Dairy Free Cake Frosting

Our answer

For the top of many sponge cakes you can add a simple icing made from icing (confectioners') sugar and water or lemon juice, such as for Nigella's Cupcakes. Using a royal icing mix, or adding egg white or egg white powder (meringue powder) to the sugar means that the icing will set more firmly, making it easier to transport the cake. You can also make a very thick royal icing that can be piped for decoration. Nigella's Lemon Tendercake With Blueberry Compote is iced with with coconut-milk yogurt that has been sweetened with a little sugar and vanilla and this can make a nice alternative topping for more pudding-like cakes, such as a flourless chocolate cake, instead of whipped cream.

For a fudgy chocolate frosting we suggest that you try Nigella's Dark And Sumptuous Chocolate Cake. This has a dairy-free frosting made with dark (bittersweet) chocolate and coconut butter. The coconut butter gives the frosting an extra depth of flavour, but it could be replaced with a dairy-free margarine if coconut butter is hard to find. In the US some recipes use vegetable shortening to give a very white frosting. However, as it is not something we have tried ourselves we are unable to give a recipe.