The seek for one of the best chocolate buttercream frosting is over! This frosting is creamy, decadent and excellent for truffles, cookies or cupcakes!

I promised you one of the best chocolate frosting to go along with that tremendous chocolate cake, and right here it’s!

Whereas a frosting recipe might not appear tremendous complicated, this chocolate buttercream took a little bit of time, consideration, and testing to get excellent. It’s delicate, creamy, wealthy, and excellent!

The First Secret for Perfect Frosting

Ensure that to sift the cocoa powder.

I do know this may be a considerably annoying step, however it’s actually essential. I examined this frosting many occasions with out sifting and I used to be by no means capable of keep away from the itty bitty lumps of bitter cocoa powder.

So. Sift, please.

I don’t sift the powdered sugar as a result of I haven’t seen a noticeable distinction in doing so, however you undoubtedly can sift the sugar when you’d like (and it’s in all probability a good suggestion in case your powdered sugar is additional clumpy and lumpy).

At first, the frosting might look fairly piece-meal, particularly if utilizing a handheld electrical mixer, however with some mixing fortitude and milk, it’s going to come back collectively in a creamy mess of frosting perfection.

The Second Secret for Perfect Frosting

Use milk as a substitute of heavy cream.

This might sound backwards. Wouldn’t we wish to add cream for an excellent creamy frosting? That’s a pure assumption. However I discovered that heavy cream gave the frosting a curdled/grainy texture.

Utilizing milk means the frosting will be blended for an extended period of time (which makes for an excellent fluffy, creamy frosting!) with out getting bizarre and greasy on us.

The Third Secret for Perfect Frosting

Press out air bubbles with a silicone spatula.

It’s very regular for air bubbles to kind whereas frosting mixes and churns. As a result of we’re mixing this chocolate frosting for a number of minutes, it’s possible you’ll discover tiny air bubbles within the frosting when it’s finished.

To take away the air bubbles, take a big silicone spatula and fold the frosting over in giant scoops whereas urgent via the frosting. Do that a few occasions till many of the air bubbles are gone.

A Frosting for Every part

This chocolate buttercream frosting is ideal for the whole lot from truffles to cupcakes to cookies. It’s tremendous mild and creamy with daring chocolate taste.

Talking of chocolate taste, you should utilize both pure, unsweetened cocoa powder OR Dutch-course of cocoa powder. The Dutch-course of cocoa will lend a darker, richer taste and colour to the frosting. The frosting pictured on this put up was made with pure, unsweetened cocoa powder (like Hershey’s).

And bear in mind, there isn’t a judging from the Mel camp when you whip up a batch of this subsequent-degree scrumptious frosting solely to slather it on graham crackers and name it a day.

Perfect Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Yield: 5 -6 cups frosting

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Complete Time: 20 minutes

• 1 cup (227 g) butter, softened to room temperature (I take advantage of salted butter)
• three ¾ cups (428 g) powdered sugar
• ½ cup (43 g) pure, unsweetened or Dutch-course of cocoa powder (see observe)
• Pinch salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 tablespoons milk (ideally not skim)

• With a handheld electrical mixer or within the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle or whisk attachment, combine the softened butter till mild and creamy, 1-2 minutes. Scrape down the perimeters of the bowl as wanted.

• Add the powdered sugar. Sift the cocoa powder into the bowl.

• Add the salt, vanilla and 2 tablespoons of the milk.

• Combine on low velocity, scraping down the perimeters of the bowl as wanted, till the elements are principally mixed. The frosting might seem clumpy – it’s going to easy out with extra milk/cream and extra mixing.

• Add 1-2 tablespoons of the remaining milk, improve the velocity to medium, and proceed mixing for 1-2 minutes till the frosting is creamy and fluffy, scraping down the perimeters of the bowl as wanted.

• Add extra milk for softer frosting, or add extra powdered sugar for thicker frosting.

• Press via the frosting with a silicone spatula to eliminate air bubbles, if wanted. Use the frosting instantly (that is most popular), or retailer within the fridge, coated, for a number of days. If utilizing out of the fridge, add 1-2 teaspoons milk and beat with a mixer till creamy.

Cocoa Powder: this recipe works properly with pure, unsweetened cocoa powder (like Hershey’s model) or Dutch-course of cocoa. Dutch-course of cocoa will give the frosting a deeper, richer chocolate taste and colour. The frosting within the footage of the put up was made with pure, unsweetened cocoa powder. 
Frosting: this frosting will be simply unfold with an offset spatula or it may be piped utilizing a big piping tip (for cupcakes and cake decorations). If piping the frosting, add a bit much less milk so the frosting isn’t too delicate.
Heavy Cream: in my testing, subbing in heavy cream for the milk gave the frosting a barely curdled texture. I choose utilizing milk for this frosting. With milk, the frosting can maintain longer mixing occasions so it’s mild and fluffy with out turning curdled/grainy. 

Observe @MelsKitchenCafe on Instagram and present me the recipes you make from my weblog utilizing the hashtag #melskitchencafe. I really like seeing all of the goodness you’re whipping up in your kitchens!