frosting!

[evilmannequine]

I've been making this otherworldly coconut cake lately (sorry, don't have the recipe with me right now) and make a coconut 'buttercream' frosting for it, and then top it with shredded coconut. It's really delicious, but the frosting is too sweet

Comments

[zaftigvegan]

sounds amazing! i'd love the recipe when you have a chance.

i'm totally against trying to make low-sugar versions of frosting in principal. it's frosting! it's supposed to be sweet. but i would suspect that using another fine starch like tapioca or arrowroot would cut into the powdered sugar just fine.

[evilmannequine]

I'm generally of the same opinion -- that said, this frosting is almost uncomfortably sweet.
I've been apprehensive about tapioca vbecause I don't want it to be gluey, but I think I'll just have to try it.

(ps, I've been told by two people that after having the cake they had dreams about it. I also had a dream about it. I had a dream that the coconut cake killed a man)

[thequeenofquiet]

that's how you make frosting, with a ton of sugar. nothing can really replace it.

[inkteeth]

you need to post the recipe when you have it! i am so interested.

[beatle2102]

I have the same problem. I don't have a magic ingredient, but I find that making the icing the night before and sticking it in the fridge helps a little. I think it's a combination of the icing 'drying out' slightly (making it less runny) and the fact that it's cold (which, while obviously not permanent, does make it a little thicker).

I'll be watching this closely -- I hope someone else has a solution, because it's bugged me for ages!

A thought that just occurred to me for your coconut icing: Perhaps you can try blitzing some dessicated coconut until it's powder-like and then adding that to thicken? I've never tried this, so I've no idea if you could get the coconut to be powdery enough, but it might be worth a try. (If you do try this, drop me a line and let me know how it turns out!)

[evilmannequine]

OH SHIT! That's a good idea!
I could try coconut flour! YESYESYES.

It's funny, I don't really have this problem with other frostings I make. This one just seems to be overly sweet.

[evilmannequine]

ps - I'm also thinking about doing a coconut version of that boiled chocolate ganache recipe that floats around occasionally. The chocolate ganache is SUPER DELICIOUS, and I could probably pretty easily do a coconut version. I do like the ridiculous fluff of buttercream style frosting though.

[beatle2102]

Coconut ganache . . . how amazing would that be?

To be honest, coconut ANYTHING is amazing. I have trouble mentally categorising coconut as healthy, simply because anything that good MUST be bad for you. Please please please come back and post the results! I will love you forever if you do so.

[cataphoric]

you know, my recipe for a chocolate-coconut buttacream has never come out too sweet - i'm guessing the cocoa powder really cuts it. are you against a chocolate frosting for your cake? :)

i go with:

1/4 cup coconut butter
1/4 cup dairy-free marg
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
~1/3 cup soy milk

[cataphoric]

(and if you're looking for something even less sweet, you could skip the soymilk and just add less powdered sugar)

[evilmannequine]

Thanks!

I've thought about adding cocoa before, but have wondered if it would be good. I think not on this cake, but on another (like on chocolate cake)