Easy Chocolate Buttercream
Chocolate buttercream behaves a little differently from vanilla, because cocoa powder is dry and thirsty. That is the whole trick: expect to need more liquid than you think, and add it slowly.
We would rather show you nothing than show you the wrong thing. A picture of a finished cake here would suggest this recipe makes a cake, and it does not.
- Prep time
- 10 minutes
- Bake time
- No cooking
- Total time
- 10 minutes
- Makes
- About 800g, enough to fill and cover one 20cm two-layer cake
- Difficulty
- Beginner
Ingredients
- 250g unsalted butter, softened but still cool
- 425g icing sugar, sifted
- 75g cocoa powder, sifted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- A pinch of fine salt
- 3 to 6 tbsp whole milk, at room temperature
Equipment
- Stand mixer or electric hand mixer
- Sieve
- Large bowl and spatula
Method
- Beat the butter alone for 4 to 5 minutes until pale and light.
- Sift the icing sugar and cocoa together, then add in three goes, beating on low after each.
- Add the vanilla and salt.
- Add milk one tablespoon at a time. Cocoa absorbs a surprising amount, so this will take more than a vanilla buttercream. Stop when it is smooth and spreadable.
- Finish on the lowest speed for 2 minutes to knock the air bubbles out.
Storage
Airtight, 3 days in a cool kitchen, 2 weeks in the fridge or 3 months frozen. It firms up hard in the fridge because of the cocoa, so give it longer than you would vanilla to come back to room temperature, then re-beat for a minute before you use it. Do not microwave it: the outside melts before the middle softens.
KKD baking tips
- Use cocoa powder, not drinking chocolate. The same rule as the cake.
- Sift the cocoa with the icing sugar. Cocoa lumps do not beat out.
- Expect to add more milk than a vanilla buttercream needs, and add it a tablespoon at a time so you do not overshoot.
- For a darker colour and flavour, use a tablespoon of hot water in place of one of the milk: it blooms the cocoa.
- Consistency for piping: hold back 2 tbsp of the milk. For covering a cake, add it all.
Common mistakes, and how to fix them
- Too stiff or crumbly: not enough liquid. Add milk half a tablespoon at a time.
- Too soft: chill the bowl for 15 minutes and re-beat, or add 50g more sifted icing sugar.
- Dull or dusty tasting: add the pinch of salt, and try the hot water trick.
- Speckled: unsifted cocoa.
Serving suggestions
Perfect on the Easy Chocolate Cake, and very good on vanilla cupcakes.