Allison Cafe

Babycakes NYC Chocolate Cupcake and Chocolate Frosting

Babycakes NYC Cookbook (More than just cupcakes!)

Well after months of experimenting with the recipes from the new Babycakes NYC cookbook, (which by the way would make an excellent holiday gift for any baker in your life) I have finally successfully made the famed frosting! The frosting is gluten-free and vegan, so the only ingredients include soy milk, coconut oil, vanilla and a few other ingredients. It is the most unusual frosting I have ever made. For starters it only involves a blender and refrigeration to make the frosting.

I called this my Goldilocks frosting attempt because the first time I made it, the frosting was too runny. The next time I made it, the frosting was too thick. And the third time I made it, the frosting was just right! If you are new to vegan baking, the ingredients can be hard to find. The first time I made the frosting I could not locate the dry powdered soy milk which the recipe called for, so I substituted powdered goat’s milk. Hence the sub-par results in texture. It tasted good, but it didn’t set up right no matter my efforts to follow Erin‘s tips. I think the goat’s milk must not have the same properties as the soy milk perhaps. I’m not sure, I unfortunately wasn’t into the science of it, I just wanted it to work!

I finally found dry powdered soy milk at Whole Foods, although it was not my first time looking there. I found it in a display by the produce and at a different location than the La Jolla store that I usually frequent. I found it across town, in Hillcrest (San Diego). Anyway, with the excitement of my find at Whole Foods, I hurried home to make the frosting again. This time the frosting was too thick. No matter how long I left it at room temperature, it never became smooth enough to use as frosting. I’m not sure what I did wrong this time, my only guess is that I might not have used the correct measurements. You see, I have a bad habit of loosely measuring items when baking. So I put the soy milk aside and didn’t think about frosting for awhile until I had a birthday in the family and a request for vegan cupcakes. As I started setting the ingredients on the counter I remembered my past lessons. I was obsessive this time about measuring accurately. And guess what? It worked! The frosting turned out just right.

It has a creamy texture and distinct coconut flavor. It does not have butter, but it does use coconut oil so it is not completely fat free. But I like to think it is a healthy version of frosting, or at least a safe option for mixed diets. The best part is that it tastes delicious! A little warning though, you do need to store the frosted cupcakes in the fridge until about 15-20 minutes before you plan to serve them. Otherwise the frosting might melt as it comes to room temperature. That is the only thing that makes this frosting a bit of a challenge. The best plan is to make the frosting the day prior and bake the cupcakes the morning of your event. Allow them to cool completely. And then frost just before serving. This way the cupcake does not become dry from being refrigerated.

P.S.

Babycakes NYC is getting closer to opening their LA location, stay tuned to their blog for updates!

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