Chocolate buttercream

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PRESENTATION

Rich, decorative layers of chocolate buttercream offer families that perfect soft and silky frosting look for celebrations or everyday fun. Whether covering a tall birthday cake or topping cupcakes for a party, this whipped frosting comes through every time with a luxuriously thick, rich chocolate color and a deeply delicious flavor everyone remembers. The chocolate frosting pops against vanilla, chocolate, or even red velvet bakes—plenty of options for matching favorite desserts. You get eye-catching swirls, beautiful peaks, and a creamy, dreamy shine that feels like a treat on its own (kids usually tend to swipe a finger before it hits the table). Home cooks often say the best part is that familiar sweet chocolate aroma that fills the kitchen, bringing both comfort and excitement—and even a basic cake turns impressive with this homemade frosting finishing touch. Perfect for birthdays, holidays, or just rainy afternoons when you need something extra nice, adding chocolate buttercream feels like putting the happy in any homemade dessert.

Busy family schedules don’t always leave much room for fancy desserts, so having an easy frosting recipe like this one makes parties or last-minute treats so much nicer. Flexible enough for any event—sometimes thick in the middle of a layer cake, while other times it pipes beautifully on a tray of simple cupcakes—this piping frosting never disappoints for both looks and flavor. That dependable American buttercream texture, softly holding decorative shapes, doubles as an everyday go-to or a celebration showpiece. Families like to get creative with toppings…think sprinkles for birthdays, mini cookies on movie nights, or fresh berries for a pop of color. Even if you’re not a pro, this silky frosting delivers good results and adds a special touch to almost anything—really GREAT for school parties or a sweet weekday reward. Consistency is key, and this simple, adaptable choice gives homes that little boost of chocolate comfort, lifting anything from quick sheet cakes to special-occasion centerpieces—pure DECADENT fun, and always crowd-pleasing.

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INGREDIENTS
Ingredients for 1 lb of Chocolate Buttercream
Butter ¾ cup (175 g) - at room temperature
Water ¼ cup (50 g)
Sugar ¾ cup (150 g)
Dark chocolate 3.5 oz (100 g)
Egg yolks 6 tbsp (90 g) - approximately 6
Unsweetened cocoa powder ¾ tbsp (12 g)
Vanilla bean ½
Preparation

How to prepare Chocolate buttercream

To prepare the chocolate buttercream, start by chopping the dark chocolate 1, then transfer it to a bowl 2 and melt it in a double boiler, stirring often 3.

When it is completely melted 4, pour it into a bowl and let it cool, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, prepare the syrup that will pasteurize the egg yolks and give your cream a firmer structure: pour the sugar into a saucepan, add the water 5, and let it simmer until it reaches a temperature of 250°F 6; you can use a kitchen thermometer for this operation.

When the syrup in the saucepan reaches 239°F, pour the egg yolks into the bowl of a stand mixer and start whipping them 7. As soon as the syrup reaches the indicated temperature, pour it slowly into the mixer while it is still running 8 and continue to work until it cools completely. Meanwhile, transfer the softened butter, cut into cubes, into a bowl, add the seeds of half a vanilla bean 9;

with the help of a spatula, start working it into a cream until you obtain a soft and homogeneous mixture 10. Then, gradually add the butter into the running mixer 11, until it's all incorporated; you should obtain a creamy mixture 12.

With the whisk still running, slowly incorporate the now cooled melted chocolate into the mixer 13, then transfer the cream into a bowl and also add the sifted cocoa powder 14. Mix with a spatula until everything is combined and your chocolate buttercream will be ready 15.

Storage

Store your chocolate buttercream for 2 days in the refrigerator, in a bowl covered with cling film on contact, or inside a piping bag. Freezing is not recommended.

Advice

The above-mentioned quantity of chocolate buttercream is suitable for filling or covering a cake with a diameter of 11 inches (or garnishing 6/8 cupcakes).
When your chocolate buttercream is ready, keep it away from heat sources and always store it in the refrigerator.
If you wish, you can vary the amount of chocolate to add to the cream, using less to make it more delicate or adding more to intensify the flavor.

For the translation of some texts, artificial intelligence tools may have been used.