Mock Holland Cream - Suitable for Vegans

Okay so look at the ingredients below ... and wonder how this ... 

Becomes this .... 







I am going to show you. It's called "Holland Cream" or "Mock Cream" and it's one of those recipes when really you have to ignore the ingredients (and dare I say the fat content) and concentrate on the taste because it is seriously yummy! I have been hunting high and low for a mock cream for years, WHY? you might ask when the real deal is so good but a lot of the retro recipes I like to play with really need this stuff. It was used during WW2 as a cream replacement and some well known bakeries still use it today on their "vanilla doughnuts" and even trifles! I am not going to lie to you and say it tastes just like dairy cream, of course it doesn't .. have you looked at the ingredients? It is however a delicious frosting type filling and I will be blogging about it again when I wax lyrical about my pineapple cream tarts ... dare I say I think I prefer it to buttercream ....

Mock Cream Recipe (enough to frost a big cake or fill 25 doughnuts).

50g caster sugar
30ml water
60ml vegetable oil
100g Trex (Vegetable shortening - if you are reading this overseas you need Crisco)
5ml vanilla extract
250g icing sugar.


First make a sugar syrup with the caster sugar and water, bring to the boil and make sure all the crystals are dissolved. Use a wet pastry brush to brush the sides of the saucepan to make sure all the crystals are dissolved (it is REALLY important all the sugar is dissolved otherwise your mock cream will be grainy).

Leave the syrup to cool completely (and I really mean totally cool - the first batch I made messed up because I was too impatient).

Once the syrup has cooled but it in the bowl of a freestand mixer (or a bowl if you are going to use hand mixer) and add the Trex, vegetable oil and vanilla extract and beat until it is all very smooth.

Now add the icing sugar a little at a time and beat for approximately 7-8 minutes until it is thick, creamy and smooth.

Oulia - Mock Cream. You can spread it, pipe it, eat it, freeze it ... but don't tell your friends how you made it UNTIL they have eaten the lot and fallen in love ;)