Good Chocolate Buttercream – My Baking Dependancy

Made with cocoa powder and melted chocolate, this chocolate buttercream frosting is mild and fluffy with a wealthy chocolate taste. You’ll by no means return to store-bought frosting once more!

One of the vital fashionable recipes on this web site is my do-it-yourself buttercream frosting. It’s simple to make and the frosting is tremendous fluffy and scrumptious. It’s received lots of and lots of of 5-star evaluations for a motive!

And one of the widespread questions I get requested is tips on how to flip that attractive vanilla buttercream right into a chocolate buttercream frosting.

I’ve performed round with just a few completely different strategies through the years, from including just a few tablespoons of cocoa powder to mixing in some melted chocolate. However I lastly nailed the right chocolate buttercream.

This recipe makes use of two types of chocolate – cocoa powder and melted chocolate – for double the chocolatey goodness. The flavour is tremendous wealthy however the texture is simply as mild and fluffy as the unique.

It’s the right frosting for any chocolate lover!

The proper chocolate buttercream

This recipe makes a wealthy chocolate frosting with the sunshine, fluffy texture that everybody loves in a very good buttercream frosting. Though it’s wealthy and decadent, it’s received a very good stability of sweetness, making it excellent for any of your favourite desserts or cupcakes.

The best way we get a lot taste into this frosting is through the use of a mixture of cocoa powder and melted darkish chocolate.

Cocoa powder is form of like super-powered chocolate. If we solely used melted chocolate, we wouldn’t have the ability to get the fluffy texture we wish on this recipe. Including cocoa powder into the combination boosts the chocolate taste with out making the frosting too heavy.

I choose to make use of unsweetened cocoa powder on this recipe. For those who aren’t accustomed to the kinds of cocoa powder or why it’s utilized in recipes, I stroll you thru all of that in my cocoa powder 101 submit.

The second sort of chocolate we’ll use is melted darkish chocolate. Even should you aren’t often a fan of darkish chocolate, I urge you to offer it a attempt on this recipe.

The darkish chocolate provides a ton of wealthy taste with out making the frosting too candy. Belief me, there may be loads of powdered sugar on this recipe to stability out any bitterness from the darkish chocolate.

All you’ll style is extremely chocolatey goodness!

The right way to make my chocolate buttercream

For those who’ve by no means made considered one of my frosting recipes earlier than, you could be stunned to be taught that making do-it-yourself frosting isn’t just simple, it’s form of enjoyable!

Belief me, you’ll by no means return to the bathtub of store-bought frostings once more after making an attempt this recipe.

Substances you’ll want

To make my chocolate buttercream, you’ll need:

• 1 1/2 cups room-temperature unsalted butter
• 5 cups powdered sugar
• ⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• pinch tremendous sea salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 
• 1 (3.5-ounce) melted and cooled Ghirardelli darkish chocolate bar (60% or 72% cacao) 
• 4-5 tablespoons heavy cream or entire milk

Ensure that your butter is at room temperature earlier than you begin making the frosting. For those who overlook to set it out forward of time, I’ve some suggestions for tips on how to soften butter shortly to assist velocity up the method.

When measuring the powdered sugar and cocoa powder, use the identical fluff, scoop, and sweep methodology that we use when measuring flour.

I like to make use of unsweetened cocoa powder on this frosting. It’s generally known as pure cocoa powder – they’re the identical factor! If you wish to use dutch-process cocoa, simply take into account that the flavour and shade of the ultimate frosting could also be a bit completely different.

Ghirardelli is my favourite model of chocolate bar to make use of on this frosting. Their merchandise are top-notch (I like their brownie mixes, too), and I actually do discover a distinction within the taste of this chocolate buttercream once I use a very good chocolate bar.

Making this frosting

Identical to once you’re making my whipped cream frosting or brown butter frosting, you’ll need a stand mixer or electrical mixer to create the right texture on this chocolate buttercream.

If you’re utilizing a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment.

To begin, beat the butter on medium-high velocity for 6-7 minutes. Ensure you scrape down the perimeters of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

And sure, I actually do imply 6-7 minutes! Don’t attempt to rush this course of or the feel of the frosting received’t be proper.

In a separate bowl, sift the powdered sugar with the cocoa powder. With the mixer on low, slowly add this combination to the butter. Maintain beating till it’s completely integrated – scrape down the perimeters and backside of the bowl as wanted.

Add in a pinch of salt and the vanilla; combine to mix.

Now spoon within the melted and cooled darkish chocolate. Combine on low till no streaks stay, then add in 3 tablespoons of the milk or cream. Combine to mix, then scrape down the perimeters of the bowl.

Flip the mixer again to medium-high and beat the buttercream for one more 6-7 minutes. That is the place the magic actually occurs to make the frosting tremendous mild and fluffy.

In case your chocolate buttercream is simply too thick, be at liberty so as to add a bit extra milk or cream – 1 teaspoon at a time – till you attain your required consistency.

At this level you may pipe or unfold the frosting onto your cake or cupcakes or retailer it for later use.

Storage and freezing suggestions

This chocolate buttercream might be made just a few days forward of time, so it’s simple to arrange earlier than a celebration or vacation.

Retailer in an hermetic container and refrigerate the frosting for as much as three days. Once you’re prepared to make use of it, carry the frosting to room temperature. Beat it for about 5 minutes with a mixer or till easy.

You might want so as to add a splash of cream or milk to revive the consistency earlier than piping or spreading onto your cake or cupcakes.

Freezing chocolate buttercream

Further chocolate buttercream can be frozen for longer-term storage.

Place the frosting in a freezer-safe hermetic container. Generally I may even place a layer of plastic wrap on the highest of the frosting for further safety. Freeze for as much as a month.

Let the frosting thaw within the fridge in a single day. Earlier than utilizing, let it come to room temperature and beat it together with your mixer for about 5 minutes or till good and easy. Add a splash of milk or cream if wanted.

Makes use of

Chocolate buttercream frosting is superb on all types of desserts and cupcakes. This recipe makes sufficient to frost 24 cupcakes or a 9-inch layer cake, so you’ve gotten a ton of choices for methods to make use of it!

For an ultra-decadent chocolate expertise, add it to black magic cake or the very best chocolate cake. It will even be excellent on prime of chocolate cupcakes made with my doctored cake combine recipe.

If you wish to distinction the chocolatey frosting with a unique taste cake, attempt it on do-it-yourself yellow cake, vanilla cupcakes, funfetti cupcakes, or strawberry layer cake.

You possibly can even use it as a filling for cookie sandwiches made with simple sugar cookies.

From birthdays and anniversary celebrations to a random weeknight, this chocolate buttercream is a recipe that you just’ll come again to repeatedly for all of your chocolate dessert cravings.