Amazing Crusting Chocolate Buttercream

I don't share many recipes because of the business but sometimes... I have to share! Here's a great chocolate buttercream recipe. This is the recipe I used for the Chocolate and Lavendar cake in the previous post.

Since my family has been eating it by the spoonful, I'd say it's a real winner! Now... if you want to really enjoy a treat, bake a chocolate cake and fill it with the peanut butter cup version OR bake a banana cake and ice it with the chocolate icing.

Happy Baking! Oh... by the way, there are NO calories here! (**wink**)

Perfect Crusting Chocolate Buttercream

Have tried several chocolate buttercream recipes and haven't been sold on any of them... Maybe because I'm not a big fan of buttercream in general... anyway, had to make a last minute cake with chocolate buttercream filling and icing... so I just started throwing things in the mixer. It turned out beautifully and my family is now eating the icing by the spoonful. Add 1/2 cup of peanut butter and you have an amazing chocolate peanut butter icing or filling... If using as a filling, chop up some peanut butter cups and sprinkle on top of the filling once you've put it on the cake and it's beyond belief!

INGREDIENTS:

• 6 sticks or 3 cups of salted butter (softened)
• 3 tbsp milk
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder (special dark for a darker frosting)
• 1 bag of Ghiradelli 60% cacao dark chocolate chips (melted)
• 2lbs (1 bag) of confectioner’s sugar

DIRECTIONS:

1. Mix butter, milk, vanilla, and cocoa powder in your mixer until thoroughly combined and smooth.
2. Melt your chocolate chips in the microwave on 30 second intervals stirring between heating. Then pour into the mixer a little at a time mixing as you go.
3. After the chocolate has been added to the other ingredients and you have a smooth consistency, add in the confectioner’s sugar. I just drape a dish towel over my kitchen aid and pour in the whole bag. Then turn it on low and let it go for a couple of minutes. If it is a little too thick, add another tablespoon of milk.

FOR DARKER CHOCOLATE... Use the Hershey's special dark cocoa powder or add 3 drops of black food color and about a teaspoon of brown. You'll get a nice dark chocolate color.

FOR CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER FILLING… add 1/2 cup of peanut butter to your butter mixture before adding your powdered sugar.

PEANUT BUTTER CUP FILLING… sprinkle chopped peanut butter cup between the layers after you spread your filling. NOTE: I don't recommend mixing the peanut butter cups into your filling will just break them down into nothing and you won't even recognize they are there...