Chocolate Fudge Buttercream

Rich and creamy, this velvety chocolate fudge buttercream is easy to make and perfect for decorating cakes or cupcakes. Its dreamy chocolate texture will melt in your mouth!

The best frosting recipe for my chocolate fudge cake, devils food cake and double chocolate muffins, plus many more.

I want to help you achieve the best chocolate fudge buttercream recipe that you can use again and again. That’s why I have included as many tips and explanations below as possible.

This recipe is full of flavour and it can be made ahead of time!

If you decide to give this recipe a try, let me know! Leave a comment below and rate it – it’s really helpful to me and the other readers. And don’t forget to take a picture and tag it #thegourmetlarder on Instagram. I love seeing what you come up with! 🙂

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INGREDIENTS

For this recipe all you need are these ingredients:

• What type of butter? – I like to use unsalted butter at room temperature, it will be much easier to work with and helps to make the frosting light and easy to pipe. Do not use melted butter! If you must soften the butter in the microwave, do it in short bursts on a low setting, rotating the butter every few seconds. But it should only be soft.

• Dark chocolate – use a good quality chocolate as it is the hero of this recipe.

• Amount of icing sugar – to get a smooth velvet texture we use icing sugar that has been sifted to ensure any lumps get removed. You might also find this sugar labelled as powdered sugar or confectioners’ sugar.

• Cocoa powder – adds a rich chocolate flavour. I prefer to use unsweetened natural cocoa powder for the best flavour! It’s not sweetened which is ideal, as there is already plenty of added sugar in the recipe.

• Vanilla paste or pod – I highly recommend using a vanilla pod or paste. If you use liquid extract you can often taste and smell the alcohol, plus you will need to add a little more sugar to counter balance the liquid.

– Vanilla recommendations: pure vanilla extract or vanilla paste or vanilla pods.

• Fine sea salt – also for flavour and to cut down on the sweetness.

• Cream – helps to thin the buttercream, making it more pliable and easier to frost a cake. I prefer double or whipping cream because of their fat content. You can use single or whole milk but the frosting will not be as creamy.

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SUBSTITUTIONS

While I am making recommendations for alternative ingredients, I haven’t necessarily tried them. If you try making any adaptions, I would love to know how you get on and share it with the other readers.

VEGAN OPTIONS

• Butter: I recommend Naturli vegan block or Flora plant-based block butter alternative.

• Cream: I recommend the Coconut Collaborative double cream or Elmlea plant based double cream.

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WHAT VARIATIONS CAN I MAKE?

For some added flavour try adding some extracts to this frosting. Just remember that if you want to add flavour via a liquid you will need to adjust the recipe to account for the added moisture. Often that means adding a little more icing sugar.

• Flavouring extracts: try one teaspoon of coconut or orange. For a delicious almond flavour, try 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract.

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NUTRITION

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STORAGE AND FREEZING

Store the buttercream in the fridge in an airtight container for 4-5 days. Allow it to come to room temperature before for spreading or piping. It is also a good idea to re-whip it back to a fluffy consistency. Most frosted cakes are best served at room temperature. If you are in a warm environment, keep your frosted baked goods in the fridge, you don’t want the buttercream losing its shape.

Making ahead: You can easily make this buttercream 2-3 days ahead and keep it in the fridge until needed.

Freezing: This frosting can be frozen in an airtight container for up to a month. Defrost for one day in the fridge and then allow it to come to room temperature on the counter and give the frosting a good whip before using.

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TOOLS YOU’LL NEED

Here is some kitchen equipment that I use and recommend for this recipe. An electric mixer, either hand-held or standing, makes quick and easy work of creating a light and fluffy buttercream.

• Earthenware Mixing Bowl Mason Cash, Cream 29 cm Chip Resistant.

I like the sturdiness of this bowl and its 4 litre capacity means I can use it for mixing just about everything in the kitchen. It is also microwave, freezer and dishwasher safe.

• Mixing Bowls Set of 5, Stainless Steel Nesting Bowls with Airtight Lids, 3 Grater Attachments, Size 5, 3, 2, 1.5, 0.63 QT

These different size mixing bowls are really useful depending on the amount of food you are preparing. They also have airtight lids that fit snugly to seal and keep food fresh, so this set can be used as dry storage bowls with lids on. The plastic lid of the largest bowl has a removable centre. Where one of 3 graters can be used.

• 3 Plastic Mixing Bowls, Non-Slip Base, Soft Grip Handle, Microwave and Dishwasher Safe, Compact, Stackable, Ideal for baking and cooking, off-white, 1.5 Litre, 2 Litre, 2.5 Litre.

I do own a plastic mixing bowl but I am personally not a big fan of them. These 3 bowls are on the smaller size but good for the odd cake making.

• KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer Die-cast Metal, 300 W, 4.8 ltrs
  

Not everyone is lucky enough to have one of these but they are useful if you do a lot of baking or making bread.

• Breville Classic Combo Stand and Hand Mixer | 3.7 Litre Stainless Steel Bowl | Swivel Control, Whisk, Dough Hooks and Beaters

I like this model of electric hand mixer because it comes with a large stand, meaning you don’t have to always hold it.

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TIP: I highly recommend using metric measurements and a digital kitchen scale, rather than cup measurements. If you have ever ended up with dry, dense or crumbly baked goods, it might be because of inaccurate volume measurements, not all measuring cups are made equally. All my recipes on this blog are carefully developed so that you can easily recreate them in your own kitchen with success, using metric measurements. It is also a lot easier, less messy and you will get far better, consistent results. 🙂
If you are interested in understanding conversions, here you will find the best conversion chart.

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RECIPE TIPS

Room temperature ingredients – ensure the butter is at room temperature before mixing, so that the frosting will mix effortlessly, lump-free and avoid splitting. Using cold butter causes the frosting to curdle.

Frosting – allow your cakes or cupcakes to cool completely before frosting them. This is important because it will prevent the frosting from melting when applied. If your frosting is too dense, add another tablespoon of cream. Similarly, if the frosting is too runny, add more icing sugar to thicken.