Bad luck or unlucky accidents characteristically pop up without warning and can leave one feeling sorely sideswiped. The antidote for the common mishap arises in the form of the simple serendipity of a frosted cake, the no-special-occasion-just-because cake. Some days are for having your cake and eating it too. On these spontaneous occasions, this is my go-to Mini Boston Creme Pie cake recipe from Brooklyn pastry chef, Penny Stankiewicz. Turn up the tunes and take the day off to bake a cake or several mini-cakes, one small steady step at a time. If you only get as far as step one, baking the cake, no problem — it’s delicious plain and makes the perfect sponge cake for cutting into cubes and dipping into warm chocolate fondue.
If you are unable to tolerate the raw eggs and butter of a traditional pastry cream frosting, here is my foolproof recipe for a dairy-free buttercream frosting that stands up nicely to swirling into frosty-cone cake toppings. I promise, nobody will taste the difference.
- ⅔ cup plant-based butter spread (I use the Earth Balance Original buttery spread)
- 4½ - 5½ cups powdered sugar depending on your sweet tooth
- a few teaspoons of almond milk for thinning the frosting as necessary
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- a pinch of salt
- Cream together the vegan buttery spread, vanilla extract and salt in an electric mixer on low speed.
- Add half the powdered sugar and mix until smooth and thick.
- Add a teaspoon or more of almond milk to thin the frosting before adding the remainder of the powdered sugar.
- Mix until smooth and light.
- Add more milk if necessary for a smooth and spreadable consistency before whipping vigorously for remaining few minutes until the frosting is light and fluffy.
This looks ridiculously awesome!
Haha! Thanks Christy. I’ll make them for our next non-occasion 🙂
MMMM, please bring to next Content Creator Meeting … love to try and first dessert I’ve seen using Almond Milk, too!