icing recipe needed!

[LadyFaile]

help! my roommate's mom called and asked that i make a cake for his birthday since he can't go up north for it. he's not real big on sweets or chocolate.

here's what i've got so far. i'm making a vanilla cake. i may add chocolate chips, i'm not sure yet. i'm thinking a mocha icing would be best but i don't see a recipe anywhere. i'm open to other flavour suggestions too.

here's the cake recipe (found at www.catteacorner.com/recipes):

Vanilla Cake
2 cups water
3/4 cup sunflower oil (or other light oil)
2 tablespoons white vinegar
4 teaspoons vanilla
3 1/2 cups unbleached flour
2 cups sugar/sweetener
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
vegetable cooking spray

Preheat oven 350F, combine first 4 ingredients in large bowl. combine flour, sugar, salt and baking soda in seperate bowl. add dry mixture to wet mixture and beat til well blended. pour into 13x9x2 pan coated with cooking spray and bake 40 minutes.


also, my roommate is omni and isn't usually big on things like soymilk, though he does normally try my vegan cooking and baking, since this cake is specifically for him i'd like to leave out anything he'd consider "wierd". that's why i'd like to use this recipe since it doesn't call for milk or egg substitutes.
thanks for any ideas

[Kreeli]

take 1/2 cup margarine
beat in 2 cups of icing sugar until smooth
add up to 1 more cup of icing sugar and blend
add up to 3 tbsp liquid and blend until it reaches your desired consistancy.

to make a "mocha" flavour i would use strong, black coffee for the liquid, and add about 1/3 cup or more cocoa powder. taste it and adjust flavours as you see fit.

it sounds good, LF. instead of chocolate chips, try mixing some powdered coffee into the batter, just for more coffee flavour.

[LadyFaile]

wicked. yeah i was gonna add chocolate chips if i couldn't find a mocha icing and decided to go with chocolate.
but this sounds good, thanks
by powdered coffee you mean instant right? i think i already have some. best part of this cake recipe is i have everything already except for the vanilla which i need to get anyways.

i looked on your site earlier and saw your layer cake one says to keep refrigerated or the icing melts, i'm guessing it's the same for this one?

[Kreeli]

this icing will withstand room temperature.

the layer cake icing on my site is much more delicate and frothy and whipped. and yes, by powdered coffee, i meant instant. try a couple of tablespoons to see how much it flavours the batter.

let us know how it turns out. mmmmmm. cake.

edited to say, this is my 1400th post here on VB! w00t!

[LadyFaile]

nice round number
coolio, thanks. you rock.
i hope i can get away with not having an electric beater. we shall see! i can't wait. mmmmmmm cake.

[LadyFaile]

well my arms are tired from all that beating (heh) but i've got one handsome looking cake sitting in my kitchen. pity we can't rip into it til about midnight when roomy gets home from work. the icing isn't as mocha-ish as i'd expected, but i took your suggestion and added some instant coffee to the cake batter too so we'll see how it turned out. split the darned thing in half trying to get it out of the pan but icing hides all

to counteract the sweetness a little i decorated the edges with crushed pecans. looks purty and yummy. and a little like a giant sized ferrero rocher

[MsRuthieB]

A pinch of salt added right to the icing cuts the sweetness too.

[LadyFaile]

ach now ya tell me
i have leftover icing so i may make something to use it up. cupcakes or somethin i guess, gives me a chance to make something more chocolatey for my own selfish needs if i do, i'll remember your advice and add a touch of salt, thanks