The Best Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
Written by joythebaker on June 17, 2008 – 10:06 pm -
Please allow me this last party post. You won’t have to hear a word about it after this. Promise. But what’s a party without cupcakes? And what’s a chocolate cupcake without The Best Chocolate Buttercream Frosting? Tragedy, I suppose.
It should go without saying that these super soft chocolate cupcakes were a hit at the party. But there is one mystery. Around about 2 in the morning, as I was somehow making my way around the room collecting dirty plates, I ran across a plate with a discarded cupcake on it. The cupcake had one bite taken out of it, and then the remainder of the cupcake was smashed upside down onto the dirty paper plate. WHAT!? Who would do that!? Seriously… not cool.
Super Soft Chocolate Cupcakes
makes about 4 dozen cupcakes… maybe more.. lots of cupcakes!
3 cups sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 Tablespoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups sour cream
1 cup strong coffee, cooled
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake pan with cupcake papers. Set aside.
Using a stand mixer fit with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating for 1 minute in between each addition. Scrape down bowl after each addition. Beat in vanilla.
Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry mixture to the creamed butter and sugar alternately with the sour cream. Begin and end with the flour mixture. Beat to incorporate.
With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the cooled strong coffee to the batter. Add in a slow steady stream to prevent splashing. The batter will become fairly thing and smooth. Scrape down bowl and beat for 1 minute to ensure the batter is completely mixed.
Pour into cupcake papers and bake on middle rack for 15 minutes, or until a pick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean.
Remove from oven and set on wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan and let cool to room temperature on wire racks.
Now, as promised- The best Chocolate Buttercream Frosting, with a secret ingredient- Ovaltine. Yes, rich chocolate Ovaltine. When combined with heavy cream, it gives the frosting the most luscious flavor and spreadable consistency. So yum!
The Best Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
adapted from Delilah Bakery
1 1/2 cup (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
4 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 cup milk
1 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup Ovaltine
Cream together butter, cocoa powder and salt. Butter mixture will be very thick. Turn off the mixer, scrape down the sides of the bowl and add powdered sugar. Turn mixer on low and mix in powdered sugar while adding milk and vanilla extract. As the sugar incorporates, raise the speed of the mixer to beat the frosting. Beat until smooth. In a 2 cup measuring glass, stir together heavy cream and Ovaltine. Turn mixer speed to medium and pour cream mixture into frosting in a slow, steady stream, until you’ve reached your desired consistency. You may not need the full amount of Ovaltine and cream.
Remember how I was lamenting about my sometimes insane Martha Stewart tendencies? Well the craft gene, handed down to me from my mother, came out in full force with these drink umbrellas. The instructions are from Martha Stewart- which pretty much makes her the instigator. Should I shake my fist in the air with displeasure? No, I have to admit, these umbrellas might have been worth the 5 hours it took to make them. They’re pretty cute.
And yes, there were people at this party. But I can’t be sure they all want to be immortalized on this blog. I’ll spare them that pain, if you’ll allow it.
Tags: Chocolate, crafts, Cupcakes, frosting, joythebaker, party, summer, Though
Posted in Cupcakes, Recipes, Tips and Tricks | 31 Comments »
It’s hard to imagine anyone so stupid to refuse a chocolate cupcake! I’d love to have one right now…sigh…
ooohhhh the “best” chocolate buttercream you say? Now I totally have to try it! Love the Martha umbrellas. Too cute!
/Clara
I have been searching for a perfect chocolate frosting. This looks divine…I will be making it very soon! And a tragedy about the one-bite-cupcake…
I haven’t thought about ovaltine in years. I guess it’s time to reinvestigate this old childhood memory!
These look amazing. Love the sprinkles too!
Awesome! That frosting sounds amazing!
i love the drink brollies! and if you want to send the discarded cupcake my way, i’ll happily finish it off!
I’ve been looking for a solid choco buttercream recipe. I’ll definitely have to try this!
Loving the photography! Is this with your new camera?
xo,
JK
You know I have never followed a blog on a regular basis but once I discovered yours a few weeks ago I was hooked! The food, the photography, your writing…it all just appealed to me the way no other has. Thanks! Now, these cupcakes look scrumptious and bring back the joy of childhood to me. My mom would on occasion make cupcakes for us (always a box mix but they tasted good none the less because mom made them just for us!) and we would devour them like nothing else. Every once and a while she would splurge on sprinkles or jimmies and they always made the cupcakes even more magical. I have to make these for my mom
What? You gave away the secret? The secret I said I would take to the grave? Good for you! The ovaltine is the perfect addition and works so well on my choc cakes. Thanks!
Can’t wait to try this buttercream, now to get my hand’s on some Ovaltine! Btw, your I totally understand your Martha tendencies, I have them too.
Your cupcakes were phenomenal! I halved the batch and made the for a party (I already had a dozen strawberry cupcakes with coconut lemon frosting going so I didn’t want to go overboard) I didn’t use the buttercream frosting though, I was baking all day and it was hot already but my 400 degree kitchen would’ve killed it, I made a dark chocolate ganache instead for the top and it was a perfect combo. Thanks for the recipe and glad the party went well!
I used this icing on a chocolate layer cake the other day — you’re right, it is the best chocolate buttercream!
[...] allow me to leave you with these double chocolate and bright red velvet cupcakes. Take good care of them while I’m [...]
joy – i just made these cupcakes and frosting for my office and they were literally devoured in three minutes flat. several took extras home. thanks for sharing your recipes, techniques and love for baking with the rest of us!
I’ve been looking for a choc butter cream frosting for my daughters birthday (and I love ovaltine) so I think I wanna try this one. But was just wondering, butter cream frostings are supposed to ’set’ right? Meaning they get a little firm or errr…no? Well I guess what I’m really asking is would this frosting work for piping decoration onto a sheet cake?
Joy – how much does your choco buttercream recipe yield? I’m using it on my next cake…can’t wait!!
The frosting was just as promised~ so good!
I was wondering what type of Ovaltine did you use? When I got to the store I realized that there were 2 types (Original malted chocolate and plain chocolate.) I used the plain chocolate (with fabulous results) but wondered what kind you used in your recipe.
I did add about 50% more sugar ( to make it firm enough to decorate/pipe with) and then doubled the recipe to cover an 8″ double layer cake.
Love your blog…Happy Baking!
hmm… i had such high hopes for this recipe — i have made two batters in the past 2 hours and both times something has gone wrong. cupcakes didnt rise/fluff up – instead i had a scispy, thin ‘mushroom’top that spread all over the baking pan and it was hard to get the cupcakes out or to even get the paper of them .. i dont know what i could have done wrong? i didnt actually have sour cream so subbed with 1 cup milk + 1 tbsp vinegar … is that what it is? help, joy!
Hi, can someone twll me if you can actually taste the coffee in these cakes?
i really dont like coffee in the slightest and wondered if to omit it would ruin the recipe?
Secondly with regards to the icing, it sounds devine but i am looking for something that will set hard(ish) for transportation purposes. Would i need to add more butter or less cream?
Thanks so much for your help!
[...] get it twisted. I’m not entirely hating on Ovaltine. Ovaltine rocks the house in my Chocolate Buttercream Frosting. addthis_url = ‘http%3A%2F%2Fwww.joythebaker.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F184′; addthis_title = [...]
I am definitely going to give this one a try…sounds amazing!
I lover your blog!! ok I’m always ready to try a new recipe especially if it has chocolate. But there seems to be a contradiction here. On the one page you say Ovaltine sucks. I agree. But how does it make your choc buttercream frosting rock? If it has no chocoalty flavor??
I am an avid and experienced baker and I have made this buttercream frosting several times now and it is without a doubt, superb! I brought these cupcakes to a party a few weeks ago and a skinny little 90 pound woman ate so many that I feared she would lapse into a diabetic coma! Take out insurance before you make them!!
[...] The Best Chocolate Buttercream Frosting [...]
This frosting is absolutely wonderful!! I have made several different recipes on the back of cocoa boxes and sugar boxes. I should have come here first. So easy and so yummy with a lot of ingredients I already had. Thank you!!
Thank you for the frosting. It is wonderful!! My 3 year old son had a request for strawberry cake with chocolate frosting. I found your blog and have become a huge fan. So as crazy as it sounds I made your southern style strawberry cake with the this frosting and although not the perfect pair, he loved it. And they both turned out great.
sampangie- what a great story! i love that you gave your 3 year old exactly the cake he wanted even though it wasn’t the best of combinations. so sweet! i’m glad you enjoyed the frosting. happy baking!
I’m going to attempt to make these today!!! Can’t wait!
I made the buttercream frosting for my husbands birthday last week. But I coulnt find Ovaltine in my store (odd I know) so I substituted Ghiradelli hot chocolate. It didnt pour necessarily…but it made a mouse like mixture. The frosting turned out fluffy and rich. DELICIOUS! Its hard not to eat it with a spoon. This has to be the best chocolate buttercream recipe Ive ever made…and I do quite a bit of baking. Thanks!