The BEST Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Here's the thing about me, I don't like American buttercream. I find it too sweet and often gritty. It doesn't have much substance being mainly just butter and sugar. However, I get the convenience of it since it's certainly the easier choice from Swiss Meringue Buttercream, Italian Meringue Buttercream or Ermine Buttercream. I recently found out that a lot of my readers also do not like buttercream, so I was determined to develop a recipe that we could all LOVE. This is my BEST Chocolate Buttercream Frosting and it is so intensely chocolatey, rich, smooth and not too sweet. It is simple to prepare and almost has the texture of whipped ganache. It is incredible! If you love making different types of frostings, check out my Best Chocolate Frosting recipe which is based on chocolate ganache, and then also my very popular Chocolate Fudge Frosting that has a soft fudgy melting quality. I pair those frostings with my BEST Moist Chocolate Cake recipe, and this Buttercream Frosting goes with my Best Vanilla Cupcake Recipe.

WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS RECIPE

• Easy to make - this chocolate buttercream frosting is SO EASY to make and there's no chill time, whipping egg whites or boiling sugar involved.
• Simple ingredients - this recipe uses just 5 simple ingredients.
• Rich dark chocolate frosting - it has the most delicious chocolate flavor and a texture that's literally like eating a whipped chocolate truffle.
• Not too sweet - the best part about this chocolate buttercream is that it is not too sweet and it doesn't use a whole pound of icing sugar.
• Perfect for piping - this frosting holds up so well and is perfect for even intricate piping tips.

INGREDIENTS FOR THE BEST CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

• Dark chocolate - you'll need pure dark chocolate to make this frosting. Anything between 50 and 70% cocoa solids will work, but I highly recommend dark chocolate with 60% cocoa solids. You can blend semisweet chocolate with my favorite bittersweet chocolate callets which are very convenient. The darker the chocolate, the higher the cocoa butter content and so the firmer the frosting will be. If you use semisweet chocolate, the frosting will be sweeter and a bit softer.
• Unsalted butter - it's important to use unsalted butter for buttercream to give a nice creamy flavor, and this way you can control the salt.
• Icing sugar - you'll need powdered sugar (also called icing sugar) and it is often very lumpy so it is important that you sift it before using it.
• Cocoa powder - any kind will work. I love to use this Dutch Process cocoa powder. Make sure you use unsweetened cocoa powder and not cocoa mix.
• Cream - you need heavy cream or whipping cream with 35% milk fat. Make sure it is at room temperature. Cold cream will split the frosting.
• Salt - even though I suggest unsalted butter, that doesn't mean salt isn't important. Salt is SO important in baking, and especially in chocolate recipes!

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

• STEP 1). Bloom the cocoa powder. First combine cocoa powder and boiling water in a small bowl and whisk until it forms a smooth paste. Let it cool completely.
• STEP 2). Cream butter and sugar. Combine soft butter and icing sugar in a large bowl and mix with an electric hand mixer on medium-high speed for about 2 minutes until very pale, creamy and whipped. Add the cooled cocoa powder mixture, vanilla and salt and mix until very pale and fluffy. Add 1 tablespoon of cream and mix until smooth. Add another tablespoon and mix again.
• STEP 3). Mix in melted chocolate. Add half of the melted cooled chocolate and mix until just incorporated. Add another 2 tablespoons of cream (one tablespoon at a time) and mix between each addition. Add the last of the melted chocolate and mix it in, then finally mix in the last tablespoon of cream. This gradually addition of cream ensures that the frosting doesn't split and gives you a smooth creamy consistency.
• STEP 4). Frost the cake! Use immediately to pipe or spread onto cakes or cupcakes. This frosting pipes very nicely. It will firm up as it cools further and the chocolate sets. This frosting is very stable so store at room temperature for up to 4 days. Do not refrigerate.

If you love chocolate cake, then also check out my Ultimate Moist Chocolate Fudge Cake which is kind of like the SaraLee chocolate cake except homemade and WAY better!

EXPERT BAKING TIPS FOR THE BEST CHOCOLATE FROSTING

• Use soft butter. Your butter should be soft enough that you can easily press your finger into it. It should not be melted or greasy/weeping. At this stage, it whips the most efficiently with the sugar to make it nice and fluffy.
• Use a dark chocolate between 50% and 60% cocoa solids for best results. Do not use milk chocolate for this recipe - it will not work. Also, do not use bittersweet chocolate because the higher cocoa butter content will cause the frosting to stiffen up.
• Let the chocolate cool completely - if you add warm melted chocolate to the creamed butter and sugar, it will melt the butter and break down all the air bubbles you worked so hard to make in the fluffy mixture.
• Sift the icing sugar. Powdered sugar is often very lumpy and those pesky lumps sometimes don't even break down with the mixer. For the fluffiest texture, I recommend sifting the icing sugar.
• Have the cream at room temperature. Adding cold cream to your room temperature butter is a great way to break it! Cold liquid will not blend easily into soft butter and in order to coax liquid and fat to form a smooth emulsion, they must be at the same room temperature.
• Do not over mix - do not over-mix the frosting once you add the melted chocolate. Whipping the chocolate can make it too stiff and it may become difficult to spread.

RECIPE FAQ

How 'bout some cake for that frosting?

Here are some delicious cake recipes:

Practice your piping:

These cupcake recipes are great to pair with this frosting: