Lauren Marie Gluten Free

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
This is a great frosting for anything!  The deep "chocolately" flavor comes from both cocoa powder and melted bittersweet chocolate.  Patrick absolutely loves this frosting and requested I put it on his Double Layer Flourless Chocolate Cake for his birthday.  It was out of this world!

Makes enough to ice 16 cupcakes or two 8x8 square cakes

4 ½ cups confectioner’s sugar 

       (powdered sugar)

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 ½ sticks butter (3/4 cup),  

       room temperature

1 cup heavy whipping cream

3/4 cup bittersweet chocolate chips 

       (I like to use 60% cocao content)

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon instant espresso powder

                

                

       

       Place the chocolate chips in a small heatproof bowl (stainless steel or glass) and place over a saucepan with slightly simmering water.  Stir often until melted (4-5 minutes).  Remove bowl from saucepan and measure out 1/3 cup of melted chocolate.  Set aside.   

Sift together sugar and cocoa together in a large bowl.  (Don’t skip this step! It really makes for a smooth frosting.)  In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix butter on medium speed until smooth.  In a small bowl or cup, mix the espresso powder and the vanilla extract until espresso powder is dissolved.  Add vanilla mixture to the butter and mix on medium speed. 

Then, with the mixer off, add a third of the sugar mixture.  Turn the mixer on low and slowly pour in a ½ cup of heavy whipping cream.  Once mixed, stop the mixer and repeat with another third of the sugar mixture and the remaining ½ cup of heavy whipping cream.  Turn off the mixer and add the remaining sugar mixture and the 1/3 cup melted chocolate.  Mix on low speed until smooth.

Lauren Marie’s Tips:
*If you want a thinner frosting, turn the mixer on low speed and add a tablespoon of heavy whipping cream at a time until you get the consistency you are looking for.

*I love to use this frosting on my Double Layer Flourless Chocolate Cake!  Here’s the recipe