Recipe Post: Chocolate Buttercream

I made this chocolate buttercream for the first time a few weeks ago. It was a huge hit! I have licked so many icing bowls that it makes me sick even thinking about it, but when I took the first taste of this chocolate buttercream icing I had to make myself stop eating it so I would have enough icing to put on the cake.

I found this recipe at savorysweetlife.com

A simple recipe for classic chocolate buttercream frosting. Perfect for frosting cakes, cookies, brownies, or cupcakes.

 

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks or 1/2 pound), softened (but not melted!)
• 3 1/2 cups confectioners (powdered) sugar
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 4 tablespoons milk or heavy cream

Instructions

1. Cream butter for a few minutes in a mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed. Turn off the mixer. Sift 3 cups powdered sugar and cocoa into the mixing bowl. Turn your mixer on the lowest speed (so the dry ingredients do not blow everywhere) until the sugar and cocoa are absorbed by the butter. Increase mixer speed to medium and add vanilla extract, salt, and milk/cream and beat for 3 minutes. If your frosting needs a more stiff consistency, add a little more sugar. If your frosting needs to be thinned out, add additional milk 1 tablespoon at a time.

A little note from my experience with this icing: it has a naturally soft consistency that is perfect for covering a cake and even some boarders. BUT, I have found that I personally need the icing a bit more stiff to hold shape better, so I add a little bit more powdered sugar and a little less cream.

Here is a cake I just did this week using this recipe. I dressed it up by sprinkling some mini chocolate chips around the edge after I took this picture.

Enjoy!