Silky-Smooth Chocolate Buttercream

My best friend loves this frosting so much, she gobbles the entire frosting right out of the bowl! Seeing her joy when she scoops large spoonfuls of this perfectly sweet, lusciously smooth frosting into her mouth made me feel this creation deserved a post of its own. Whether you want to be like her and enjoy this sweet treat on its own or pair it for your favourite cupcake/cake recipe, I assure you that this recipe is as foolproof as it gets so try your hand at it!

Buttercreams are the easiest types of frosting to prepare so there isn’t much to keep in mind. However, the texture of your butter is key to perfecting this frosting. Your butter should be soft to the touch such that when you press it, an indent of your finger remains on the butter. Never use melted butter to make any type of buttercream as it will cause your frosting to become liquid. Incase you forget to keep your butter outside ahead of time, a little trick I’ve learnt is to chop your butter into even 1” cubes (to ensure even heating), spread the cubes out on a glass plate and microwave for 10s bursts, rotating the pieces at each interval. Do not microwave the butter for more than 30s altogether. Be very mindful if you choose to use this approach and ensure the butter does not melt.

Ingredients:

138g unsalted butter, softened

280g icing sugar

50g cocoa powder

3tsp vanilla extract

5tbsp milk, room temperature

Method:

1. Allow your butter to sit on the kitchen counter for at least half an hour so it softens. Note that the butter will soften quicker if the atmospheric temperature is high. So, keep an eye on the butter to ensure it does not melt and turn liquid.

2. Add the softened butter to a large bowl and beat it for 2-3 minutes using an electric whisk until it is light and a little fluffy.

3. Sift in the icing sugar to the beaten butter. Fold the butter and icing sugar together using a spatula to prevent the icing sugar from flying while beating.

4. Once all the icing sugar has dissolved into the butter, beat the mixture for 4-5 minutes or until it is pale, light and fluffy.

5. Next, sift in the cocoa powder and once again fold using a spatula to prevent creating a mess.

6. Add in the vanilla essence to the mixture and beat together until a smooth, homogeneous mixture forms.

7. Your buttercream will now be very clumpy and hard. To loosen it up and turn it into a spreadable consistency, add 1 tbsp of milk at a time until your desired texture is obtained.

8. Ensure that your milk is at room temperature before adding it to the mixture or else it will split the butter and cause your frosting to curdle.

9. Beat the frosting after every addition of milk. After all the ingredients have been added, whip the mixture on high speed for an additional 3 minutes to make the frosting soft and fluffy.

10. The frosting should be a little loose, but not fully liquid, so that it can be piped and spread easily onto the cake while also holding its shape.