Description
This vibrant Raspberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream is a luscious, vegan-friendly frosting made with aquafaba and vegan butter, infused with natural raspberry flavor and color from freeze-dried raspberry powder. Perfect for elevating cakes and cupcakes with its light, fluffy texture and beautiful pink hue.
Ingredients
Scale
Raspberry Powder
- 20 g freeze-dried raspberry pieces (or freeze-dried raspberry powder, add more to taste/for brighter color)
Meringue Base
- 135 g aquafaba (see recipe notes)
- 220 g superfine sugar (caster sugar)
Buttercream
- 250 g vegan block butter (room temperature, cut into 1″ chunks)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prepare the Raspberry Powder: Add the freeze-dried raspberries to a food processor and blitz for a few minutes until the raspberries turn into a fine powder. Let the powder settle for a minute before opening the lid. Pass the powder through a fine-mesh sieve to remove seeds. (Skip this step if using pre-made raspberry powder.)
- Heat Aquafaba and Sugar: In a large bowl, combine aquafaba and superfine sugar. Place the bowl over a saucepan with simmering water (bain-marie). Heat gently over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves completely and the syrup coats the back of a spoon without visible granules.
- Whip the Meringue: Remove the bowl from the heat. Using an electric whisk or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the mixture on high speed for 15-20 minutes until it is completely cool, glossy, and forms stiff peaks.
- Incorporate Butter: With the mixer on medium speed, gradually add the vegan butter chunks one at a time, allowing about 5 seconds for each chunk to incorporate. The mixture may deflate and appear curdled at times—this is normal. Continue adding butter until fully incorporated and mixture thickens to a buttercream consistency.
- Whip Until Fluffy: Continue whisking on low speed for 5-10 minutes until the buttercream is light, fluffy, and pale in color. If it appears split, keep whisking—it will come together with time.
- Add Flavor and Color: Gently fold in the vanilla extract and raspberry powder using a spatula to prevent powder puffing. Then whisk for a couple minutes to fully combine and achieve a smooth texture.
- Storage Instructions: For best results, use immediately to frost cakes or cupcakes. Store leftover buttercream in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will harden when chilled, so bring it to room temperature and re-whip gently before using to restore creamy texture.
Notes
- Aquafaba is the liquid from cooked chickpeas; it acts as an egg white substitute in this vegan meringue.
- If your buttercream looks split or curdled after adding butter, don’t worry—it usually comes back together with continued mixing.
- Adjust the amount of raspberry powder to achieve your preferred color intensity and flavor strength.
- Make sure vegan butter is at room temperature for best incorporation.
- Buttercream is best used fresh but can be refrigerated for up to a week.
