Description
An easy American chocolate buttercream that's not too sweet! Perfect for frosting cakes and cupcakes without causing your dessert to be too cloying.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 stick unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 4 oz unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 1-3 TBS heavy cream
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or using a hand mixer), whip the butter until creamy.
- Add the melted and cooled chocolate and mix until combined.
- With the mixer on low, add the powdered sugar a little at a time and mix until mostly combined, scraping the bowl as needed.
- Add the vanilla extract, pinch of salt and 1 TBS of the heavy cream. Increase mixer speed and whip until fully combined and starting to get a little fluffy.
- If needed, add more cream, 1 TBS at a time, until desired consistency is reached.
Notes
- Equipment Recommendations: 7-speed hand mixer, Ghirardelli unsweetened chocolate
- Yield: One recipe will create enough frosting for a single layer 8-inch square sheet cake. Double for a layer cake or for a 9x13 single layer sheet cake. Triple or quadruple the recipe if you need even more - make as much or as little as you need!
- You can use bittersweet chocolate instead of unsweetened, but bittersweet chocolate does have a little sugar in it.
- You can use any milk, but I recommend heavy cream as it is thick and has little to no sugar, so it won't add any extra sweetness to the frosting.
- You can melt the chocolate in a bowl in the microwave at 50% power in 30-40 second bursts, stirring well after each one and being careful not to overheat. You can also use a double boiler on the stovetop.
- I recommend sifting the powdered sugar first and then spooning it into your measuring cup and leveling it off the top using your finger or a butter knife.
- If your frosting is too thin, add a little extra powdered sugar. If it's too thick, add more cream.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 5 mins
