Obsessed Cakes
The Best Chocolate Buttercream
Deep, dark chocolate frosting with a smooth, glossy finish and enough structure for beautiful piping.
- Prep
- About 15 min (estimated)
- Bake
- No baking
- Total
- About 30-35 min (estimated), plus softening and cooling the ingredients
- Yield
- Enough to frost one 3-layer 8-inch cake
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Ingredients
Chocolate Buttercream
- 339 g (1 1/2 cups) butter, softened
- 508 g (4 1/4 cups) powdered sugar, sifted
- 55 g (about 1/2 cup) Dutch-process cocoa powder, weigh first, then sift
- 120 g (about 3/4 cup) semisweet chocolate chips (56% cacao), melted and cooled
- 2 1/4 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 120 g (1/2 cup) heavy cream, room temperature
Instructions
- Get the temperatures right before mixing. The butter should be softened and easy to press, but not melted or greasy. Bring the cream to room temperature. Gently melt the chocolate, then let it cool until still fluid but no longer warm. Weigh the cocoa powder first, then sift it. Sift the powdered sugar too.
- Beat the softened butter on low speed until completely smooth and creamy, scraping the bowl and beaters as needed.
- Add the sifted powdered sugar, sifted cocoa powder, vanilla bean paste, and salt. Mix on low until incorporated and smooth, stopping to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl. Avoid prolonged whipping or high speed.
- With the mixer running on low, slowly stream in the melted, cooled chocolate. Mix just until fully incorporated. If the chocolate has started to thicken in its bowl, gently rewarm it until fluid, then let any warmth subside before adding it.
- Keep the mixer on low and slowly stream in the room-temperature heavy cream. Continue mixing just until the frosting is smooth and evenly combined.
- Switch to a spatula and stir slowly by hand, pressing the frosting against the side of the bowl to release excess air. Let it rest for 15-20 minutes so it can settle and the color can deepen. Give it a gentle final stir before spreading or piping onto a completely cooled cake.