Video
The Best Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
This is the BEST Chocolate Buttercream Frosting that is so rich in chocolate flavor from melted dark chocolate and cocoa powder. It is not too sweet and so silky smooth. It pipes perfectly and is great for Birthday cakes!
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon (18g) Dutch Process cocoa powder (I prefer this one)
- 3 tablespoon (45ml) boiling water
- ⅔ cup (150g) unsalted butter, very soft
- 1 ⅓ cups (160g) powdered confectioner's sugar, sifted
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 6 oz (170g) dark chocolate between 55-65% cocoa, melted and cooled
- 4-5 tablespoon (60-75ml) 35% heavy whipping cream at room temperature or slightly warmed (*NOT COLD*)
Instructions
- First combine cocoa powder and boiling water in a small bowl and whisk until it forms a smooth paste. Let it cool completely.
- Mix the soft butter in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer on medium speed until very smooth. Add the sifted powdered sugar and mix on medium-high speed for about 1 minute until pale, creamy and fluffy. Add the cooled cocoa powder mixture, vanilla and salt and mix until evenly combined and very smooth. This is the last stage where you will incorporate air into the buttercream. The mixture will look sort of grey-colored at this point.
- Add half of the cooled melted chocolate and mix on low speed until just incorporated. Gradually add 2 tablespoons of the room temperature cream one tablespoon at a time and mix gently between each addition. If you add all of the cream at once, it may separate.
- Add the remaining melted chocolate and mix it in gently, then finally mix in 2 more tablespoons of cream. This gradually addition of cream ensures that the frosting doesn’t split and gives you a smooth creamy consistency. The consistency is highly dependent on your room temperature and humidity, so if it still looks too thick or stiff, gently mix in 1 more tablespoon of cream. Also, it's important to mix on low speed at this point since whipping on high will cause it to stiffen up.
- 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 3 days. Do not refrigerate.
