Hi all,

I got an order for a gluten-free, soy-free and dairy-free cake.  The cake part is no problem, but I'm having issues with the buttercream.  I have Spectrum shortening and Earth Balance soy-free margarine but the soy-free margarine definitely doesn't act the same as the regular Vegan Earth Balance.  I used 1/2 cup of shortening, 1/2 cup of earth balance, 1 lb of powdered sugar and 2 tbsp. coconut milk.  The buttercream is ok, but definitely not quite firm enough for piping fine details and almost has a curdled appearance, not nice and smooth and creamy like a regular buttercream.  I'm tempted to just use all shortening, but not sure how that would taste.

Thoughts?

Go with a Swiss meringue buttercream, it will behave much better than a vegan American buttercream.. :)

Oh I just use spectrum organic palm shortening for the Swiss Meringue Buttercream

I just made some last night, because I don't eat dairy or soy, turned out sooo yummy & silky!! The only thing is it will get SUPER hard in the fridge, so bring it to room temp before serving :D