My chocolate American buttercream takes things up a notch by using melted chocolate instead of cocoa powder. The result? A creamy, decadent frosting that strikes the perfect balance of sweetness. Your taste buds will thank you! 🤤
If you've been a part of my community for a while, you'll know about my incredible One-Bowl Chocolate Cake recipe. It's a true crowd-pleaser that has won over the hearts (and stomachs) of everyone who has tried it! With its super moist sponge that actually improves with time (if it lasts that long), this cake is perfect for busy bakers who want to whip up something delicious in a flash. And the best part? It's a cinch to make – just toss everything in a bowl and mix it up!
Love chocolate? Try my Fudgy Chocolate Pudding Cake (Eggless), Intense Eggless Chocolate Mousse and Eggless Chocolate Cake - So soft and moist!
Every perfect cake needs the perfect frosting, right? I didn't have a recipe of my own so I set out to find a good chocolate buttercream frosting to complement my recipe.
I LOVE chocolate but I don't like an overwhelming amount of it in my desserts. Similarly, while I love buttercream, I dislike it when it's too cloying – and let's be real, most American buttercreams fit that bill - it's always too sweet! Another challenge I faced was finding a chocolate buttercream recipe that didn't rely on cocoa powder. I often find that cocoa powder can lend an odd, chemical-like bitterness to the flavour. Is that just me? Well, on a quest to fix all this, I found my perfect chocolate buttercream recipe 🙂
- the perfect ratio of butter to sugar - most American buttercreams use a lot of sugar, but this recipe doesn't. You can even reduce or increase the amount of sugar according to your liking!
- a quick and easy recipe, it just takes 10 minutes to make this.
- you can mix it by hand using a whisk or opt for the ease and convenience of a stand mixer or hand blender.
- it has a pure and more realistic chocolate flavour.
- this buttercream is a dream to work with – it's good for frosting and piping!
Ingredients you'll need for chocolate buttercream frosting
- Unsalted butter - Use room temperature butter. You can remove the butter from the refrigerator an hour or 30 minutes prior to when you need it.
- Icing or Confectioners sugar -: Also called powdered sugar. Do not substitute it with granulated or castor sugar as it will not dissolve with the butter. Make sure to sift the sugar before using, this will give you a lighter and fluffier lump-free buttercream.
- Dark Chocolate - Use good quality dark chocolate. I use Amul dark chocolate for this recipe.
- Fresh Cream - This ingredient helps to lighten up and thin out the frosting. It cut's down the heaviness from the butter. You can add more if you like, be sure to adjust the consistency.
- Vanilla extract - I recommend using real vanilla extract for the best possible flavour.
- Salt - Don't skip the salt! It helps to balance out the sweetness of the buttercream.
Richa's Top Tips for making the best chocolate buttercream
- Cream butter and sugar using a whisk if doing it by hand. If you're using a stand mixer, the paddle is a more suitable attachment.
- Cream butter and sugar until the butter becomes pale in colour. Ensure air gets incorporated resulting in a light and fluffy texture.
- Don't skip on sifting the sugar. Powdered sugar absorbs moisture when stored causing it to clump up. Sifting will remove any lumps and give you a smooth buttercream. You can adjust the sweetness to your liking.
- Melt the chocolate in a microwave or over a double boiler and allow it to cool completely before adding it to the creamed butter and sugar. Adding hot chocolate will cause the butter to melt.
- Remove the frosting (or a frosted cake) from the refrigerator 30 minutes before you want to consume it. This will soften the frosting.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week or in the freezer for up to a month. Allow it to come to room temperature before you need to use it again.
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Butter at room temperature, approximately 226 grams
- 1½ - 2 Cups Icing Sugar sifted, adjust to taste, approximately 195-260 grams
- 150 g Dark Chocolate melted, cooled to room temperature
- 3 Tablespoons Fresh Cream I used Amul, approximately 45 grams
- ¼ Teaspoon Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- Whisk together butter and icing sugar for 5-6 minutes until light and creamy. If using a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment.
- Pour in the cooled melted dark chocolate while slowly whisking. Whisk for a minute or until combined.
- Add fresh cream, salt and vanilla and whisk again for about 2 to 3 minutes, till fluffy. The buttercream should overall be airy, and fluffy and shouldn’t feel grainy. Use as desired!
Notes
- Cream butter and sugar using a whisk if doing it by hand. If you're using a stand mixer, the paddle is a more suitable attachment.
- Cream butter and sugar until the butter becomes pale in colour. Ensure air gets incorporated resulting in a light and fluffy texture.
- Don't skip on sifting the sugar. Powdered sugar absorbs moisture when stored causing it to clump up. Sifting will remove any lumps and give you a smooth buttercream. You can adjust the sweetness to your liking.
- Melt the chocolate in a microwave or over a double boiler and allow it to cool completely before adding it to the creamed butter and sugar. Adding hot chocolate will cause the butter to melt.
- Remove the frosting (or a frosted cake) from the refrigerator 30 minutes before you want to consume it. This will soften the frosting.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week or in the freezer for up to a month. Allow it to come to room temperature before you need to use it again.
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