Mike doesn't like frosting - isn't that the most annoying thing ever? He's always telling me to only put a little bit on cakes and cupcakes. For those of us who have coveted the "corner" pieces of birthday cakes, this request is hard to comprehend (or obey). When I find an icing or frosting that Mike loves, I know I have struck gold - as I have with this chocolate buttercream. It is not too sweet, not too chocolately and gloriously creamy.
I shared some of my Cake Baking Tips & Resources below, too.
The Best HomemadeChocolate Buttercream 1 stick of butter, melted1 1/2 cups of cocoa1/2 cup of milk (plus more)2 sticks of butter, softened5-6 cups of powdered sugar (plus maybe more)1 teaspoon vanillaIn a glass bowl, melt 1 stick of butter in the microwave. Add cocoa and milk and microwave for 1 more minute, stir to mix. In a mixer, cream 2 sticks of butter and powdered sugar. Add cocoa mixture slowly. Add vanilla. Mix on high for 2 minutes. Add more milk or powdered sugar until the desired consistency.Whip together for a couple of minutes until well combined.
Add butter in 2 tablespoons at a time until incorporated. Whip for 2-3 more minutes.
Add more milk or powdered sugar to achieve desired consistency.
Cake Baking Tips :
I use
Parchment Paper to line the Round Cake Pans. I recently restocked both the
White & the Natural Unbleached (shown here). I use the cake pan to draw a circle, then cut it out. Then I cut strips to line the sides of the pan with. I use a little butter to hold it in place - just swipe the stick around the pan once to create some glue.
Most of the time we just use boxed cake mixes + homemade icing. Boxed cakes tend to be very moist (yay!) and the icing is what I enjoy the most (yay!), so this combo works great for us.
I bake the cakes on a
Large Baking Sheet, which makes them easier to get in and out of the oven and helps keep the oven clean by catching any overflow from the pans.
Shop Baking Essentials :
Parchment Paper (white or natural)8" or 6" Round Cake PansBaking SheetsDisposable Pastry Bags