This vegan chocolate frosting is the perfect topcoat for vegan chocolate cupcakes, vegan chocolate cake, or your standard yellow cake. But the fun doesn’t have to end there. Sandwich it between sablé cookies or swap out the dulce de leche in this alfajores recipe.

Game plan: Make the frosting just before you’re ready to frost a cooled cake; it’s soft to work with at first, but the frosting will harden slightly as it sits at room temperature.

This recipe was featured as part of our Vegan Comfort Food photo gallery.

Not a big chocolate fan? See also our buttercream vegan icing.

  • Yields: 6 cups (enough to cover 1 double-layer 9-inch cake)
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Total: 35 mins 

Ingredients (7)

  • 1 pound vegan bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (about 3 1/4 cups)
  • 4 sticks (1 pound) unsalted nonhydrogenated margarine, at room temperature
  • 2 2/3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
  • 1/2 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 6 tablespoons soy or rice milk
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Using a microwave or double boiler, melt the chocolate in a medium bowl; set aside to cool.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the margarine on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Turn the mixer to low, add the sugar and salt, and mix until incorporated. Increase the speed to medium high and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
  3. With the mixer on low, gradually add the cooled melted chocolate and beat until incorporated. Stop the mixer and add the cocoa powder, soy or rice milk, and vanilla. Beat on low until incorporated, then beat on medium high until the frosting is airy and thoroughly mixed, about 1 minute, stopping once to scrape down the sides of the bowl.