This publish might comprise affiliate hyperlinks. Please learn our privateness coverage.
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!
Probably the most in style recipes on this website is my do-it-yourself buttercream frosting. It’s simple to make and the frosting is tremendous fluffy and scrumptious. It’s obtained a whole bunch and a whole bunch of 5-star evaluations for a purpose!
And one of the vital widespread questions I get requested is flip that attractive vanilla buttercream right into a chocolate buttercream frosting.
I’ve performed round with a couple of totally different strategies over time, from including a couple of 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 right chocolate buttercream
This recipe makes a wealthy chocolate frosting with the sunshine, fluffy texture that everybody loves in a great buttercream frosting. Although it’s wealthy and decadent, it’s obtained a great 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 mix of cocoa powder and melted darkish chocolate.
Cocoa powder is type of like super-powered chocolate. If we solely used melted chocolate, we wouldn’t be capable to get the fluffy texture we would like on this recipe. Including cocoa powder into the combination boosts the chocolate taste with out making the frosting too heavy.
I favor to make use of unsweetened cocoa powder on this recipe. For those who aren’t aware of the forms of cocoa powder or why it’s utilized in recipes, I stroll you thru all of that in my cocoa powder 101 publish.
The second kind of chocolate we’ll use is melted darkish chocolate. Even in case you aren’t normally a fan of darkish chocolate, I urge you to offer it a strive 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 way to make my chocolate buttercream
For those who’ve by no means made one in all my frosting recipes earlier than, you is perhaps shocked to study that making do-it-yourself frosting is not only simple, it’s type 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 have to:
- 1 1/2 cups room-temperature unsalted butter
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- ⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- pinch wonderful 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 complete milk
Be sure 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 soften butter rapidly 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 typically known as pure cocoa powder – they’re the identical factor! If you wish to use dutch-process cocoa, simply needless to say the flavour and colour of the ultimate frosting could also be a bit totally different.
Ghirardelli is my favourite model of chocolate bar to make use of on this frosting. Their merchandise are top-notch (I am keen on their brownie mixes, too), and I actually do discover a distinction within the taste of this chocolate buttercream once I use a great chocolate bar.
Making this frosting
Identical to while you’re making my whipped cream frosting or brown butter frosting, you have to 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 start out, beat the butter on medium-high velocity for 6-7 minutes. Be sure you scrape down the edges 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 gained’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. Hold beating till it’s completely integrated – scrape down the edges 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 edges of the bowl.
Flip the mixer again to medium-high and beat the buttercream for an additional 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 happy 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’ll be able to pipe or unfold the frosting onto your cake or cupcakes or retailer it for later use.
Storage and freezing suggestions
This chocolate buttercream may be made a couple of 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. Whenever 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.
It’s possible you’ll 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
Additional chocolate buttercream may also be frozen for longer-term storage.
Place the frosting in a freezer-safe hermetic container. Typically I will even place a layer of plastic wrap on the highest of the frosting for additional 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 wonderful on every kind of desserts and cupcakes. This recipe makes sufficient to frost 24 cupcakes or a 9-inch layer cake, so you have got a ton of choices for tactics to make use of it!
For an ultra-decadent chocolate expertise, add it to black magic cake or the most effective chocolate cake. It might even be excellent on high of chocolate cupcakes made with my doctored cake combine recipe.
If you wish to distinction the chocolatey frosting with a unique taste cake, strive it on do-it-yourself yellow cake, vanilla cupcakes, funfetti cupcakes, or strawberry layer cake.
You may 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.
-
Within the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high velocity for 6-7 minutes. Scrape down the edges of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
-
In a big bowl, sift collectively the powdered sugar and cocoa powder.
-
With the mixer on low velocity, slowly add the powdered sugar and cocoa and proceed beating till it’s totally integrated, stopping to scrape down the edges of the bowl as wanted.
-
Add in salt and vanilla and blend to mix. Spoon within the melted and cooled chocolate and blend on low velocity till no streaks stay. Add in 3 tablespoons of heavy cream or milk and blend till integrated. Scrape the edges of the bowl.
-
Flip the mixer again as much as medium-high velocity and beat the buttercream for a further 6-7 minutes.
-
If the buttercream is simply too thick, add in a little bit of heavy cream or milk, one teaspoon at a time till you attain the specified consistency.
Makes sufficient to frost 24 cupcakes or a 9-inch layer cake.
Energy: 239kcal, Carbohydrates: 28g, Protein: 1g, Fats: 14g, Saturated Fats: 9g, Polyunsaturated Fats: 1g, Monounsaturated Fats: 4g, Trans Fats: 0.5g, Ldl cholesterol: 33mg, Sodium: 4mg, Potassium: 73mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 26g, Vitamin A: 393IU, Vitamin C: 0.01mg, Calcium: 11mg, Iron: 1mg
Diet info is mechanically calculated, so ought to solely be used as an approximation.