2 Ingredient Chocolate Frosting & Chocolate Ganache - vegan & gluten free

This post was supposed to be about cupcakes. Well, really, cupcakes and frosting. But, the cupcakes were meh and the frosting stole the show. Not only is this frosting delicious, but it's a double agent. Before you whip it, you can use it as a ganache:

or as a whipped, buttercream-esqe frosting:

You're welcome.

But seriously, this is really great frosting, whether you're vegan or not. When I eat cupcakes with "real" buttercream on them, I sort of have to push out the mental image of eating a stick of butter, and "fake" buttercreams made with vegan butter have a very long list of ingredients that I'm just not always comfortable with. Chocolate lovers, rejoice!

2 Ingredient Chocolate Frosting & Chocolate Ganache - vegan & gluten free
adapted from oh she glows

So there's a whole internet conversation going on about coconut milk in various posts and in the comments. It seems not all coconut milk is created equal, and even if you only buy one brand and treat it the same every time, there's some variation. Thai Kitchen and 365 (Whole Foods Brand) seem to be the popular winners, though I've also read that Trader Joe's coconut cream works well. For this batch, I used Thai Kitchen, and I didn't get as much solid as I'd hoped. Next time, I'll try 365. Ashlae has written an entire post about it.

On a hot day or in direct sunlight, this frosting will melt (yes, I did see it happen with my own eyes, and no it wasn't somewhere convenient like on a plate). Be sure to keep frosted cupcakes in the fridge until ready to enjoy. I honestly think this would work on just about any of my cake & cupcake recipes, but I can see it being especially successful on a citrus olive oil cake, chocolate pumpkin cake, or simply chocolate cupcakes.

1 can (approx. 13.5 oz or 400 ml) full-fat coconut milk
1 bag dark, non-dairy chocolate chips (approx 9 oz or 285 grams)

Chill can of full-fat coconut milk in the fridge overnight. When ready, flip can over and open with can opener. Pour off the water (you can save it for a smoothie or discard). In a medium heatproof bowl (think glass or stainless steel) over gently simmering water, melt chocolate and only the solid white coconut cream together. Stir now and then to encourage melting until smooth.

Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 2-3 hours (or overnight) until it firms up enough to whip into frosting. You really just have to eyeball it as I expect the timing for individual batches will differ depending on how cold your fridge is and how much coconut cream you get from the can. If you chill it overnight, you'll probably have to let it warm up a bit in the morning (just set it on the counter until it' a good consistency).

When it’s firmed enough to your liking, whip it with electric beaters until smooth and creamy. If it’s still too firm, you can leave it out on the counter for a bit longer. I didn’t need to add any milk to thin it out or any sugar to sweeten – it was just perfect as is! If your batch tastes bitter, you can always add a bit of sweetener to your taste.

Alternately, while the mixture is still warm and smooth, you can use it as you would ganache. For the cupcakes above, I just dipped them into the bowl. I'm thinking ganache would only improve things like macaroons! However, you can also use it as a drizzle, perhaps over waffles?