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creamy chocolate frosting on the end of a whisk attachment off the mixer.
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Creamy Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

I used to think you needed to beat Chocolate Buttercream Frosting for a long time at the very end so that it would turn out LIGHT and FLUFFY. But I've had a serious change of heart, texture-wise. From now on, I will be making chocolate buttercream with a new method that focuses on getting a more sophisticated result: smooth and CREAMY. This icing recipe is my new forever favorite!
Prep Time15 minutes
Total Time15 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 24
Calories: 204kcal
Author: The Food Charlatan

Ingredients

  • 4 ounces 60% dark chocolate melted and cooled (I like Ghirardelli)
  • 1 and 1/2 cups butter* this is 3 sticks
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream**
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract high quality!
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt use just a pinch if you only have table salt
  • 3 cups powdered sugar sifted
  • 3/4 cup cocoa powder sifted

Instructions

  • Soften your butter.*** Leave 1 and 1/2 cups butter (3 sticks) out at room temperature for at least an hour, until it is soft enough that you can easily press your finger into it. See notes for softening in the microwave!
  • Melt chocolate and cool. In a small bowl, break up a 4-ounce bar**** of 60% dark chocolate. Melt in the microwave in 20 second intervals, stirring every time. Once the chocolate is not quite melted, meaning it's heading in that direction but there are still some lumps, stop microwaving. Stir until all the lumps are smoothed out. Set the chocolate aside to cool a bit.
  • Beat the butter. In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat 1 and 1/2 cups of very soft butter on medium speed for 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides after 1 minute. This step is super important to whip air into the butter! And to make sure the butter is consistently soft and ready to absorb the sugar.
  • Add cream.** Beat in 1/4 cup cream until smooth, scraping down the sides. Beat on medium speed for 1 minute.
  • Add vanilla and salt. Add 1 tablespoon vanilla and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Beat on medium speed for another 2 minutes, scraping the sides.
  • Add the melted chocolate that has cooled slightly. Beat well, scraping the sides, until incorporated. Continue beating for 2 minutes on medium speed, until it is smooth and creamy.
  • Sift. In a medium bowl, use a strainer to sift together 3 cups powdered sugar with 3/4 cup cocoa powder.
  • Add the sugar and cocoa. Add the sifted powdered sugar and cocoa in 2 additions, beating on LOW each time. Scrape the sides as best you can. At this point, only beat on LOW speed just until the sugar and cocoa is incorporated. Do not beat more than necessary. You do not want to whip in air! We want to keep this frosting smooth, creamy, and glossy.
  • This is a generous amount of frosting for a 2 layer cake, and a sufficient amount of frosting for a 3 layer cake. (Using 8-inch cake pans.) This amount will generously frost 24 cupcakes, and not so generously frost 36 cupcakes. I love being generous, so the nutrition facts are set for 24 servings.
  • Storage: Buttercream frosting keeps very well on the counter for several days! Keep cupcakes in a tupperware, cakes under a cake dome, or you can carefully cover it with plastic wrap.
    If you have a bowl of frosting leftover, store it covered in the fridge. Let soften for an hour on the counter, then beat with a mixer before serving.
  • Freezing. Add frosting to a freezer ziplock bag, get out the air, and seal. Smooth it out till it's flat, then store in the freezer for 2-3 months. To use, simply set it in the refrigerator overnight to use the next day or set it out on the counter a few hours until it's soft. Use a hand mixer to refluff the frosting before serving.

Notes

*Salted or Unsalted Butter? I use salted butter for this recipe (and every recipe...) Either will work fine. If you use unsalted butter, add a big an extra pinch of salt.
**What is cream? Heavy cream is sold near the milk in the dairy section. It is not coffee creamer. Sometimes it is labeled whipping cream, ultra heavy whipping cream, etc. These names differentiate fat content levels. You can use any kind you like for this recipe; the more fat, the richer your frosting will be. The cream I use is 36% fat content.  
***Softening butter in the microwave: You can totally soften butter in the microwave. (Every microwave is different so BE CAREFUL and don't walk away.) Place all the butter in the microwave and then set the power level of your microwave to 1. Most microwaves automatically cook at the highest setting, which is 10. We want to heat on the lowest setting, power level 1. I usually do about 1 minute on power level 1, check the softness level, and then often add another 30-50 seconds at power level one if it needs it. You do not want your butter to melt!! 
****Can I use dark chocolate chips? Yes! You can use 60% dark chocolate chips, but I'm picky and I prefer a bar. Chips have ingredients in them that help them hold their shape, making them slightly stiffer and less smooth when they are melted. It's not that big of a deal for this recipe though, use what you've got! 

Nutrition

Calories: 204kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Potassium: 82mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 393IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 1mg