I have never been a fan of vegan whipped cream substitutes. Most of the products available on the market seem weird to me. They have an artificial taste that is just off. Like the aftertaste of most artificial sweeteners. If a vegan bakery uses those products in their cakes I walk right out. It’s not my thing.
Many products also just don’t work. You whip and whip and whip and nothing. Whipped cream is an animal based product that is very hard to imitate. The kind of fat found in cow milk cream is very special. It is responsible for the rich flavour of cream, the texture and the mouthfeel. So I want to emphasize that this is a substitute. It’s not the real thing. And I am not in the team of vegans that love to say „this tastes exactly like …“ (insert any kind of animal product here). Because it doesn’t. But in my opinion this recipe is the best alternative I have found so far.
Coconut and aquafaba based whipped cream substitutes
I don’t like coconut whipped cream. It tastes like coconut. Which is nice, but you don’t want that all the time. Especially not in every cake. Plus, I don’t find it stiff enough. It doesn’t work for me. The same is true for aquafaba based vegan whipped creams. The texture of aquafaba is much too light and airy for whipped cream. (I have used it for great marshmallow toppings though.) You want some density and some fat in there! Case in point: Here’s a strawberry shortbread cake I made with aquafaba. As you can see, it’s not holding its shape and cannot support the strawberries very well:
I grew up with amazing multilayered cream cakes. They have a their own name in German. They are not called cake (the German word for that is kuchen), they are called torte. So everybody knows they are not some kind of average cake. They usually have two to three layers of airy sponge cake with lots of flavoured whipped cream in between. Basically, there is cream everywhere. Very often they are made with fruit, we have strawberry torte or raspberry torte, for example. But of course there are many more. My favourite is schwarzwälder kirschtorte which you probably know as black forest cake. Black forest cake is the main reason why I came up with this whipped cream substitute. I used to love this cake. Since going vegan I haven’t had a good slice of black forest cake though. Most of the time it’s the cream substitute that really bothers me. But now that I finally have a whipped cream that works for me, there also will be a black forest cake recipe on this blog soon!
Today I am sharing my recipe for a whipped cream substitute that is coconut milk free (it has some refined coconut fat though) and aquafaba free. To be honest, it’s just an adaption of my tiramisú filling. I have often used it as a filling for other cakes and I just love how it always holds its shape.
This whipped cream sustitute is easy to make and there will be a ton of it! My recipe is similar to a vegan pastry cream (crème pâtissière) recipe, just a bit more dense, with a mousse-like texture. Even though it is called whipped cream substitute, you won’t have to whip it up. Once it’s been refrigerated, it’s ready to use. It will hold its shape perfectly and you can pipe it. If you store it in the fridge and don’t expose it to air, it will keep for a week. Just keep in mind that once it’s exposed to air it will dry out quickly (within a day) and form a skin. Please note that to make this work it is necessary to let the whipped cream cool over night, so that it can set properly.
Also if it’s very hot in your place right now, it’s probably not a good idea to use this recipe just yet. I had 27°C in my kitchen today when I decided to make my first black forest cake test. Coconut oil melts at higher room temperature and so does the cream. I had to work very quickly and transfer the cake to the fridge immediately after piping the cream on a layer of cake.
This whipped cream substitute is quite versatile. You can adjust the flavour to your needs, for example you can add more lemon. Or you can add a tablespoon of liquor to cut the sweetness a bit. Just make sure to reduce the soy milk by the same amount. You can also increase the amount of sugar if this isn’t sweet enough for you. This whipped cream is great in cake fillings or can be used to decorated cakes and cupcakes. Or chocolate rolls:
Hey there! Let me know what you think about this post. I’d really love to hear from you. Also, if you try this recipe, let me know. Also, you are very welcome to share your photos with me on Instagram, tag @seitanismymotor and #seitanismymotor. I love seeing your pictures and comments! Please do not post this recipe anywhere without linking back to this blog post. It takes me up to three days to develop a recipe, take pictures, write a blog post and translate it. Thank you!
Vegan Whipped Cream Substitute
A vegan whipped cream substitute with a mousse-like texture that can be piped for decoration or used for cake fillings
- 170 g raw cashews
- 500 ml soy milk, unsweetened
- 40 g cornstarch
- 1/8 tsp vanilla
- 110 g refined coconut oil
- 1 Tbsp lemon or lime juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 100 g powdered sugar, or to taste
Place the cashews in a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Let sit for one hour, then drain.
Meanwhile place 450 ml of the soy milk in a small pot. In a small bowl, mix the remaining 50 ml soy milk with cornstarch, until the starch is dissolved.
Bring the soymilk in the pot to a boil and once it boils, stir in cornstarch slurry. Cook for one minute until thickened. The mixture should resemble thick yoghurt.
Remove from heat and add coconut oil. The mixture should still be very warm, so it can melt the oil. Stir until combined.
Place cashews, thickened soy milk, vanilla, and lemon juice in a high speed blender and blend until smooth. Add sugar and blend again.
Transfer to a container and cover with a lid, so the mixture won't start forming a skin.
Let cool for about 30 minutes, then transfer to the fridge and let set over night.
Now the whipped cream substitute is ready to use. Make sure to store the baked goods with vegan whipped cream substitute in the fridge and take out right before serving.
39 comments
Fun. Going to try it! Love that it’s not full of bizarre unappetizing vegan ingredients. Tried any other thickeners ?
What is a bizarre vegan ingredient? I am confused.
I’m always looking to try new plant-based alternatives for whipped cream. This version sounds thick and creamy. I can’t wait to try it!
Can another milk be successfully substituted for the soy? I usually have oat milk and sometimes cashew. I am definitely making this recipe this week!
Count me in as a new subscriber too!
Hy Carolyn, I have only made this with soy milk. But I don’t see why another milk shouldn’t work. Let me know how it went if you get the chance and thanks for subscribing!
I used unsweetened vanilla OAT MILK and it turned out PERFECT! Thank you so much for this recipe!
Awesome, Carolyn! Thanks for letting me know.
Hi from Florida! I am so intrigued by this recipe. No coconut cream and no Aquafaba. I will make this during the week and let you know how it comes out. I love your desserts! I will be subscribing and following 🥰
Hey Shirin, thanks a lot! I would love to hear how this works out for you and thanks for subscribing!
This is just The thing I’m always looking for to decorate my cakes!!! I also don’t want coconut cream for all my desserts that need cream, but just straight cashew cream wasn’t quite working for me either. I can’t wait to try this!!!
Thanks! Let me know how it goes!
I’m the type of person who could very happy eat a bowlful of whipped cream and call that dessert, so I’m really happy to get your secret formula! It’s especially handy to have something more stable for photo shoots. Thank you!
I was that kind of person, too! This is definitely working for photo shoots as long as it’s not exposed to heat for too long.
This recipe sounds wonderful! I also love your tiramisù and will sometimes make cake toppings inspired by it because I love the flavour of the soya yoghurt. But I don’t always have yoghurt on hand so I’d like to try this version too. Those chocolate rolls look gorgeous and I can’t wait to see your Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte!
Oh, that’s awesome to hear you’re using the tiramusu topping. Unfortunately our fridge is broken so no Schwarzwälder Kirsch this week.
This is a very clever recipe! Whipped cream always seems to be a sticking point with a lot of vegan recipes and places. Flora did recently release a professional plant cream that whips perfectly, but at $16 for 1 litre it is not exactly cost effective, plus then you have to make sure to use the whole litre within a few days after opening. So it is nice to see other options in the home made recipe world.
Black forest cake is one of my favourite cakes! Though any time I find one here, the cream is always buttercream, which is just sooooo sweet. But I love the chocolate and cherries combination.
16$? That is crazy! I would never use that litre, too. Black forest cake with buttercream sounds so wrong. I agree that it is too sweet also it is so heavy, a slice of buttercream cake kills me every time.
I have never been a big fan of whipped cream but there are some sweets that need it – I could imagine it on a simple vanilla sponge cake with fresh strawberry halves arranged on top – that is the sort of cake my mum makes and it is so simple but very good. I love that you use cashews because cashews seem to be in so many great vegan substitutes and I would far prefer to have cashews than coconut cream!
You are totally right! it is definitely great with some sweets and I agree that it goes so well with strawberries. Your mum’s cake sounds awesome!
This looks great, I will try to make it soon–maybe this weekend! I also am not a fan of using coconut whipped cream for everything. Before I make this, I wanted to ask you if you are using sweetened soy milk and if that is where the sweetness comes from? I don’t see any sugar in the recipe, so if I were using unsweetened soy milk where in the process could I add some sugar? Thank you and I can’t wait to try it!
Ramona, thank you so much for catching that! There is sugar in this recipe. I updated it. Sorry about that. The soy milk is unsweetened.
Wow! I’ll have to try this. I agree that coconut cream just doesn’t do the job. Hope all is well with you!
Yes, all is well. How are you Kelly?
I can’t get on board with the flavour of the coconut cream usually, I feel there is an after taste sometimes which spoils the flavour of food for me. Though I do not prepare sweet stuff often, I have too many of cashews need using and the recipe sounds wonderful. Do you think this might work as a topping for fresh fruit salad or might be too heavy? Thanks for sharing this with the rest of us!
Hello Silvia, yeah I feel the same about coconut sometimes. I think you could totally use this as a topping for fruit salad. Maybe decrease sugar and increase lemon zest. But that is totally up to you.
This looks great, cannot wait to try it (I’d like to make a trifle this sunday so this comes just in the right time). I love your tiramisu filling and I have been using it regularly (even for cakes-tortes) eversince I have discovered your blog many many years ago. Im sure the whipped cream will be a success as well (I’m also not a fan of storebought vegan “whipped creams”). Thank you for keeping your blog alive with such a great content even after so many years!
Hello Pupa! Thank you for your comment and I really appreciate that you’ve been reading this blog for so long. I am glad the tiramisu filling has been so useful for you. And I miss your Instagram posts.
I’ll have to try this next time I make a cake it’s not too often I do but I’ll save it for later and for a special occasion.
I hope you get the chance to make it so I can admire your pictures afterwards!
Sieht voll lecker aus, wie immer! Ich versuche mal, es mit unserem Cashewmilch zu machen. <3
Danke, Emma! Müsste mit Cashewmilch genauso gut funktionieren. Du kannst ja mal berichten. :)
This looks soooo good and fluffy. Can’t wait to try!
Thank you, Lisa! I hope you get the chance to make this!
Alles vorhanden, bis auf eine kühle Wohnung. 😉 Werde das Rezept trotzdem baldmöglichst ausprobieren. Könnte mir auch gut vorstellen, die Creme als Bienenstichfüllung zu verwenden, ggf. mit Puddingpulver statt Stärke. Das war früher immer mein Lieblingskuchen. 😋 Aber für den ersten Versuch schwebt mir eher ein Bananencremekuchen mit Schokoladenbiskuit vor. 🤤
Ich hoffe, das mit der kühlen Wohnung wird bald wieder! Hier ist es auch so heiß. Puddingpulver ist eigentlich nichts anderes als Stärke mit Vanille. Du könntest also die Creme wie sie ist für den Bienenstich verwenden. Aber auch mit Puddingpulver eine sehr gute Idee. Bienenstich könnte ich auch mal wieder machen.
Habe den Bananenkuchen in die Tat umgesetzt und er ist sehr lecker geworden. 😋 Den fehlenden Zucker habe ich beim Zusammenrühren zum Glück bemerkt und spontan 50 g Zucker verwendet. Hätten durchaus auch 60 g sein dürfen, aber hat trotzdem gut gepasst.
Die Creme stand jedenfalls wie ne 1! 🤩
Werde den Bienenstich also auf jeden Fall mal angehen und die Creme mit Puddingpulver machen. Ist geschmacklich halt doch anders als Vanilleextrakt und kommt hoffentlich näher ran an den Kuchen vom Bäcker damals. 😉
Tut mir total leid wegen des Zuckers! Schön, dass es trotzdem geklappt hat.
This sounds and looks very promising! I was wondering what I could use instead of coconut milk (don’t always like the taste). And now I’m very curious to try it out :P
Yay, I am glad this is helpful for you! Please let me know what you think!
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