Mike doesn’t like frosting – isn’t that the most annoying thing ever? He’s always telling me to only put a little bit on cakes and cupcakes. For those of us who have coveted the “corner” pieces of birthday cakes, this request is hard to comprehend (or obey). When I find an icing or frosting that Mike loves, I know I have struck gold – as I have with this chocolate buttercream. It is not too sweet, not too chocolately and gloriously creamy. I shared some of my Cake Baking Tips & Resources below, too.
The Best Homemade Chocolate Buttercream
1 stick of butter, melted
1 1/2 cups of cocoa
1/2 cup of milk (plus more)
2 sticks of butter, softened
5-6 cups of powdered sugar (plus maybe more)
1 teaspoon vanilla
In a glass bowl, melt 1 stick of butter in the microwave. Add cocoa and milk and microwave for 1 more minute, stir to mix. In a mixer, cream 2 sticks of butter and powdered sugar. Add cocoa mixture slowly. Add vanilla. Mix on high for 2 minutes. Add more milk or powdered sugar until the desired consistency.
Whip together for a couple of minutes until well combined.
Add butter in 2 tablespoons at a time until incorporated. Whip for 2-3 more minutes.
Add more milk or powdered sugar to achieve desired consistency.
Cake Baking Tips : I use Parchment Paper ($10) to line the Round Cake Pans ($8). I use the cake pan to draw a circle, then cut it out. Then I cut strips to line the sides of the pan with. I use a little butter to hold it in place – just swipe the stick around the pan once to create some glue.
Most of the time we just use boxed cake mixes + homemade icing. Boxed cakes tend to be very moist (yay!) and the icing is what I enjoy the most (yay!), so this combo works great for us.
I bake the cakes on a Large Baking Sheet ($10), which makes them easier to get in and out of the oven and helps keep the oven clean by catching any overflow from the pans.
Essentials Used: