Margarine frosting is so delicious, cheap and easy to make you may be asking why there aren’t more recipes using this butter substitute. Sadly, margarine is one of those foods that causes a lot of controversy. People love it or hate it. Regardless of the stance you are on, it makes a wonderful baking element for many people with dietary restrictions. It can replace butter in many recipes.
So why the conflict? In the past, margarine was made with a type of fat called trans fats which they found out was incredibly bad for your health. It caused heart attacks, strokes, weight gain and a slew of other health issues. Trans fat is present in milk, cheese butter and meats. So the argument of butter being healthier isn’t so strong after all. Especially when you consider that and the amount of saturated fats present. You can read more about that here if you like. The good news is they have since removed or are in the process of removing transfat from man made products, so margarine is back in style! You can even make cakes with margarine that rival a butter cake in texture and taste.
So let’s learn a bit about and then how to make margarine frosting. You may find this frosting more soft than traditional buttercream, but you can still pipe simple decorations with it as I will show you below. This frosting should be kept refrigerated until ready to use as well. For a dairy-free frosting that doesn’t require refrigeration, go to the classic white frosting recipe.
Despite that, this is a delicious frosting and is one of the cheapest ones to make. You can frost an entire cake for less than one dollar. That’s pretty amazing, right? And you can flavor it with any extract out there and use food coloring as well just as you would any other frosting. Margarine frosting is great to practice baking cakes and decorating with as it’s so affordable for the new baker. And once you master this frosting, the others are a breeze to work with as this one is the most sensitive to changes in temperature.
First, start out with softened margarine. 
Blend until smooth. 
Next, add a little sugar at a time. 
It will be clumpy after it’s all added. 
But when you mix in the vanilla, 
it becomes smooth. 
You can thin it out further by adding milk. 
It will be a soft and creamy frosting. 
Now practice your piping skills! 
Show off your best after eating the ugly ones. 
We made a rose. Isn’t it lovely? 
Happy baking!
Margarine Frosting
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups (312.5g) powdered sugar
- ½ cup (113g) softened margarine
- 1 tsp (5mL) vanilla
- 1 tsp (5mL) milk, juice or water
- ½ tsp (2.5mL) vinegar
Instructions
- In a large bowl, beat margarine on medium speed until fluffy.
- Gradually add powdered sugar, one tablespoon at a time, mixing on low speed. Add in vinegar.
- Mix in vanilla.
- Add milk, juice or water until you reach the desired consistency for spreading or decorating.
- Beat until smooth, about 1 minute.
Thank you so much. This was easy !
You are very welcome! I’m so glad it was an easy recipe!
My first time making this and I used the ingredients exactly. Sooo good! Definitely tastes like the naughtier store-bought icings.
That’s wonderful news, Lisa! I am happy to hear you enjoyed the icing. 😀
This margarine frosting recipe seems to be just what a need for a granddaughter’s birthday cake. Yael has asked for a lemon flavoured cake, so I’m using your ‘easy all-in-one lemon sponge’ recipe.
With the frosting, should I simply substitute 5 ml lemon juice for the 5 ml vanilla. or should change the quantity? Will it affect any of the other ingredients? And would I stlll need to add the 5 ml vinegar? (I was going to use apple vinegar.)
Hello, Adèle! I hope that your granddaughter has a wonderful day coming up. Yes, you would just swap out the flavor in equal amounts. If you could zest in some lemon (about 1/2 tsp) it would make it even more lemon flavored. The addition of the vinegar is up to you. The acid in the vinegar can help bring out the flavor of lemon, but it may be too tart for some people. The lemon flavoring will help cut out the sweetness of the frosting, so it would be optional at this point. Hope this helps!
Hi Jackson,
Thank you for sharing this information with us.. I’m now trying to bake cake so , I was looking for alternative ways to make frosting without using unsalted butter and if I can also use margarine for frosting and I came across your post.. unsalted butter is very expensive in
Ghana..
Thank you 😌💕
You are very welcome! We do try to stick with affordable recipes on this site.
I hope you like the frosting!
Does color bleed with this recipe?
Hi Lisa,
That can depend on the type of food coloring used and whether or not you let the frosting get up to melting temperatures. When margarine gets too hot, it will split and the water will cause most of the the liquid food coloring to run. I’ve also seen it happen with the betty crocker gels when it gets a little too warm. However, I have not experienced this with issue with Americolor, Hobby Lobby’s brand or Wilton gel food colors. I wish I had a better answer than “it depends” but I don’t want to mislead you. My suggestion would be this: take a small amount of the frosting and try it with the brand you are using. You’ll know right away if it’s going to be a problem.
Also, really read the labels right now and make sure it still says “margarine” and not “vegetable oil spread” on the packaging. A margarine I used for years that had 80% fat is now a vegetable oil spread with 70% fat! It ruined my cake as I didn’t notice until after the batter split adding the eggs. Due to “shrinkflation” a few of the margarines I’ve used in the past and loved are now called vegetable oil spreads (less than 80% fat to be considered a margarine) and not really announcing it. These do not perform the same way as margarine in baking. I hope you will avoid the same costly mistake I just made!
How long ahead of time can this be made? Can it be stored overnight for use the next day?
Hi Monica, it can be made several days in advance, but it should stay chilled since margarine is prone to splitting at room temperature after about 24 hours. Also, cover it well so it doesn’t absorb odors such as onions in the fridge. You simply need to bring it back up to room temperature and whip just until smooth.
Thanks for the recipe using margarine. Butter is not cheap in Japan. I will keep this recipe n share with family n friends, bless you all.
You are very welcome! Butter has become quite expensive here surprisingly. This is a good alternative and tastes pretty good! Blessings to you and your loved ones as well. 😊
Can u use normal sugar instead of powdered
Hi Queeny, unfortunately what happens when you use regular sugar, it is very gritty tasting and not smooth like buttercream should be. It does work in terms of creating a sweet flavor, but the powdered sugar provides sweetness and substance to the butter and allows you to shape it. This is one of these recipes that powdered sugar can’t really be substituted, sadly. Some have put regular sugar in a blender and pulsed it until it was powdery, but I ruined a blender trying it myself. So I wouldn’t recommend it.
How would the ratios change if cocoa powder was added to make it chocolate icing?
I would start out by adding 2 tbs (10g) cocoa powder. You’ll likely need to add a tsp or so more milk to get a good consistency. Just add the milk a tsp at a time and stir 20 seconds to let the cocoa hydrate.
For chocolate I like to fold in ganache to the buttercream icing. It’s quite decadant
Ronni,
That sounds wonderful! I’ll have to give it a try next time I make this cake.
This is my first time making this margarine frosting and it turned out the way I wanted it as I needed it on my cake for my nephew’s 1st birthday. The recepe perfectly fits my 9inch cake. I added red colouring to add some touch to the frosting. Though it turned out slightly gritty, I know the reason why after reading your replies to the comments. I added the powdered sugar a cup at a time with out following the instruction to add a spoon at a time because I was in a hurry. I loved the outcome. It was firm and not runny. I added vinegar and milk as the instruction called for.
Noey, I am so glad it worked out so well for you. It’s wonderful you are baking a homemade cake for your nephew’s birthday! I hope you all have a pleasant day together enjoying memories and cake!
Hi there, I am a big fan of using margarine for everything that calls for butter. I see that you mention the buttercream should be kept refrigerated until ready to use. Once the cake has been frosted, could it stay unrefrigerated? I have been asked to make a large cake that would be served at a homecoming, and will most likely be sitting out most of the day. Thank you in advance. 🙂
Rachelle, I’m a margarine person myself and all my recipes on here, I use margarine instead of butter as well. So the only reason the cake would need refrigerated is to firm up the frosting. It will melt in hot temperatures, but it is safe at room temperature according to the USDA official website. After a few days, margarine can get a rancid flavor or split and become watery, but it would be safe to leave out all day.
Just be mindful of the temperature as margarine frosting melts faster than butter. You could add a cup more powdered sugar to help it maintain it’s shape longer. Getting soft and falling off is the worst thing that will happen. I would keep it chilled as long as possible so that it’s really nicely set and holds up longer. I’ve left cupcakes out for 3 days on the counter and they have held up pretty well. Enjoy your homecoming!
Good morning! Thank you so much for your reply! I am only seeing this now, as I thought I would get a notification. Thank you, this helps. 🌺
You’re quite welcome. 🤗 I will have to look at the settings and see what’s going on with notifications. Thanks for letting me know that’s happening.
Awesome, thanks!
You’re welcome. 🤗
it came out so grainy, i dont know what to do.
Hello, Amanda. I am sorry to hear this for you. Most powdered sugar frostings can take on a little bit of a grit tasting to them when preparing. There are three main reasons powdered sugar frostings come out grainy. One, is you are using vegetable spread instead of margarine. They look very similar in the stores, so it’s an easy thing to get wrong. The vegetable spreads have more water and less fat, so they don’t combine well and need more powdered sugar. The second reason is your powdered sugar was added too quickly and not given a chance to dissolve. I’ve done this when I was in a hurry. It is best to add it in a tablespoon at a time as you are mixing. The third reasons is your powdered sugar was lumpy due to humidity (happens often with opened older bags) and it makes it harder for the sugar to dissolve into the margarine. You can combat this by sifting your powdered sugar before using. Since you are past those stages, you can try mixing it for 5 minutes on low speed and then letting it sit covered for 1/2 hour before using. Some of the grainy texture will dissolve with time, but unfortunately, it will not be ideal. I hope this helps.
I didn’t expect this to turn out so good!
It’s amazing that it’s made with margarine, isn’t it, Kate? The margarine cake is surprisingly tasty, too.
Hi, the consistency was not as thick and wouldn’t hold when piping, any idea why this was, I didn’t even add the milk or vinegar suggested.
Hi Viv,
There are a few reasons why it wouldn’t hold for piping or not as thick as it should be.
1. Vegetable spread instead of margarine was used. This is a common thing to do as they look the same but will have the word “spread” instead of “margarine” on the packaging. Vegetable spreads have a lot of water in them and will cause the buttercream to be very soft.
2. Microwaving the margarine or letting it get too soft (where it has lost its shape entirely) before beating in the sugar. If your home is warm or if you microwave margarine, it likes to separate and split easily. This separates the waters from the fats and makes the margarine unstable. The water will absorb a lot of the powdered sugar, so it will be much softer.
3. Cup measurements can be different for everyone. Sometimes one cup will hold less sugar than another. This is due to inconsistency at the manufacturer. If it is #3, it’s easily remedied by adding a little more sugar, one tablespoon at a time until you get the consistency you desire.
4. Tub margarine over sticks often acts similar to vegetable spread. You may have to add more powdered sugar to compensate for the additional ingredients they add to make the tub versions more spreadable.
5. The brand of powdered sugar. Some powdered sugars use a lot of cornstarch. These tend to need more powdered sugar added to most buttercream recipes. There are some store brands that are notoriously bad for this and you sometimes have to use twice the amount of powdered sugar as a result for any recipe out there.
If it was margarine and not vegetable spread, the first step would be to pop it in the fridge for 20 – 30 minutes. If it firms up to a much better consistency, the culprit was the margarine became too warm at some process of making the buttercream. If this was the case, beat in another 1/2 cup of powdered sugar to help stabilize it.
If that wasn’t it, you can try to fix it by adding more powdered sugar, one tablespoon at a time. It could take up to 1 – 2 cups or even more depending on how loose the consistency. The only issue with this is it can make the icing more sweet than you’d prefer.
If it was vegetable spread, you can try the same method, but it will take a LOT of powdered sugar depending on the percentage of fat in the product. Some of the lower fat spreads require 4 – 5 times the amount of sugar and they are just unbearably sweet.
Hope that helps explain what could have went wrong and hopefully how to fix it. I’m so sorry it happened to you!