Vanilla Honey Buttercream Frosting is so versatile for cakes, cupcakes and more!
Who doesn't love frosting with their cake. I mean, frosting is the best part right?! Or at least it's the best combined, but there's alway got to be a good ratio and a bit heavier on the frosting.
At least that's how I LOVE it, as long as the frosting is not too sweet. I'm not a fan of super sweet frosting that starts to make you feel sick before you can even finish a whole slice of cake.
This vanilla honey buttercream frosting isn't too sweet and has no powdered sugar!
It has just the right amount of sweetness and it's naturally sweetened with honey. That's right, just honey! You won't find any cane sugar in this frosting because there's no need for it!
Sure, honey is still a "natural sugar" but it's not even close to refined powdered sugar that usually makes frosting insanely too sweet. For most people, it's much easier for the body to recognize and won't leave you feeling all jittery like sugar does. Sugar rush + sugar crash = no good.
This honey sweetened frosting is just 3 ingredients and nourishing.
You might be thinking how can frosting be nourishing? Well, it can be when you ditch the powdered sugar and load it up with a nutrient-dense, healthy fat. In this case, I'm talking about grass-fed BUTTER.
Grass-fed BUTTER, yes indeed! The 80's fat-free and low-fat non-sense that I learned as a kid that and grew up with has been proven to be wrong. We got force-fed a lot of ridiculous dietary and nutritional information that was just plain WRONG.
In fact studies now reveal that there is no increased heart disease risk linked to consuming saturated fats. The studies found that people who consume grass-fed butter actually have a LOWER risk of heart disease (you can find those studies on The American Journal of Clinical Nutritional and elsewhere, just search for it, you'll find tons of info).
Healthy fats = fuel!
Now I'm not talking about just any butter. Quality, grass-fed butter is by far superior and much more nourishing. It's much easier to find these days. Even most Costco's carry it now!
This amazingly nutrient-dense healthy fat is loaded with fat-soluble vitamins. It's packed with the fatty acid CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) which is known to have lots of beneficial effects on health.
This is why grass-fed butter is so important!
Grass-fed butter contains 5 times more CLA than butter made from cows that are grain-fed and not fed their speciess appropriate diet (which is grass!!!).
Grass-fed butter is also a lot higher in beneficial omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin K2 (which is something that my body was majorly lacking during my 17+ years as a vegetarian turned vegan).
This nourishing frosting is family-loved and kid approved!
This frosting has topped lots of cupcakes and many birthday cakes over the years. It's been loved by my family, especially my girls and also loved by many readers! There are families who email me yearly telling me how special and loved this frosting has become for their family celebrations.
It's sentimental to me in a way too, because I feel grateful to be able to share a from scratch frosting with my children and hopefully they'll pass this recipe on along the way too.
My kids have been making this vanilla honey buttercream frosting with the hand mixer since they were toddlers. Many beaters and spatulas have been licked wth big smiles across the face - and you can't beat that.
Make sure to use the right kind of honey!
I have updated the recipe with more notes about the honey because many people keep using the thin kind of honey that comes in a squeeze bottle or honey bear. Squeeze honey or honey bears have been too processed and are not the right kind of honey to use!
I link to the exact kind of honey that I use in the recipe - I find it locally at our local natural foods co-op. It's a true, raw honey that hasn't been stripped and highly processed. It is not a creamed honey, it's just a real, raw honey so it should be thicker in consistency. I also list another kind of honey that I have used that is easy to find in grocery stores like Sprouts.
I hope you enjoy this delectable frosting as much as my family does.
Vanilla Honey Buttercream Frosting
Vanilla Honey Buttercream Frosting
Rich and sweet, a little goes a long way slathered on your favorite cake. This delicious, naturally sweetened Vanilla Honey Buttercream Frosting made with 3 real food ingredients is so easy to make, it only takes a few minutes.
Ingredients
- ½ cup COLD grass-fed butter
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoon raw honey
- 2 teaspoon gluten-free organic vanilla extract
Instructions
- Fit standing mixer with the flat beater (if you don't have a standing mixer, you could use a hand mixer or food processor instead) and mixing bowl.
- Add butter, honey and vanilla to the bowl and mix on low speed until the butter starts to soften. Increase speed and whip until creamed and it begins to have a lighter white color, about 1 minute. Stop mixer and scrape down frosting with a spatula.
Notes
This recipe works perfectly with and has been tested with the following honey:
- Certified Organic Raw Honey (<< Sprouts carries this)
- Unfiltered Raw Honey
- Unfiltered Orange Blossom Honey
Honey Tips if You Don't Use the Above Honey:
- Use a lighter color honey (not wildflower honey) to ensure the flavor stays mild and not bold in flavor.
- Do NOT use super thin honey like the kind that comes in a squeeze bottle or "honey bear".
- See the ingredients, above notes or recommended products below for the exact type of honey that I use.
- The honey in the video on my site does not reflect the correct type of honey that should be used - I did not film that video and the wrong honey was used. You must use the correct kind of honey for this recipe! I have listed the brands used in the links.
This recipe was tested with the following COLD butter: Kerrygold Salted Butter, Organic Valley Pasture Butter and Vital Farms Sea Salted Pasture-Raised Butter. Yes the butter brand is important for this recipe, please use quality butter!
Storage: If storing for later, make sure to take it out of the refrigerator about 20-30 minutes before frosting so it's not so hard and will spread easier.
Serving Suggestions: Use this to frost your favorite cookies or cakes like chocolate cake, carrot cake, vanilla cake, etc.
Frosting Cake/Cupcakes: It takes about 1 to 1 ½ cups of frosting to generously frost 12 cupcakes. It takes about 2 ½ to 4 cups of frosting to fill and generously frost a two-layer 9" cake.
Equipment: Standing Mixer & Bowl or Hand Mixer, Spatula
HONEY IS NOT INTENDED FOR BABIES UNDER 2 YEARS OLD.
The photographs of this recipe, recipe and all content above are copyright protected. Please do not use my photos without prior written permission. If you choose to share this recipe, please feel free to share by using proper etiquette and providing a link back to my original recipe on my blog, not a screenshot, with proper disclosure [the original recipe - "title of recipe" by Recipes to Nourish]. Copying/pasting the full recipe text to websites or social media is prohibited. If you make significant changes to the recipe or adapt the recipe in any way, please rewrite the recipe in your own unique words and provide a link back here with proper disclosure for credit. Thanks for understanding!
Recommended Products
-
Apitherapy Raw Honey-Orange Blossom Honey Gardens 1 lb Glass Jar -
KitchenAid KSM150PSWH Artisan Series 5-Qt. Stand Mixer with Pouring Shield - White -
Silicone Spatula - 6 Spatulas Silicone Heat Resistant - Mini Rubber Spatula Set - Cooking Spatulas for Nonstick Cookware - Colorful Baking Kitchen Spatula Set - One Piece Design Spoon (Multicolor)
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 80Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 61mgCarbohydrates: 3gFiber: 0gSugar: 3gProtein: 0g
This nutritional information was auto-generated based on serving size, number of servings, and typical information for the ingredients listed. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, please calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients and amounts used, using your preferred nutrition calculator. Under no circumstances shall the this website and the author be responsible for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on the given nutritional information. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
Are you on Pinterest? I pin lots of yummy real food recipes + more there. I have a board just for Gluten Free Treats too. Come follow along.
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Megan @ The Detoxinista
This frosting looks perfect! I can't wait to try it the next time I bake. 😉
Thanks for sharing!!
Emily Sunwell
Thank you 🙂 Hope you enjoy it!
Erin
How many cupcakes will this recipe (1.5 cups) frost? And I noticed your strawberry icing requires arrowroot powder. Do you recommend putting some in this too?
Emily Sunwell-Vidaurri
The estimated amount for frosting cupcakes is about 1 cup for 12 cupcakes. It takes about 2 1/2 to 4 cups of frosting to generously frost a 2 layer 9" cake. I hope that helps. I never have in this recipe, but I'm sure you could. When using powdered sugar, most have cornstarch or tapioca flour in them, so the arrowroot acts in the same way as the others would in powdered sugar.
BethanyB
Just made this, but it didn't get as stiff as it looks like yours' did (from the picture of it in the bowl). Any suggestions?
Emily Sunwell
I'm sorry it did not turn out for you. The frosting should not be stiff, it's soft. I use a raw creamed clover honey, which tends to be a thicker honey and I don't soften the pasture butter first. Did you use a standing mixer? It's hard to say, temperature can be the culprit sometimes, and so can equipment and/or ingredients. I've never had a problem with this frosting and have been making it for many years.
anonymous
add more powdered sugar
Anonymous
yes, mine did not stiffen up either. hmmm
Emily Sunwell
It should not be stiff, it should be a soft frosting.
Anonymous
Thanks for this - I made a version without the vanilla, replacing it instead with almond essence and a tiny bit of brandy - voila, a cane-sugar free version of my Gran's brandy butter icing for my honey sweetened Christmas cake - yum!
Emily Sunwell
Yum! That sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Linda
I realize I'm late to the party. But, this frosting is wonderful. I used Pasture Butter and regular raw honey, added 2 tablespoons of cocoa and it was amazing. Soft, creamy and delicious. Frosted a birthday cake with it and chilled the whole thing for about an hour. Perfect!
Emily Sunwell
Yum! I'm so happy you enjoyed it! Makes me want to go bake a cake so I can make the frosting 🙂 Thanks for sharing. Take care.
Awesome kid
And nut free!!
Camille
I just made this and it's absolutely wonderful! I had made wheat free, corn free, refined sugar-free orange cream cupcakes. So I added a 1/4 tsp of orange oil to it. Absolutely wonderful!! Thank you!
Emily Sunwell
Oh I bet they were so yummy! Such a good flavor combo. Thanks for sharing 🙂
ShawnKimAdopting
I made this today, but added 1/2 cup confectioners sugar to make it a little stiffer. Then I used it to frost a pumpkin spice cake. It was amazing! My husband immediately asked for a second piece of cake the moment he finished eating the first. This was BY FAR the best frosting I've ever made. Thank you so much for sharing it!
Emily Sunwell
Thank you so much for sharing! I bet the confectioners sugar made it extra yummy too. I love pumpkin spice cake, so glad you enjoyed it.
Jodie
I made this today and WOW! It is so nice. The first batch didn't make the cake. Between my 3 girls and myself having a little taste it was nearly all gone. My hand mixer has blown up so I used a mini processor that came with my stick blender and it did a good job. Dying to try this recipe again!
Emily Sunwell-Vidaurri
Thanks so much for sharing this with me! I love that the 4 of you enjoyed it. I hope you get to make it again soon. I know what you mean, we always enjoy it before it make it to the cake or cupcakes 😉 Take care and thanks again so much for leaving a comment.
Tisha
I'm thinking of adding some peanut butter to this recipe? Do you think that could work and if so how much?
Emily Sunwell-Vidaurri
Sounds yummy! I bet that would be delicious, but I've never used peanut butter in the recipe, so I'm not sure.
Brooke
Love this recipe! I made it to cover my son's birthday cake for his 1st birthday. Turned out great! The only thing I would say to those going to make it, be sure your butter is cold, straight from the fridge. I made two batches, one with cold butter and one with a little softened butter, and the cold butter produced a much more smooth, creamy, non-curdled frosting. Thanks for a great recipe!
Emily Sunwell-Vidaurri
Thanks so much for sharing that! So happy to hear and Happy Birthday to your little one. Great feedback on the butter.
Janet B Jacobsen
Very good! I made some pumpkin muffins using maple syrup for to sweeten and they didn't have much flavor. Rather than start over and add more spices I made this frosting and it is very good on the muffins. Thanks!
Emily Sunwell-Vidaurri
Great to hear! Thanks!
Antoinette
Hi can I replace the honey with maple syrup.
Many thanks
Emily Sunwell-Vidaurri
You could try that Antoinette, it won't give it the exact same consistency as a thicker honey though. Another option could be using maple sugar, grinding it up first in a blender or food processor to make it powdered consistency. That would work for sure. Hope that helps!
Shortcake
Honey and butter are a natural combination. I bet it was the frosting used in the Middle ages when "hony" was the main sweet. I am surprised that not many cookbooks mention this simple homemade treat. I guess the history of merchandising is that you really "should" give up the honey and use "pure" white sugar, shouldn't you? (evil eye brow raise)
I like the taste of honey more. I'm thinking of making some kind of strawberry angel food cake with honey-butter frosting. An egg white based sponge cake or even cupcake, with strawberries mashed and sweetened, frosted with honey-butter frosting. Yum.
Kathy
I thought that I was compromising by using this recipe. I was out of cream cheese to make my standard frosting, but I didn't want to run to the store. The frosting was to be used for cinnamon rolls. The frosting is perfect! Oh, my! No comprise here!
Emily Sunwell-Vidaurri
I'm so happy to hear that Kathy! I love cream cheese frosting too, so I know you what you mean. This one is pretty delicious too 🙂 Thanks for letting me know!
Kris
When I make this, should I expect it to be a little lumpy from the cold butter? Or does it really all smooth out fairly well? I've made frosting with softened butter, so this is a new way for me to try by starting with the butter being cold.
Emily Sunwell-Vidaurri
Hi Kris, once it gets whipped really good, it will soften. Being cold helps it maintain a fluffier, soft texture 🙂
Monique
How does this frosting hold up to heat? I'm looking for something for a 2 year old's outdoor birthday party. Also, could I substitute something dairy-free for the butter? Coconut oil?
Emily Sunwell-Vidaurri
Hi Monique 🙂 It's not going to hold up to a lot of heat because it's butter. That being said, it can be left at room temperature since there's nothing in it like cream cheese which would need refrigeration. It wouldn't "melt" unless it was left in extreme heat, just think about butter and how long it would take to melt in the sun and the frosting will be similar. I hope that helps! 🙂 How fun for the 2 year old's birthday, I hope it's a lovely one. Both of my kids have enjoyed this frosting at their young birthdays. For dairy-free - coconut oil would really change the flavor and I wouldn't recommend that. You could try using a quality brand of palm shortening which is usually a blend of organic palm oil and coconut oil, that would work the best.
Jean
This frosting looks so pretty and so perfect! I can't believe it's only made with 3 ingredients. I'll definitely have to save this one for the next time I'm making cupcakes.
Emily Sunwell-Vidaurri
Thank you Jean! I hope you get to enjoy some 🙂
Melissa @Real Nutritious Living
You had me at buttercream! This looks absolutely fantastic Emily!
Emily Sunwell-Vidaurri
Thanks so much Melissa 🙂
ChihYu
What a lovely flavor combo. Now I have to make this recipe for my husband ! He'd love it !
Emily Sunwell-Vidaurri
Love to hear that! I hope you get to make some for him. 🙂
Megan Stevens
So simple and SO beautifully perfect! I love your back story and what this frosting means to you! Beautiful butter and the cakes we top, how lovely and happy!
Emily Sunwell-Vidaurri
So fun to have those traditions with our kids isn't it? 🙂 Gotta love that butter!
Joni Gomes
Great recipe! This buttercream frosting looks so fluffy! I will not only add it to my cakes but maybe add a scoop to my afternoon coffee or matcha!
Emily Sunwell-Vidaurri
Oh yum! That's an awesome idea! 🙂
Katja
This looks epic. I need a good buttercream recipe. Can't wait to try it on hubby's bday cake.
Emily Sunwell-Vidaurri
How fun! I hope you all enjoy it! 🙂
Gene
Simple and sensible ingredients. Gotta love a staple for those special occassions when frosting is in order.
Emily Sunwell-Vidaurri
Simple can be so perfect sometimes. 🙂
Tessa the Domestic Diva
Can't wait to try this! I have been wanting to try experimenting with honey sweetened version...looks like I don;t have to!
Emily Sunwell-Vidaurri
🙂 I hope you get to enjoy some. Honey works so well in frostings. It's so good with cocoa powder added too, I make a chocolate version with it.
linda spiker
This looks and sounds fabulous Emily! Perfection!
Emily Sunwell-Vidaurri
Thanks Linda! 🙂
Renee Kohley
Love this so much Emily! Cait's birthday is in a few weeks and I'm going to try the honey for the buttercream - great idea! She will love it!
Emily Sunwell-Vidaurri
Oh how fun! I bet whatever you're making this year is going to be perfect as always. xo
Carol Little R.H. @studiobotanica
What a lovely recipe ~ 3 ingredients = real food buttercream frosting ~ WOW!!
Can't wait to try this one!
Emily Sunwell-Vidaurri
Super simple and so delicious 🙂
yvonne
This frosting looks amazing and love that it is made with honey and not powdered sugar.
Emily Sunwell-Vidaurri
Thanks Yvonne! 🙂 It's so good without it.
Georgie
I love how soft and fluffy this buttercream frosting is! And I don't know why but I'd never have thought to use only honey in it - genius!
Emily Sunwell-Vidaurri
Thank you! It's so yummy with the honey. 🙂
Cathy
I am excited to find this recipe! I don't like things that are too sweet, either. And, isn't it great to know that healthful fats are good for us!
Emily Sunwell-Vidaurri
Yes! SO good to know that some fats are truly so nourishing and good for our body. 🙂
Liana
Thank you Thank You ? for this amazing and simple frosting! OMG I had all the ingredients in my house! So tasty, not too sweet. Just perfect! I needed a frosting for my healthier cake and this was so good. It was a hit at our last nights dinner. Thank you
Emily Sunwell-Vidaurri
I'm so thrilled to hear that Liana! Thanks so much for sharing that with me. I'm so glad it was a hit. 🙂
Raia Todd
That frosting looks perfect! Honey buttercream is so rich and delicious.
Emily Sunwell-Vidaurri
Thanks so much Raia! 🙂
Holley @ThePrimalDesire
Seriously, I am craving cake, my adrenals are shot, and this would satisfy my craving without making me feel worse!! Looks amazing.
Emily Sunwell-Vidaurri
Oh no on the adrenals, that's no good. I hope you're able to enjoy something to tastes good to you and works well for your body.
Kari - Get Inspired Everyday!
This looks like frosting perfection! Honey and vanilla is such a good combination, and this looks so incredibly creamy and luscious!
Emily Sunwell-Vidaurri
Thanks Kari! It's so yummy 🙂
STACEY CRAWFORD
That frosting looks crazy delicious and so creamy too!
Emily Sunwell-Vidaurri
Thanks so much Stacey! 🙂
Darryl
What a tasty combination - looks so rich and creamy! Amazing!
Emily Sunwell-Vidaurri
Thanks Darryl! 🙂
Emily
This was actually pretty dang awesome. I had to make some different chocolate cakes for a research and development project at work and people always complain if there is no frosting. I didn't have any powdered sugar on hand so i used this recipe and added a couple tablespoons of cocoa. It was really fluffy, and light, people LOVED it. It did have a pronounced honey flavor, but if you don't mind that (i actually love that), then it is definitely a winner. I've made a lot of cakes and frostings (professional chef for 7 years) and this is absolutely one of my favorites! It would be amazing with some orange and lavender additions too 🙂
Emily Sunwell-Vidaurri
That is so fun to hear! I'm so glad it was loved and that you enjoying it too. 🙂 I love adding cocoa powder to it too (chocolate is my favorite - the rest of my family loves vanilla). You're right, it would be really lovely with orange or lavender too. Thanks so much for sharing this with me.
Meredith
This looks amazing! Can’t wait to try! I need a pink frosting....have you ever added natural colorings to this? I would like to use a little beet purée, but not sure how much...don’t want to ruin the texture.
Emily Sunwell-Vidaurri
Hi Meredith 🙂 Thanks so much! I hope you get to enjoy it. I've never used natural coloring with this, but I bet that would work fine. I know there's a couple of natural colorings on the market that use pretty clean ingredients. I've never used beet purée to make pink frosting before, however I've used it in chocolate cakes. Usually I use freeze-dried raspberries to make a pink color in frosting - you can check out my method on this chocolate raspberry swirl frosting recipe.
Jen
I made this frosting twice last month to go with buttercream birthday cakes. I added peach purée to one and strawberry purée to the other. The consistency was great and the strawberry made a beautiful pink color while the peach was sort of cream color with orange flecks. Hope that helps! I may make it with a blackberry purée for my sons’s third bday tomorrow!
Jen
*It should be noted that I reduced the purées on the stove top and let them cool completely before incorporating them into the frosting.
Holly
This might be a silly question but do you use salted or unsalted butter? I can't wait to make this recipe soon!
Emily Sunwell-Vidaurri
Hi Holly, it's not a silly question 🙂 You can really use either, I have used both before. My preference is usually unsalted for frosting, although sometimes it's nice to have that little saltiness added to the sweet. I hope that helps and that you enjoy the frosting.
Blaire
Just made this (a test run) to go on top of a refined sugar free banana cake for my daughter's 1st birthday next week (I replaced the honey with maple syrup) and it is SO good! I was worried about not having a "smash" cake for her because I'm not giving her anything with refined sugar and this recipe is 100% perfect 🙂
Emily Sunwell-Vidaurri
That makes me smile so big! I'm so glad you like it, that's great to know about the sub too. What a fun way to celebrate her 1st birthday! (I'm like you too - I don't do sugar with my babes before 2 years old.)
Connie
Do you think I could use coconut butter instead grass fed butter? Because I live in a tropical country, the temp is 92F and above daily, plus very humid. Would butter hold up the heat (room temp)? I really want to try out this frosting, it looks perfect! Pls advise, thanks.
Emily Sunwell-Vidaurri
Hi Connie, well that's tricky. I personally wouldn't use coconut butter because it will drastically change the flavor and will possibly change the consistency, but it's not an ingredient that I tested for this recipe, so I really can't say for sure. I don't know the exact temperature that butter melts, but yes, if set out in that type of heat, I'm assuming it's not going to stay as firm and fluffy as a normal frosting. We have very hot summers here - 90's-100's and I've made this frosting several times during the summer before, but we also consume it inside where the temperature isn't so hot. I'm not sure that's the answer you're looking for. I hope that helps. 🙂
Connie
Is it enough to frost 7inch cake? How long can I keep the frosted cake for? Should I keep the frosted cake in the fridge until I serve? Thanks
Emily Sunwell-Vidaurri
Hi Connie, it's hard to say because everyone's preference with amount of frosting is different. That being said, it generally takes about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of frosting to generously frost 12 cupcakes. It takes about 2 1/2 to 4 cups of frosting to fill and generously frost a two-layer 9" cake. In terms of keeping the cake in the fridge, that can also vary because some cakes drastically dry up when being placed in the fridge. The frosting will harden some (just like butter does) if refrigerated, so you'd want to allow the cake to come to room temperature before serving, unless you don't mind a colder more "set" texture kind of frosting. Cake usually doesn't last more than 2 days in my home because we devour it. I would say typically most cakes are best on the 1st day, still good on the 2nd day and not as fresh tasting on the 3rd day. I hope that helps! 🙂
Amy
Do you have a natural sugar recipe for peanut butter frosting?
Emily Sunwell-Vidaurri
Hi Amy, I don't have a peanut butter frosting on my site. Just this one, a chocolate frosting and a chocolate raspberry swirl frosting. That sounds yummy though, I don't think I've ever had a peanut butter frosting, but I have had a yummy chocolate-PB frosting.
A M
I turned this recipe into a peanut butter frosting by adding 1/3-1/2 cup creamy peanut butter. It was delicious. It made enough to frost 12 cupcakes and have enough leftover for the next morning’s waffles.
A M
This recipe did not work for me as written, even though I used very cold Kerrygold butter. The result was a sweet buttery slime. BUT! I added about 1/3-1/2 cup peanut butter (I’m not exactly sure how much, I didn’t measure), mixed together, and it made a perfectly fine texture frosting that was DELICIOUS! I put it on top of gluten-free cupcakes, and even the non-healthy eaters in the crowd said they were yum. I think this will become my new go-to frosting. Just wanted to share that in case others have the same result I did. Thanks!!
E M
Thank you! I had the same result; the honey and butter separated (honestly was kind of expecting this result) and created a curdled mess. Tasty, but not pretty. I'll give this a go!
Emily Sunwell-Vidaurri
It should not be curdled at all. My best guess is the type of honey you used caused this to happen or the brand of butter you used - I have only tested this recipe with Organic Valley pasture butter and Kerrygold. Did you use a thinner honey like the kind from a honey bear or squeeze bottle or did you use a thicker honey?
Rose Martine
this was wonderful! Thank you for sharing all these tips and recipes..really helps those of us without the create gene;)
Andrea
Do you think this would work with vegan butter to make this dairy free? I struggle to find organic palm shortening where I live in Alberta, Canada, but can easily find vegan butter.
Emily Sunwell-Vidaurri
Hi Andrea, I wish I had an answer for you but I really don't know. I don't work with vegan butter, so I'm not sure what kind of results you would get.
annette wall
Hi. I was seeing where confectioners sugar was added in some recipes here? I am trying to imagine what this would taste like with just butter and vanilla and honey and not be sweet?
I have volunteered to make our grandson's 2nd birthday cake and always prefer more natural ingredients 🙂
Thank you,
Annette
Blove
Wondering if I could use ghee?
Emily Sunwell-Vidaurri
I have never tried this with ghee. It's possible it could work the same, the flavor will be different for sure and the texture might be a bit softer.
Catherine Ferrera
I make a gheenash for cakes. you would just have to mix in the honey right after making your ghee then give it a good stir and put in the fridge. when its starting to harden and has that creamy texture (like room temp butter) I give it another stir so the honey that has come to bottom gets incorporated in it all. then frost your cake, make sure its not warm when doing this or you will have a melting mess, and place cake in fridge if you want it to be a ganash style frosting or leave at room temp for soft frosting. just not a warm place it will melt quick.. I hope that helps. this recipe I do with homemade ghee. I don't buy store bought because the flavor is soo good when fresh
Tanja
I was grateful when I found your recipe for a sugar replacement cake I was making for a customer. Here is my experience...
When I had everything in the mixer, it curdled & split. I let it set for a couple of minutes & the honey (raw, as indicated), gathered in a pool at the bottom of the bowl. It just seemed like it needed more butter to honey ratio. I added 1/4 cup room temp butter & slowly built up to top speed. THEN it started to look like a stable buttercream frosting! After tasting, I added 1/4tsp salt to cut the sweetness. With these changes it made a fine substitute frosting I can offer customers. Thank you!
Emily Vidaurri
Hi Tanja, I'm glad you were able to get it to work. The salt sounds like a great addition. ? It sounds like you skipped using cold butter though. You must use cold butter for this recipe, room temperature won't work. It should never curdle or split. My ratio for my recipe is not off, it works perfectly every time when using the ingredients I used - I've been making this for many years and have never had a problem. Did you use the butter brands that I suggest in the recipe? I only recommend cold Kerrygold butter, cold Organic Valley pasture butter or cold Vital Farms grass-fed butter. I also suggest 3 honey brands in the recipe that work perfectly in this recipe - not all honey is equal, especially if it's a thin honey. One of the brands is easy to find at Sprouts - or online here. I also love this brand, both the original and their orange blossom work great! I can find these locally at a natural foods store, but they're also available online. The recipe should take no longer than 2 minutes maximum to make - in terms of mixing/whipping. I hope you'll try it again with these tips.
Elizabeth
Will this hold up for flowers?
Emily Vidaurri
Do you mean for cake decorating - piping flowers? I don't have a drop flower piping tip, so I can't say for sure because I've never tested it. I have used a round tip and that works well. As long as the frosting is cold, it's pretty thick like regular frosting and holds up well.
Lauren
Hi Emily!
Would this be possible to mix it all by hand? haha, I don’t have any type of mixer or hand mixer. Also, if I were to make this for an 8x8 pan cake, would I just half the recipe?
Thank you!
Emily Vidaurri
Hi, sadly I don't think that would work - you won't be able to get enough "air" into it to whip it enough. It would also be really hard to whip the butter since it's cold. Hope you're able to find something that works. ?
Nikky
Hi, I’m a bit confused about the honey, by raw... do you mean candied/crystallised? I have my own hives and extract raw honey, but it is syrupy... or do you need it a bit older raw honey that will set to a sloppy to hard texture? Not sure I can get your brands where I am. Thanks!
Emily Vidaurri
That's so wonderful that you have your own hives! Raw - just meaning for people who don't have their own hives, to look for a true, raw honey instead of the generic kinds that are stripped of all nutritional properties. I think your fresh honey should work just fine ?
Samantha
Hello! I just want to be clear, does this frosting actually taste like honey or does the honey just replace powdered sugar for sweetness? I’m looking for a frosting that will taste like honey.
Emily Vidaurri
Hi Samantha - yes to both. It replaces powdered sugar and should taste like honey and will have more honey flavor depending on the honey you use (some are more strong in flavor, depending on the flowers).
Andrea
I follow the Specific Carbohydrate Duet. I just made this to ice a lemon cake. This is by far the best frosting recipe I’ve tried. It’s so delicious and fast! Thank you for posting!
Emily Vidaurri
Thank you so much for sharing that! I'm thrilled you enjoyed it - sounds delicious for a lemon cake! ?