Saturday, May 29, 2010

Quick Chocolate Buttercream

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I totally had birthday cake for breakfast this morning. You see, when you are the birthday girl, you are practically forced into doing that by the last errant slice of birthday cake that your mom tucked away in the fridge, knowing that you'd want it later on. I know, my mom is the best. Surprisingly, though, I'm not here to talk about cake. If you want a really fabulous dark chocolate cake, this one is my favorite, but you probably knew that already. What I'm going to tell you about is the buttercream.

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Silky, smooth, luscious, lovely chocolate buttercream. Holy cow, this one is for the books! And it's the quick kind, meaning no heating up egg whites, no worrying whether they will whip up or not, no curdling and ensuing tears, and if you've ever made Swiss Meringue buttercream, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Forget all other quick buttercreams you've ever known, guys. Break up with them and never look back. This one is Mr. Right.

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There is a reason it works, of course. First, you do a bit of whipping, and then you add unsweetened cocoa powder and powdered sugar very very slowly, so that the butter has a chance to incorporate all that goodness. Then, you whip some more. Ta-daa! Lick-the-bowl good. Oh, yes, yes it is.

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Quick Chocolate Buttercream
Frosts 24 cupcakes or a 2 layer 9" round/8" square cake
(I found the proportions online somewhere, but I don't remember where, sorry...)

2 sticks (1 cup) butter, room temperature [I use very lightly salted butter; if you use unsalted, you can add a pinch of salt to bring out the chocolate flavor]
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder [My favorite is Valhrona dutch processed for a little bitterness]
1/2 cup whole milk
3-4 cups of powdered sugar (more or less to achieve desired consistency)

Whip the room-temperature butter on medium speed with the paddle attachment for 2-3 minutes. Shift to low and add cocoa powder slowly, one teaspoon at a time, until fully incorporated. Still on low, add in the powdered sugar (also one teaspoon at a time), alternating with the milk, to achieve desired consistency and taste. Then, beat on medium speed until very light and fluffy, another 3-5 minutes. Add in more sugar if consistency is too thin.

[tip: to make a clean cut in a cake, put it in the refrigerator for an hour to let the cake and frosting harden a little. Then slice with a very sharp cake or bread knife, wiping the knife with a damp paper towel after each cut.]

15 comments:

  1. Happy Birthday! There is no better way to celebrate then with chocolate! I'm so trying this butterceam. I have a question though, for the cake in this post, did you use two - 8 inch pans? Did you use the Sky High recipe? Thanks!

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  2. Happy birthday to you!

    Since "Lick-the-bowl good" is the name of my blog I'm going to have to give this one a try :-) looks great!

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  3. Now don't this look decadent! Happy Birthday!

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  4. Looks really good, I will definitely try this :D and it seems easy YAY!!! thanks fro sharing

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  5. I shall be bookmarking this beauty - easy and tasty buttercream = yay!

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  6. YES I love it, and I think IO'm ready for this change! Happy Birthday & what a fine way to 'live it up'!!

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  7. Happy Birthday! The cake and the frosting look delicious!

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  8. happy birthday!! this looks amazing i have to agree :)

    I have one question...where do you find your dutch process cocoa?? i have looked in four of my grocery stores including whole foods and they didn't have it! any suggestions?

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  9. That looks very good indeed. I am imagining the cocoay goodness and texture....yum!

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  10. Easy buttercream recipes are so convenient! I've actually been looking for a tried and trusted chocolate buttercream recipe. Thanks so much, it looks awesome!

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  11. What could possibly be wrong with cake for breakfast? It contains egg and milk for heaven's sake :-). I love your frosting recipe and will try it sometime this summer. I've spent some time reading your earlier posts and I must tell you that I love your recipes. I'll be back often to see what you've been cooking up. Have a great day. Blessings...Mary

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  12. I've been itching to make my own chocolate buttercream frosting and I found yours. Thanks for sharing!

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  13. This was easy and fantastic - thanks!

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