Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

What kind of baking cocoa should you use to make chocolate buttercream frosting?

Use your favorite cocoa powder! Dutch-process cocoa is milder and dissolves more easily for a smoother, creamier result. Natural cocoa powder has a stronger, more concentrated chocolate flavor. You can also melt solid chocolate bars or chips—just let them cool before mixing in so as not to melt the butter. If you use semisweet or bittersweet chips, you may want to reduce the sugar added to your frosting.

How can you adjust the thickness of chocolate buttercream frosting?

It’s easy to adjust the consistency of your homemade frosting. If it's too stiff, just add more milk. If it's too wet, you can simply add more dry ingredients—or put the frosting in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes and then beat it again.

What other flavors can you add to chocolate buttercream frosting?

Coffee can make the flavor in your chocolate buttercream frosting really pop. Lots of other flavors go well with chocolate—think peppermint, hazelnut, orange, almond or coconut. You can use a liquid extract, oil, liqueur or syrup, mixing it in at the stage you’d add the vanilla. If you’re adding an oil, use it sparingly (just 2-3 drops) because the flavor is intense!

How should you store chocolate buttercream frosting?

Not sure what to do with leftover frosting? Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for about a week, or in the freezer for up to a month. To use, thaw it in the fridge overnight (if frozen) and bring it to room temperature. You may need to stir well to make it spreadable again. Store frosted cakes in an airtight cake keeper for up to 4 days; they don't need to be refrigerated! The same goes for cupcakes, unless you’re not serving them all at once. In that case, it’s best to store the frosting and the cupcakes separately and frost them as you’re ready to serve.

—Hazel Wheaton, Taste of Home Book Editor