Rich, fudgy frosting that can withstand travel, heat, and soft fillings. Simple to make but elegant in taste, this is a go-to frosting for any cake!

The story

I feel at a loss for words these days. Part of it’s having no one to talk to in this summer of partial quarantine. I mean, I got all excited and did my makeup to go to the hardware store yesterday.

Part of it’s the tumultuous climate of America. I see my job right now as listening, learning, and amplifying black voices. I want to use my voice to help us all see the varying degrees of intolerance we all hold—even if it’s “just” biases or benefiting from centuries of systemic racism.

But I also feel I’m struggling to keep up. Now we’re attacking the police? What about the housing market that spent decades herding black people into poorer neighborhoods with inadequate schools? What about the job market that’s forced black people to still—after over 150 years—uphold and serve this country? What about the lawyers and judges and other systems that have contributed to the mass incarceration of black people?

What about systemic racism—as in, an entire system?

In some ways, this feels like a distraction from the issue. A friend from college posted something spectacular the other day. He (a black man) said something very on point: We always want someone to blame. (He also made some spot on points about media (social media and the entertainment industry) being the root cause of all of this, but I’m saving my thoughts on that for next time.)

It’s as if this movement of ending our collective hatred is too uncomfortable, so we just look for a new recipient of our hatred.

Instead of examining ourselves and working toward building up, we need something to tear down. Instead of rooting out the hatred in ourselves, we’re just displacing it, finding someone, something new to hate. I think that’s why I keep seeing nearly identical posts on social media equally vilifying the left or right for how they’re handling Black Lives Matter.

Can’t this be a people issue? Not a political one?

I’m not even sure if this makes any sense, but it’s where my heart is. I’m genuinely worried about our need to blame someone, to point fingers, to hate rather than work toward a solution.

Soooo…frosting? Yeah, there’s no good segue from the very important issue of Black Lives Matter to this frosting. But it’s summer (well, almost, but no one told California that so we keep hitting near 100 degrees each week). Summer means warmth and outdoors. Also, easing SIP restrictions mean outdoor gatherings. And guess what? Frosting likes to melt in the sun and heat. I spent weeks last summer figuring out how to make strawberry frosting that wouldn’t melt, and it still came out gummy.

Luckily, chocolate is more malleable. One solution is to make plain chocolate buttercream by adding a few tablespoons of cocoa powder to plain American buttercream.

But I like rich, fudgy chocolate. It’s why my phone no longer tried to autocorrect the word fudgy. It’s accepted that I’m just going to be using that word a lot.

Unlike my chocolate ganache buttercream, this frosting is quicker, more shelf-stable, and less prone to melting. It’s like a cross between a flavored buttercream (where you sub some butter for another fat like marshmallow or cream cheese) and my ganache buttercream. Or, more simply, it’s the exact same thing as my white chocolate buttercream, but with chocolate chocolate. You just melt some chocolate chips and add it to your frosting halfway through adding the sugar. See? Easy.

How to make this recipe

Melt chocolate in a glass bowl fitted over a pot with 1-2” simmering water, stirring constantly. Alternatively, heat in microwave on half power in 30 second increments, stirring between heating. Let cool, stirring frequently as it cools.

In a medium mixing bowl using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth then begin adding sugar one cup at a time, beating until smooth.

Halfway through adding the sugar, add the chocolate and beat until smooth and fully incorporated. Add vanilla and salt.

Continue adding sugar until desired taste and texture. If frosting is too thick, add heavy cream in splashes until smooth. Beat on high until fluffy.

Tips for this recipe

Let the chocolate cool

Don’t refrigerate it, but be sure it’s cooled down as much as you can. Stir it frequently as it cools so it doesn’t harden back up, either. You want it still stir-able but not warm enough to melt the butter. Shoot for as close to room temperature as you can get.

Use barely softened butter

Since you’re using melted chocolate, you run the risk that some heat is retained even if you let it cool as I just said. So, don’t use butter that’s been out longer than an hour (depending on ambient temperature—you don’t want it shiny and want some resistance when you press your finger into it).

Use any type of chocolate chips

Dark, semi-sweet, milk, mixed. Even butterscotch chips would work (but they’re more temperamental in the melting, so be cautious and use low heat). You can use what you have on hand or use a fancy brand like Guittard or Ghirardelli. I can say from experience that the type and brand both have a fairly big impact on the final flavor, so feel free to experiment!

You might also like:

Chocolate Fudge Buttercream

prep time: 15-20 minutes

cool time: 5-10 minutes

total time: 30 minutes

Servings: about 3 cups, enough to frost a 2 layer cake or 24 cupcakes (increase by 50%—or multiply each ingredient by 1.5–if you are piping cupcakes or doing cake multiple layers)

Ingredients:

4 ounces chocolate chips (any kind, but baking chips are best for melting)

2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted, European style butter, room temperature

4-6 cups powdered sugar

½ tablespoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon sea salt (or ½ teaspoon table salt)

1-2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream, optional

Instructions:

Place chocolate chips in a heatproof glass bowl and fit it over a small pot filled with 1-2” water. Bring water to a simmer over medium heat then turn down to medium low, stirring the chocolate constantly until melted. Remove from heat and stir frequently until cooled to room temperature. (Alternatively, microwave in 30 second intervals in half power, stirring in between until fully melted.)

In a medium mixing bowl with a handheld mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter on high until smooth, about 30 seconds. Add half of the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, beating on low at first to avoid a poof of sugar then increasing to high for 30-60 seconds until smooth.

After adding 2 cups, scrape bowl and beaters then add the melted chocolate. Beat on high until smooth and fully incorporated, about 1 minute. Add vanilla and salt and beat on low until incorporated.

Continue adding powdered sugar until desired taste and texture are reached, adding splashes of cream if it becomes too thick.

Once you’re happy with the taste, beat on high 3-5 minutes until light and fluffy. Then stir with a spatula by hand for about a minute to release any air bubbles that formed while beating.

Enjoy! If not using right away, refrigerate up to 2 weeks or freeze up to 1 month. You may need to whip chilled frosting for a few seconds before using.