Irish cream liqueur is a great pairing with rich Chocolate Stout Cake, but for those who don’t consume dairy, you’ll need to craft your own.

This recipe adds Irish whiskey, cocoa, and coffee flavors to creamy Vegan Italian Meringue Buttercream to mimic this classic favorite.  Many thanks to Nina from Plante Pusherne, whose Vegan Irish Cream recipe provided great inspiration.

This version is darker in color than what you might get if you use a commercial Irish Cream.  You can use less cocoa and espresso powder if you want a lighter color and a more subtle flavor, but use the full amounts if a tan icing is OK with you, and you really want the flavors to come through.

Vegan Irish Cream Buttercream Recipe

Makes about 4 cups.

Ingredients

• 1/2 batch Vegan Italian Meringue Buttercream
• 2 Tbsp. good quality Irish Whiskey (such as Jameson’s)
• 2 tsp. Dutch process cocoa powder
• 2 tsp. instant espresso powder

Directions

1. Make Vegan Italian Meringue Buttercream according to the recipe, setting aside half of the batch for another purpose.  You should have approximately 4 cups of buttercream for this recipe.
2. Add Dutch process cocoa and instant espresso powder in the Irish whiskey, stirring well to fully dissolve the powders, and remove all lumps.
3. Add the whiskey mixture to the buttercream, and mix well, ideally using the paddle attachment on a stand mixer.

Enjoy!