Dark Chocolate Buttercream Icing

Active time: 10 minutes | Yield: enough for 1 sheet cake, a 2 layer cake, or 12-16 cupcakes

Dark chocolate buttercream is a nice twist off a regular chocolate buttercream which I personally think can sometimes be too sweet. The dark chocolate has a slightly richer and less overly-sweet flavor so it pairs really nicely with any cake or cupcake that may already be super sweet.

If you're looking for a regular chocolate buttercream (or you just don't keep dutch cocoa powder in your kitchen), you can simply substitute the dutch cocoa for regular cocoa powder!

Ingredients:

• 12 tbsp (170g / 1 ½ sticks / ¾ cup) butter, softened

• 80g (1 cup) dutch cocoa powder (this can be substituted with regular cocoa, but it will be regular chocolate buttercream, instead of dark chocolate)

• 450g (3 ¾ cup) powdered sugar

• ½ cup milk or heavy cream

• 1 tbsp vanilla extract

• ½ tsp salt

Directions:

1. Place the butter and cocoa powder in a large mixing bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Start by mixing on low speed until cocoa is incorporated into the butter, then increase to medium-high speed for 1 minute.

2. Add the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt. Mix on low speed until ingredients are incorporated, then increase to medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.

   1. If the icing is too thin at this point, add 1-2 tbsp powdered sugar and mix on medium speed to combine.

   2. If your icing is too thick at this point, add 1-2 tbsp milk and mix on medium speed to combine.

3. Your buttercream is now ready to use! Make sure the cake/cupcakes you are spreading it on are completely cooled, as the buttercream can melt if the cake is still warm.