Hello,

I've been ask to make a cake and cupcakes for the baptism of my goddaugther. My problem is that the mother is breastfeeding and can't eat dairy (bovine protein) or soy. I can do the cake without any of these easy enough, but I don't know what to do for the frosting.  I need it to be stable enough to pipe some rosettes on the cupcake and to put under fondant for the cake. Since I can't use butter or shortening (they all seems to contain soy), what are my options (if I have any...)?

Thanks

Laetia

Coconut oil, if they like coconuts?  In the olden days they would use lard (hard to think about that tho).  What about a cream cheese from goats if it's only cow products?  Is there such a thing as goat butter?

1/2 cup coconut oil, softened(room temperature

1/2 cup dairy-free, soy- free butter substitute like Earth Balance

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

4 cups powdered sugar

2-4:tablespoons dairy-free milk like coconut milk

Using stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, on a low speed, beat together coconut oil and butter substitute. Add vanilla and mix. Add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time mixing on medium until well incorporated. Add 2 tablespoons of milk substitute, adding more until desired consistency. 

Store icing in air tight container in fridge up until one week or freezer for one month.

Recipes are both taken from 

Www.glutenfreegigi.com

There may be more frosting recipes there.

Dairy and Soy-free Lemon "Cream Cheese" Icing

2 tablespoons  dairy-free/soy-free butter substitute like Earth Balance, softened

Zest and juice from a lemon

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

8 ounces of dairy-free cream cheese substitute like Daiya brand, softened

3 cups powdered sugar

In the bowl of a stand mixer, using paddle attachment on low, mix together all ingredients except powdered sugar until well mixed. Add powdered sugar, one cup at a time until well incorporated and creamy.

This icing should be refrigerated.

Coconut oil... What a great idea! I did'nt think about it. Do you think the refined one (I have read that it is unflavored) would work? It would be so much more versatile.

A realy big thanks to both of you!

laetia

I would think that should be fine. There are more transfats in it but, haha, we are talking icing here...

Pastrybaglady, yes, there is goat butter but it does have a distinctive taste to it. Not sure how it would be in icing.

Pastrybaglady, I have tried the cream cheese and though it was different, it tastes good...(but we didn't like the goat Camembert  cheese -tasted a lot like mushrooms - not cheese)

Let us know what you choose and how it comes out.  Unfortunately all the options above except lard are going to be on the pricey side.  I am now curious about goat butter...

I will let you know for sure!  Since the cake is due in August, I have a little more than a month to do some testing with coconut oil!

Shortening does not contain soy of any kind. So you can use it.  A great icing is cooked flour icing. I make it all the time. I substitute almond milk for dairy, shortening for butter. I add a cup of confectioners sugar and a tablespoon of meringue powder. That's my preference because it pipes nicer and crusts beautifully.

jchuck, it depends on the type of shortening. Crisco (in the U.S.) contains soy since 2012 as do many others according to info on the Internet . Spectrum makes a soy free shortening- not sure if Laetia has access to it.

Shortening does indeed contain soy, it's the first ingredient on the Crisco brand. Earth balance makes a butter that is dairy and soy free, here's a recipe from a blogger who has to be dairy and soy free for her daughter's allergies: http://www.deliacreates.com/dairy-free-soy-free-buttercream-frosting/

I should have clarified.

I buy a store brand shortening, and it's 100% vegetable shortening. No soy.  I can't tell you which one. I transferred it into a plastic container, threw out the original box.

I also use organic palm oil shortening. My daughter purchased as she cooks/bakes organic. And also is soy intolerant.   We split on a large tub. I also bake for my neighbours daughter who has multiple allergies/intolerances, one of which is soy.

Buy Organic Vegan, Non-Dairy Shortening from Nutiva

Now that I know that some brand of shortening does not contain soy product, I will give a closer look to every store brand shortening available here (Quebec, Canada) and give a call to speciality store. Maybe I'll have to order online. I don't think we have Earth Balance here either. I know there is one or two brands of margarine that are dairy and soy free though. I'll have to give it a try (or many try...)!  My guinea pigs (ie coworkers) are probably be very sorry about that... lol

Thanks everyone for the nice references and recipe.

Laetia 

Sweetex Z high ratio shortening does not contain soy, it only contains palm oil, monodiglycerides, and polysorbate 60.

^^^ Wow, goat butter is looking better and better!

Don't believe we can get Sweetex here in Canada. And it would vary from Province to Province. I've never seen it anywhere in Ontario. I can get organic Goats milk readily at 2 grocery stores near me. But not goats butter. I only know it's available at a goat farm/organic outlet about an hour from me. 

I've seen just plain ole butter made in the KA mixer with cream and the paddle attachment. Would be kinda fun to try and make butter with Goats milk, since I can get my hands on it. 

How does goat milk compare in price to cow?

How does goat milk compare in price to cow?

Here, the goat milk is way more expensive. I am in Ottawa, Canada's capital. I can buy the goat milk and some products such as the butter at a health food store nearby. Also at a farm/outlet not too far away. They also sell the Earth Balance products.

Laetia, where are you in Quebec? Anywhere near Gatineau? 

I tried earth balance for icing....big disaster. That's why daughter and I switched to organic palm shortening.

SquirrellyCakes... Do they sell goats milk in the BiWard Market???  They seem to have everything else!! Daughter use to live in Kanata.....miss it....love Ottawa.  

I actually found some Earth balance in a health/bio/natural food store today! 

@SquirrellyCakes  I'm on the north shore of Montreal, so no, not realy in the Gatineau area.

Be careful Laetia

Earth Balance has a lot of water content. I found it didn't hold up when I made my icing. Just wouldn't pipe. Great to be spread on a cupcake...but not "holding power".   

Jchuck,  I don't know if goat's milk is sold in the market. I will check the next time I am there. Ottawa is a nice city. I was born here but was away for many years. There have been a lot of changes and now they are starting to build a commuter train system along where the bus system ran.

Yes? Earth Balance has a high water content. The icing should be refrigerated.

Good for you Laetia, finding it. You might also check with a few bakeries and ask where they purchase supplies to find a soy free shortening in your area. I don't know if France Decor Canada in Montreal would carry a soy free shortening. Are you familiar with them? Is there a Bulk Barn near you? They carry high ratio shortening but I don't know if it is soy free.

Wow, there are a lot more Canadians on Cake Central now.

Yes I do know France decor. I use to live in Montreal near this store. I often go there for my cake and chocolate supplies, but I don't think about them when it's time to buy my ingredients. I'll give them a call.

The high ratio shortening that Bulk Barn carries is not soy free, unfortunately.

I thought I would give an update on how my experiment went. In a word (or 3) ; not that good!

First, I did'nt found any soy free shortening. I did found some online, but the shipping fees were prohibitive and I was affraid of finding a puddle of melted grease in the mailbox on arrival (July was so hot). As this option was out, I give a try to the recipe @craftybanana2  suggested, using earth balance soy free. It did not work for me. The result was a split and melty icing.

Then I give a try to @SquirrellyCakes  first recipe suggestion. The coconut oil that I bought seems to have a melting point of 23 celcius (around 73F - July was hot, so was my kitchen! I dont have air conditionning). Even thought it was a real bad start for that option, I put the coconut oil in the refrigerator to harden it a little bit and give it a try. Magic did not happen. The result was a puddlely mess!

Then I try the Even better cooked flour frosting ( @jchuck  suggestion but also my usual go to recipe), using rice milk and half earth balance - half tenderflake (lard). Using lard really turned me off at first, but when I woke up and realised that is what is used in pie crust (and pie crust do not taste like pig, right?), I gave it a try. At first, seems to be working out well. A little on the soft side, but it did not split and did'nt taste as bad as I was expecting it to be. At this point, I added a few cups of powdered sugar and piped a nice rosette on my cupcakes. The fist few ones were nice and beautifull, but the my warm hands just ruined the icing. The first thing I knew, I was piping with splitted icing. 

I was about to give up. I put the remaining now splitted batch of icing in the kitchen aid with some cocoa powder. I figured it would dry it out by reducing the water content. Then, magic happens! It emulsify beautifully and never split again.  (And the taste was actually good to all my testers).  Chocolate icing was the way to go, even though it was not my first plan.

Since then, my friend has stoped breastfeeding, the baby was still sick so she have to feed her with a special allergen-free milk.  No special icing recipe is needed anymore... Adding to that, the Baptisim did not happen mid-august as it was supposed to. A week prior to the baptism, my Goddaughter was admited to hospital because of heart problems. She is stable now and back to home...

That was my journey! Thanks for reading

Laetia

Firstly sorry the baptism didn't take  place, and your goddaughter was in hospital. 

Glad  you liked the flour icing. ..another recipe to have on hand.