALL water with no problems. If this is the only thing you would use the butter flavoring for, you could also just skip it and add twice as much vanilla. This recipe is very forgiving in it's quantities.

This makes a WHITE icing and if you are adding food dyes (as I suspect you are based on your other thread ) then this will keep your colors true.

If you are taking the cake out of the pan to ice, I find it helpful to put on a "crumb coat" of icing first. This is where you take a small portion of your icing and water it down a bit so if spreads very easily and ice the cake. Then when you ice the crumbly sides, this "crumb coat" basically glues all the crumbs in place. Let it set for just a few minutes before you add your final coat (with the desired consistency of icing). This will keep crumbs from mixing into your icing.

[CeliacMom2008]

I use Janet's recipe all the time (with the 8 cups of powdered sugar). My aunt has made fancy cakes (birthdays, weddings, anniversaries) for years and this is the recipe she gave me. And she never uses the milk because she doesn't want to have to keep is cold and she won't leave milk frosting out of the fridge for any length of time. She and I do up the flavoring to 2 tsp total (we use 1 of vanilla and one of butter flavoring). For coloring we also love the paste versions, not liquid. And if you want a bright white you should use clear vanilla instead of the brown.

[MaryJones2]

I've always used water too. That recipe is extremely flexible. You can also add a touch of vanilla beans, coconut or maple syrup. You can also add cocoa powder to make a chocolate frosting.

[sickchick]

I use good ole confectioner's sugar. you can add orange oil, lemon oil, almond oil, pure vanilla, peppermint oil, espresso & cocoa powder...

you can puree any fruits and add that to confectioner's sugar.

on spice cakes I like honey (applesauce spice) or maple syrup (pumpkin spice) drizzled over! mmm

you will get your own style and groove soon