What to Use Instead of Whipped Cream and Butter in Fasting Cakes

Classic dairy whipped cream and butter aren’t fasting-compliant, so during a fast, bakers lean on different ingredients for filling, topping, and decorating. Here’s what actually works.
Replacing butter in the batter
In most fasting sponge cakes, butter is simply replaced with a neutral oil (sunflower or similar), and eggs are usually replaced with a mix of water, vinegar, and baking soda, or with pureed fruit like banana or apple. The exact ratio depends on the recipe, but the principle is the same across most fasting sponges.
Replacing whipped cream in the filling
Our regular whipped-topping powder isn’t fasting-compliant, so we don’t use it in fasting cakes. For the filling between layers, we reach for the vegan cacao-hazelnut spread instead — it’s thick, spreads well, holds its shape, and does the job of both filling and cream in one layer.
Replacing white chocolate in glazes and decoration
For a white glaze, a drip effect, or coating layers, we reach for the vegan white confectionery bar — it melts like white cooking chocolate and sets at room temperature, so it also works for shaped decorations.
Is margarine fasting-compliant?
It depends on the brand — check the label, since some margarines contain dairy ingredients or whey. Our vegan white confectionery bar is clearly labeled with no dairy ingredients.
Can I whip the vegan cacao-hazelnut spread like whipped cream?
No — it’s a thick spread, not a whipping cream. We use it as a filling or glaze, not as a whipped decoration on top of a cake.
