Along with My Favourite Vanilla Buttercream Frosting this frosting is the most requested frosting in our house. Whenever I make cupcakes there almost always is an argument among the kids as to which frosting I should make. To keep the peace, I usually make both – lucky its easy to make!

Like its vanilla counterpart, this is a basic buttercream so there is no need to whip egg whites or use a sugar syrup. In addition to the usual suspects – butter, icing (confectioner’s) sugar and milk – this frosting becomes a deliciously chocolatey courtesy of a good amount of dutch processed cocoa powder. I love watching the frosting transform into this rich, almost fudgy chocolate frosting as the cocoa is mixed together with other ingredients. Consider yourself warned – it will be hard to resist eating it straight out of the mixing bowl!

Why you LOVE this Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

• It is quick and easy to make: You will need a handheld mixer or stand mixer to make the frosting. The most time consuming part of making this frosting is sifting the icing sugar and cocoa powder, which in fairness doesn’t take long at all. You otherwise let the mixer do the work and within minutes you have a delectable chocolate frosting!
• The buttercream is very easy to work with: You can spread or pipe this frosting with ease making it perfect for decorating cupcakes or frosting an entire cake. The frosting holds its shape when piped so choose your favourite piping nozzle and get creative!
• You can make the frosting in advance: You can make this frosting in advance and store it in the fridge, covered, for up to 2 days. When you are ready to use the frosting, remove it from the fridge and bring to room temperature. Then using a handheld mixer or stand mixer, beat the frosting until it is light and fluffy.

What you will need

Equipment

• You will need a stand mixer or electric beaters.
• For decorating (optional): An offset spatula and/or piping bag and piping nozzle.

Ingredients

• Unsalted butter: You will need the butter to be at room temperature before you begin.
• Icing (confectioner’s) sugar: For this frosting I prefer to use soft icing mixture rather that pure icing sugar. The soft icing mixture contains starch which retains moisture and results in a softer setting frosting.
• Cocoa powder: I like to use dutch-processed cocoa powder (i.e. alkalised cocoa powder) as it generally has a smoother flavour that its non-alkalised counterpart.
• Vanilla extract: A touch of vanilla rounds out the flavour of this frosting.
• Salt: Not only does a pinch of salt balance out the sweetness of the frosting it is also naturally enhances the flavour in chocolate.
• Milk: This chocolate buttercream needs a touch more milk that the vanilla buttercream to compensate for the addition of cocoa powder. You may need a little less or a little more than the specified amount to get the right consistency to spread/pipe. The milk should be at room temperature before you begin.

How to make this Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

1. Sift together the icing sugar and cocoa powder. Set aside.
2. Cream the butter until pale and fluffy.
3. Add one third of the icing sugar/cocoa mixture, half the milk, vanilla extract and salt. Beat until well combined.
4. Add another third of the icing sugar/cocoa mixture and the remaining milk. Beat until well combined.
5. Add the last of the icing sugar/cocoa mixture and beat until light and fluffy.

My Favourite Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

• Author: Victoria
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: N/A
• Total Time: 15 minutes
• Yield: 12 cupcakes or 1 cake
• Category: Frosting

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Description

This chocolate buttercream frosting is rich, creamy and oh so chocolatey! It is incredibly easy to make and is perfect for decorating cupcakes and cakes. This recipe makes enough frosting for 12 cupcakes or a 20cm round cake. 

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Ingredients

• 250g (approx. 2 cups) soft icing (confectioner’s) sugar, sifted
• 1/2 cup (60g) dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 100g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons full-cream (whole) milk (approx.)

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Instructions

1. In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the icing sugar and cocoa powder. Set aside.
2. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl if using handheld beaters, beat the butter until pale and creamy (approximately 1 to 2 minutes).
3. To the butter, add a third of the icing sugar/cocoa mixture, half of the milk, vanilla extract and salt. Beat until well combined. Using a spatula, scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl as necessary (see note 1).
4. Add another third of the icing sugar/cocoa mixture and the remaining milk and beat until well combined. 
5. Add the remaining icing sugar/cocoa mixture and beat for approximately 2 to 3 minutes until light and fluffy and a spreadable consistency. If the frosting is too dry, add a little more milk, a tablespoon at a time until you get the right consistency. Similarly, if the frosting is too wet add extra sifted icing sugar, again, a tablespoon at a time.
6. The frosting is ready to use straight away. If not using right away, store the frosting in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days (see note 2). 

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Notes

1. Scraping down the sides of the bowl: If you are using a stand mixer, make sure to scrape all the way to the bottom of the bowl (directly underneath the paddle) to make sure all the butter is incorporated into the frosting. If the butter isn’t incorporated fully you will end up with chunks of butter throughout the frosting – not ideal!
2. Making the buttercream in advance: When ready to use, remove the buttercream from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature. Using a stand mixer or handheld mixer, beat the frosting until it returns to a light and fluffy texture.
3. Freezing: The frosting can be frozen in a freezer safe container for 2 to 3 months. Allow it to defrost in the fridge overnight then follow the instructions in note 1.

Keywords: Buttercream, Frosting, Chocolate Frosting

The post My Favourite Chocolate Buttercream Frosting appeared first on Marble & Whisk.

This frosting is hands down the frosting I make the most. I use it to decorate My Favourite Vanilla Cupcakes and the kids’ birthday cakes. When making cupcakes for a birthday party I will often colour the frosting to match the theme of the party. For everyday, I must admit I love the look of a white fluffy buttercream topped with sprinkles or a sugar flower -simplicity at its best!

Why you will LOVE this frosting

• It is very simple to make: This frosting is a basic buttercream. It does not require egg whites or a sugar syrup like an Italian buttercream which has a meringue base. All you need to do is beat the ingredients together with a handheld mixer or in a stand mixer – easy!
• This buttercream is versatile and easy to use: You can use this buttercream to frost an entire cake and in between layers if making a layer cake. To do this, I find it easiest to use an offset spatula to spread the buttercream. If you don’t have one, a sturdy spatula usually does the trick! Alternatively, you can pipe the frosting on using a piping bag fitted with a piping nozzle of your choice. This is my preferred method when decorating cupcakes or filling sandwich style cookies.
• It can be made in a variety of colours and/or flavours: Simply add a couple of drops of food colouring to the frosting or replace the vanilla extract with another flavouring. Some flavours I love to use are peppermint (using peppermint essence) or rosewater. When using food colouring or flavourings, a good rule of thumb is to go SLOW. Add a little bit at a time until you get the colour/flavour you want. It is easy to add more but once you have gone overboard in the colour or flavour department it is very hard to go back!

Can I make the buttercream frosting in advance?

You can prepare the buttercream in advance and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When you are ready to use the frosting, remove it from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature. Using a handheld mixer or stand mixer, beat the frosting until it is light and fluffy again. It is then ready to use!

What is also great about this frosting is that it holds its shape when piped and chilled. This means you can decorate cupcakes the night before, refrigerate them overnight and they will still look perfect the next day! I like to bring the cupcakes to room temperature before serving.

What you will need

Equipment

• You will need a stand mixer or electric beaters.
• For decorating (optional): An offset spatula and/or piping bag and piping nozzle.

Ingredients

• Unsalted butter: You will need the butter to be at room temperature before you begin.
• Icing (confectioner’s) sugar: In Australia, icing sugar is available as soft icing mixture and pure icing sugar. The only difference being the soft icing mixture contains starch (tapioca or maize) whereas the pure icing is just as its name suggests, pure icing sugar. For this buttercream I prefer to use the soft icing mixture as it has a softer texture which is ideal when you want a fluffy frosting!
• Vanilla extract: I always prefer to use vanilla extract or a vanilla paste as opposed to vanilla essence. Vanilla extract is naturally derived whereas the essence is usually synthetic and is less natural tasting as a result. You can substitute vanilla paste in equal quantities. The flavour is on par with the extract with the only exception being you will be able to see the vanilla pod seeds throughout the buttercream.
• Salt: It may seem strange to add salt to frosting but trust me, a touch of salt really helps to balance out the sweetness!
• Milk: The amount of milk you will need will depend on the consistency of the frosting. You may need a little less or a little more than the specified amount to get the right consistency to spread/pipe. The milk should be at room temperature before you begin.

How to make this Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

1. Cream the butter until pale and fluffy.
2. Add one third of the icing sugar, half the milk, vanilla extract and salt. Beat until well combined.
3. Add another third of the icing sugar and the remaining milk. Beat until well combined.
4. Add the last of the icing sugar and beat until light and fluffy.

My Favourite Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

• Author: Victoria
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: N/A
• Total Time: 15 minutes
• Yield: 12 cupcakes or 1 cake
• Category: Frosting

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

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Description

My favourite vanilla buttercream frosting is light, fluffy and creamy – everything a frosting should be! Not only is it easy to make, it is incredibly versatile and is perfect for decorating cupcakes and cakes. This recipe makes enough frosting for 12 cupcakes or a 20cm round cake. 

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Ingredients

• 100g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 250g (approx. 2 cups) soft icing (confectioner’s) sugar, sifted
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup full-cream (whole) milk (approx.)

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Instructions

1. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl if using handheld beaters, beat the butter until pale and creamy (approximately 1 to 2 minutes). Using a spatula, scrape down the sides of bowl as necessary. If using a stand mixer, make sure to scrape right down to the bottom of the bowl (underneath the paddle) to make sure all the butter gets incorporated with the other ingredients.
2. To the butter, add a third of the icing sugar, half of the milk, vanilla extract and salt. Beat until well combined.
3. Add another third of the icing sugar and the remaining milk and beat until well combined.
4. Add the remaining icing sugar and beat for approximately 2 to 3 minutes until light and fluffy and a spreadable consistency. If the frosting is too dry, add a little more milk, a tablespoon at a time until you get the right consistency. Similarly, if the frosting is too wet add extra sifted icing sugar, again, a tablespoon at a time.
5. The frosting is ready to use straight away. If not using right away, store the frosting in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days (see note 1). 

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Notes

1. Making the buttercream in advance: When ready to use, remove the buttercream from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature. Using a stand mixer or handheld mixer, beat the frosting until it returns to a light and fluffy texture.
2. Freezing: The frosting can be frozen in a freezer safe container for 2 to 3 months. Allow it to defrost in the fridge overnight then follow the instructions in note 1.

Keywords: Vanilla, Buttercream, Frosting

The post My Favourite Vanilla Buttercream Frosting appeared first on Marble & Whisk.