Monday, January 23, 2012

The Best Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

The Best? The Best!
So, what makes this frosting the best? I mean, how hard can it be to blend together sugar, butter, and chocolate? (That's really all there is to it - news to me when I first set out on the sure-to-be tedious task of making my own frosting.) My only way to prove that this is really the best is to: 1) Direct you to the ingredient list, where you may notice that chocolate words like "cocoa" and "semisweet" are included not just once, but twice! And 2) Encourage you to make it yourself.



Ingredients
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa mixed to paste with a little hot water
scant 2/3 cup melted chocolate of your choice (semisweet recommended)
milk

Equipment
large mixing bowl
electric mixer
spatula
measuring cups
teaspoon measure

Procedure
Blend vanilla and butter until soft and fluffy, and vanilla is no longer visible

Add confectioners' sugar 1/4 cup at a time as you blend. Get help from a someone else for this if possible so one person can blend while the other adds sugar. Beat in a few tablespoons of milk for a softer consistency.

Buttercream will keep up to 3 days stored in a cool place, or may be refrigerated for up to a week. If stored in refrigerator, let stand 1 hour before using to soften.


Tips (mistakes I made so you don't have to)
  • I make a double batch to frost a round, 8 inch layer cake. It's always better to have extra in case a little -or a lot- "disappears" as you make it.
  • Because the melted chocolate in the buttercream will harden a bit over time, it's best to use this frosting immediately for maximum spread-ability.