Orange Buttercream Filling

Posted: Jun 23 2010 11:12AM By MaraA

Powered sugar is vegan???

Posted: Jun 23 2010 11:26AM By MMark Craig

Unless it com from the powdered sugar bunny!

Posted: Jun 23 2010 13:00PM By Eileen

Can you use something other than coconut oil? I couldn't find any other use for it so buying it just for a small portion just doesn't seem practical for me. Suggestions?

Posted: Jun 23 2010 13:59PM By Marsha

coconut oil is good for all around baking and cooking with.....

Posted: Jun 23 2010 16:14PM By MaraA

My "google" research shows that confectioner's sugar is not vegan. I stopped using it years ago because of this. There is a vegan version, but when liquid is added to it, it turns a drab gray color. Unfortunately, I can't consider these cupcakes vegan.

Posted: Jun 23 2010 18:55PM By Arthur

Vegan??? Maybe. Healthy???? No way. Too much fat and sugar. How about some summertime treats that use fresh fruits w/o the sugar and oil.

Posted: Jun 23 2010 19:46PM By Destiny

Coconut oil has a ton of health benefits. Read THE COCONUT OIL MIRACLE by Bruce Fife. You can make your own powdered sugar by putting organic cane sugar in a coffee grinder or high speed food processor. The Magic Bullet also works well.

Posted: Jun 23 2010 20:10PM By Mimi

Wholesome Sweeteners has organic powdered sugar that makes beautiful white buttercream icing when combined with Earth Balance non-hydrogenated vegan shortening. www.wholesomesweeteners.com

Posted: Jun 24 2010 04:39AM By MikeyPOd

I buy vegan powdered sugar at whole foods.

Posted: Jun 24 2010 05:21AM By MaraA

Thanks for the advice on making powdered sugar (with a coffee grinder) and Wholesome Sweetners. This may open up a whole new world for me and my vegan holiday cookies.

Posted: Jun 24 2010 14:26PM By Jen

I make my own powdered sugar in my Vitamix. Combine 1 cup vegan sugar w/1 tablespoon cornstarch or arrowroot (I use organic arrowroot powder). Grind until powdery. True, it does not stay pure white when I add liquid to it, however I use it for anything that I don't care if it stays white. Cheaper too.

Posted: Jun 28 2010 09:07AM By Chloe

Thank you for your comments. Wholesome Sweeteners, as Mimi suggested, is a great brand for vegan organic granulated sugar and powdered sugar, which is sold at Whole Foods. There are many different brands of sugars in natural foods markets and specialty grocers, so I leave that choice up to you. Making your own powdered sugar is also a wonderful idea. Eileen, if you do not want to use Coconut Oil, feel free to use vegan non-hydrogenated margarine or shortening from Earth Balance or Spectrum Organics, which can also be found at Whole Foods. Best of luck!

Posted: Jun 29 2010 12:34PM By Terri

I have very dry skin, so I use coconut oil to moisturize. It is awesome and smells good too!!

Posted: Jul 03 2010 20:37PM By Valerie

Hi Chloe! I was just wondering I made these cupcakes and they were so easy and amazing! But my only concern was that the cream did not stay thic but sort od dissolved inside. Does this always happen or did I not wait long enought before they were cool? They felt pretty cool though? thanks for your time

Posted: Jul 03 2010 21:26PM By Susan

When using the filling recipe, half it or you end up with way way way too much filling. My cupcakes were good but I need to practice my candied orange peels a bit more. I messed them up somehow.

Posted: Jul 09 2010 07:35AM By Mich

I'm new to the vegan diet. Can someone please explain how powdered sugar is not vegan? I thought it was made from granulated sugar and cornstarch. Thank you

Posted: Jul 09 2010 11:25AM By Drea

Mi Mich The reason white sugar in NOT Vegan is because sometimes animal bone char is used in the bleaching process. It is hard to be sure weather a company uses bone char or not. Therefore most vegans stay away from white sugar and opt for the healthier raw sugar instead. Here is a link with a little more info. http://www.vegfamily.com/articles/sugar.htm

Posted: Sep 07 2010 10:14AM By CM

FYI - Coconut oil is NOT a healthy fat. It is a SATURATED fat just like butter, talo, lard, etc. although it does not come from an animal. Both coconut and palm oil are the only plant based oils that contain saturated fatty acids that have shown to contribute to heart disease. Keep in mind that something MAY be a natural product, but that does not mean that it is healthy. Please check your sources when researching information about these organic or all natural items - and check the ingredients and nutrition facts labels NOT the health claims on the front of the package.

Posted: Sep 08 2010 01:36AM By olliebonk

CM - you need to be looking at your research in more depth, you haven't looked at the fatty acid chains, if you did then you would know that coconut oil doesn't act as a typical saturated fat, therefore making it healthier than any animal fats! In a ddition it is the only fat that remains stable at high temperatures thereby again, making it the best fat to use!