Making this luxurious chocolate buttercream frosting is a pretty simple endeavor.
I love that this intense chocolate buttercream frosting is just that: all real chocolate and butter. No sugar. I’m pretty sure I like sugar as much as any sweet tooth, but what I like even more is enjoying a decadent dessert without feeling nauseated afterwords. A sugarless butter frosting provides the perfect balance with rich cakes that already have enough sugar on their own.
Buttercream frosting can be made in many ways. Traditionally made with eggs, this buttercream is made without, which keeps the chocolate butter frosting taste pure and the recipe naturally simple to make.
3 Ingredients
- Chocolate – It goes without saying, the better the chocolate, the better the frosting!
- Butter – The real deal.
- Dark coffee – Espresso coffee is ideal. You could substitute this with another favorite flavoring like orange, or rum, if you like. See recommendations in the recipe card.
Plus a little ice, which helps to cool down the frosting as you whip. But you could get by with some very cold water in a pinch.
3 Steps
How to Make Chocolate Buttercream Frosting:
- Melt chocolate.
- Stir in butter.
- Whip.
Below are tips for making the best chocolate buttercream frosting while keeping it quick and easy. Be sure to check out the recipe card for full instructions.
Melting Chocolate Tips
- Importance of low heat – We all know how fast chocolate melts right in our hands when trying to eat a chocolate bar in the summer. It also “burns” easily and quickly when trying to melt it at too high a temperature. We want gentle heat.
- Melting chocolate in a bain-marie set (double boiler), with a pan over another pan of hot water, helps to keep the chocolate a layer away from the direct heat source. If you don’t have one, you can easily make your own (see Equipment Tip below).
- The water should be hot, not boiling. In fact, once it comes to a simmer, you can turn off the heat and let the chocolate melt on the residual hot steam coming from below.
- This is not absolutely necessary for success, if you are careful, but I like to adhere to the classic advice of keeping the hot water below from touching the pan of chocolate above — keeping the chocolate from harsh heat a little longer, in case I distractingly have the heat too high, and a little farther from a chance encounter with splashing water (see points below).
- All liquids need to get heated at the same time as the chocolate. Adding a liquid to chocolate that is already melted, or melting, can cause it to seize up all grainy and stiff. Not fun! We don’t want that.
- Avoid letting any water from the pan, or any other liquid, to splash onto the melted chocolate (see point above)!
Equipment Tip
If you don’t have a bain-marie or double boiler to melt the chocolate, you can easily set a heatproof bowl or pan over another pan. (I prefer one with a long handle, like in the photo.)
Whipping Tips
- Take it easy on the quantity of ice. Too much ice in the ice water can cause the frosting to start freezing onto the bowl as you whip.
- FYI: It takes about the same time — a little over 5 minutes — to whip the chocolate into frosting with a hand whisk as it does with the electric beater (albeit with a little more muscle magic).
More Chocolate
- Queen of Sheba Cake (Chocolate Almond Cake)
- Chocolate Ganache – another great way to frost a cake
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Recipe
Ingredients
- 3.5 oz semisweet chocolate (around 60-69% cacao), chopped or broken into small pieces
- 2 Tbsp espresso or strong coffee (or rum, or for orange flavour: Cointreau, Gran Marnier or 1 tsp orange extract)
- 1 stick (4oz) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- ice cubes (around 6-8 large, or 10-15 small)
Instructions
- Fill a bain-marie pan (see Notes) with 1 inch of water. Place the chocolate and coffee in a heatproof bowl or pan, and place over the pan of water. Heat, stirring occasionally. If the heat comes to a simmer, turn it off and let the chocolate continue to melt until velvety smooth.
- Remove the bowl of melted chocolate from the hot water bath and with an electric mixer, whisk or wooden spoon, beat the butter into the chocolate, around one tablespoon at a time.
- Submerge the bottom quarter of the bowl in ice water and beat the frosting at medium-high speed until of good spreading consistency. (After about 5 minutes it will lighten in color, signaling that it will be ready quickly.)
- Use to frost immediately. Serve at room temperature.
Notes
- Melting the Chocolate – If you don’t have a bain-marie set (double boiler), you can use a tall-sided heatproof bowl or pan set over a second pan.
- Storing – The frosting can be stored at room temperature, covered and kept away from sunlight and heat, for a few days, kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week, and in the freezer for up to a month. Let come to room temperature before using. Whip, whisk or stir to restore a smooth, fluffy texture.
Nutrition Info: Click to Expand
This longtime favorite frosting is adapted from Julia Child’s Glaçage au Chocolat.
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