American Style Chocolate Buttercream Recipes

CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Steps:

• Add butter and mix on low to medium speed until smooth. Add vanilla and blend into the butter. Add powdered sugar, salt, and cocoa powder.
• Add most of the milk. Begin mixing at low speed so you won't have a cloud of powdered sugar in your kitchen.
• Continue to mix adding remaining milk as needed. It may take 5 to 6 minutes to reach the smoothness and consistency you like. It will take longer if using a hand mixer. As you mix the frosting will become very smooth. You can add additional milk (1 Tablespoon at a time) if the frosting is too thick or additional powdered sugar if too soft.

AMERICAN-STYLE CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM RECIPE

Steps:

• Use buttercream right away or transfer to a large zipper-lock bag, press out air, and seal. The buttercream can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks or frozen for up to several months. (The main issue with longer storage in the freezer is odor absorption, not spoilage.) Bring buttercream to approximately 72°F (22°C) and re-whip before use; see the troubleshooting guide below for tips on adjusting its consistency.
• Troubleshooting: If too cold, the frosting may seem stiff, greasy, or curdled; to fix, melt 1/4 cup frosting until liquid, then return it to the bowl and re-whip. Conversely, if too warm, the frosting may seem soft, loose, or runny; to fix, refrigerate the bowl of frosting for 10 minutes, then re-whip. It can take time to achieve the right temperature and consistency, but it gets easier with practice.

CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• Beat 2 cups of unsalted butter on a medium speed for 30 seconds with a paddle attachment until smooth.
• Add in 1 cup of cocoa powder and 1/2 tsp of salt. Mix on low until the cocoa is fully incorporated and no clumps remain.
• Slowly add in 5 cups of powdered sugar and mix in on a low speed. Halfway through mix in 1/2 cup of heavy cream to make the frosting easier to mix.
• Next, mix in 1 1/3 cups of dark chocolate chips that have been melted and cooled for about 10 minutes. The chocolate should still be in a fully liquid state, but not hot to the touch.
• Beat on low until the ingredients are fully incorporated and the desired consistency is reached.
• If the frosting is too thick, add an extra Tbsp of heavy cream. If it's too thin, add in another 1/4 cup of powdered sugar.
• Stir by hand with a rubber spatula once the frosting is made to get the frosting SUPER smooth.
• Then use as desired! This frosting is amazing on layer cakes, cupcakes, cookies & more!

BASIC CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM ICING

Steps:

• Beat butter and 1/4 cup cocoa powder together in a bowl with an electric mixer on low until light and fluffy. Gradually add milk, remaining 1/4 cup cocoa powder, and vanilla extract; beat until smooth. Add confectioners' sugar, about 2 tablespoons at a time, until desired consistency is reached.

THE BEST CHOCOLATE AMERICAN BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat together butter, 10x, cocoa powder, salt, and until light and smooth.
• Add all the melted chocolate and beat in until slightly lightened.
• Switch to the whisk.
• Add cream and whisk on high until light and fluffy and white.

CHOCOLATE AMERICAN BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• Combine the butter and cocoa powder in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or in a large bowl if using a handheld electric mixer). Mix on low speed until combined. Add the vanilla and salt. Continue to mix on low speed, adding the sugar a cup at a time and alternating with additions of the milk. Increase the speed to medium-high and mix until smooth. Use immediately, or refrigerate in an airtight container up to 3 days. Allow to come to room temperature and mix on medium-high until smooth.

AMERICAN BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• Beat the butter and salt in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
• Reduce the speed to low and beat in the confectioners' sugar 1 cup at a time, increasing the speed to medium high. Repeat with the remaining 4 cups. Beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the milk and vanilla until smooth.

CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH AMERICAN BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.
• In a big bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Whisk in the coffee, cocoa powder, and 1/2 cup water and heat it for a minute, stirring constantly. Pour the melted butter mixture into the flour mixture and whisk until well combined.
• In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla. Add it to the batter and mix until smooth.
• Divide the batter between the two cake pans, scraping all the batter from the bowl with a rubber spatula. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool for 15 minutes in the pans and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
• Frost with buttercream frosting
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine all the ingredients. Whip the mixture on low speed for a while. When the sugar is incorporated, turn the mixer speed up and whip until the buttercream is smooth and looks right to you. If it's too cold, persuade it with a blowtorch if you have one. If it's too wet, add a bit more powdered sugar. If it's too stiff, add a bit more butter. Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl once or twice to make sure everything is combined.
• Use immediately or store in an airtight container at room temperature for 24 hours or in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Rewhip cold buttercream before using it.
• Variation: The water/coffee combo in this recipe can be switched up, but remember, coffee is to chocolate like salt is to beef. Coffee brings out the flavor of chocolate without making it taste like coffee, just as salt brings out the flavor of meat without making it taste salty. The liquid you use can be all water, or it can be a full cup of coffee for more of a mocha-flavored cake. And if you're feeling really bold, go ahead and use a cup of a dark stout beer instead. Get creative and experiment a little - after all, it is a science project.

AMERICAN BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• Beat the butter in a stand mixer until it is creamy and slaps the sides of the bowl. Scrape your bowl. Mix the salt with the milk, and then add 3 tablespoons of the milk along with the vanilla extract and blend slowly until combined. Raise the speed to medium and beat to form a smooth butter mixture.
• Add half of the powdered sugar and blend on low until combined. Scrape the bowl, add the remaining sugar, set the mixer to low and blend for 2 to 3 minutes. Resist the urge to add more milk right away because the buttercream will thin out as it mixes. After mixing on low for 2 to 3 minutes you can choose to add more milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, to reach your desired consistency.
• Scrape your bowl, then set the mixture to medium-low and mix for 10 minutes. You may scrape the bowl halfway through. The frosting can be made softer with the addition of milk, 1/2 teaspoon at a time. The frosting will keep for 3 days at room temp, or 2 weeks refrigerated.
• Buttercream Variations:
• Add 1/2 cup marshmallow creme to the finished buttercream.
• Stir in a generous amount of chopped chocolate sandwich cookies for a delicious cookies-and-cream filling.
• Add up to 1/2 cup of creamy peanut butter to the finished buttercream.
• Add 2 to 3 ounces of melted and cooled bittersweet baking chocolate to the finished buttercream.
• Dissolve 2 to 4 teaspoons of instant espresso powder into your vanilla extract for coffee buttercream. This also works with the melted chocolate for mocha buttercream.
• Eliminate the vanilla extract and add up to 2 teaspoons of peppermint, lemon, orange, coconut or almond extract. You may choose to add a few drops of vanilla just to round off the flavor.