Chocolate American Dreamy Buttercream
This buttercream frosting is based on my American Dreamy Buttercream and has a beautiful chocolate flavor from melted chocolate and cocoa powder. I’ve formulated a customizable recipe for any chocolate type, including chips, bars, or callets. You can also adjust the intensity of chocolate flavor: use milk chocolate for a light chocolate flavor or go all the way up to the darkest for an intense chocolate frosting.
What ingredients do you need for my Chocolate American Dreamy buttercream?
Dutch-processed (European-style) unsweetened cocoa is a cocoa-based ingredient that gives my frosting a deeper chocolate flavor. Dutch-processed cocoa is an alkalized form of natural cocoa. It imparts a darker hue and more mellow flavor than its natural counterpart, which is slightly more acidic (some describe it as astringent-tasting) and lighter in color.
Water is added to the cocoa powder to create a paste. Using boiling water, we can break open the starch granules in the cocoa powder, which will thicken into a paste. It also melts the cocoa butter fats, making the paste shiny.
Chocolate is the second cocoa-based ingredient used to flavor this frosting. I’ve formulated this recipe so you can use any type of chocolate (e.g., bar, chips, or callets.) The only thing you need to check is that your chocolate contains emulsifiers. If you check the ingredient label, you should see “lecithin,” “soy lecithin,” or “sunflower lecithin.” This is a very common ingredient used in chocolate products and allows us to use a higher ratio of chocolate in this recipe while maintaining a smooth and creamy texture.
Chocolate also contains sugars and fats, adding to our buttercream’s flavor and texture. You can tailor the chocolate intensity of your buttercream by the flavor of the chocolate, which I’ll help you with below this section.
Unsalted butter is the base fat for this buttercream. It is vital to any of my emulsion-based frostings because it contains emulsifiers.
I always use unsalted butter in all my frostings because that allows you to customize the saltiness at the end. Not all salted brands of butter contain the same amount of salt. I’d hate you to waste an expensive recipe because your butter was saltier than mine.
Powdered (confectioner’s) sugar is added based on your taste testing. Your chocolate may be different than mine and probably contains various sugar levels. Also, the cocoa powder adds chocolate flavor with no sugar, so we’ll have to adjust the sugar level.
Salt is a flavor enhancer to balance sweetness and boosts chocolate flavor, and this is also tailored to your taste.
What kind of chocolate can you use in this frosting?
You can use any chocolate in this recipe and in this post, I’m using chocolate chips. I’ve tested four popular flavors: milk, semi-sweet, bittersweet, and ‘extra’ dark.
The labeling on chocolate products will vary based on where you live or even the brand type. There are a few regulations worldwide that help us categorize chocolate products. Still, the easiest way is to find one that gives you a percentage.
This number indicates the percent weight of all the ingredients within that product that are derived from the cacao pod. If you look at an ingredient label, this will include things like “cocoa liquor” (not alcoholic, btw, just a term for the liquid that drains off), “cocoa butter,” or “cocoa solids.” Collectively, this percentage is also referred to as the “cocoa mass.”
So all you need to remember is that the higher the percentage, the more cocoa-based ingredients it will contain, which translates to a more robust chocolate flavor.
Although you use any chocolate that you like, remember that we are adding other ingredients, such as butter, so the chocolate flavor will be slightly diluted. So if you’re looking for a mid-range general-purpose chocolate frosting, semi-sweet is a good starting point.
You also use any combination of chip flavors. I settled on a 50:50 mixture of semi-sweet and bittersweet chocolate. I enjoy intensely, not-too-sweet chocolate desserts, so adding bittersweet chocolate nudged my frosting towards the intense flavors of chocolate.
Step by step:
Step 1: Hydrate the cocoa powder
Sift the Dutch-processed cocoa powder (1a). Pour boiling water over the powder and stir into a paste (1b).
Step 2: Melt the chocolate
If you’re using bar chocolate, chop it into small pieces (around the size of chocolate chips is fine.) Add the chocolate to a heat-proof bowl (2a) and microwave until melted (2b, c).
Step 3: Whip butter
Add the softened butter to the stand mixer (3a). Whisk until the butter is slightly more pale and voluminous (3b).
Step 4: Add chocolates to butter
Scrape the melted chocolate into the butter (4a) and stir to mix it into the butter a little (4b). Mix on high speed, add the cocoa powder paste (4c) and mix for another minute.
Step 5: Adjust for taste and smooth out the frosting
Taste for sweetness adjustment (5a), add powdered sugar and salt (5b), and mix (5c).
Switch to the paddle attachment to smooth out the large air pockets (5d). Your frosting is now ready to use (5e).
Storage Tips
Leftover Buttercream stores well in the fridge or freezer. Additionally, this buttercream can be made ahead of time for larger cake projects.
For a detailed tutorial, check out my How to Store Buttercream Guide.
Video
Read this before you begin
Measure by weight, if possible.
Measuring by weight is the best way for you to replicate my recipes. I develop recipes using ingredients (even liquids) measured in grams, which is why you see them listed first in the recipe cards. For measurements under 5 grams, I will typically only list the volumetric measurements (teaspoons, etc.), as most home scales are not precise for such small weights.
In most cases, I have converted grams to volumetric measurements (aka US customary units) for bakers who prefer this method. However, the measurements are not as precise and may have awkward proportions. The recipes should still work, but for the ultimate precision, try to use weight.
This is the OXO scale I use daily. I also purchased this budget version of a good scale, which I keep at my Mom’s house for baking. If you’re interested in other tools I use for my baking, I’ve compiled a list here.
Use room temperature ingredients.
All my ingredients should be used at room temperature, or 65-75 °F/18-24 °C. I will always indicate if you need something outside this range. If no details are given, room temperature is the default.
Pay attention to the ingredient descriptions.
I try not to be brand-specific, but I will always note an interesting result from a type of ingredient, be it negative or positive.
A specific note regarding salt: I use Diamond Crystal Kosher salt for everything on this site except for frostings. In frostings, you want the salt to dissolve more easily, and kosher salt tends to leave granules behind. If you substitute table salt (more finely granulated) for recipes that list kosher salt, you must use half the volume indicated in my recipes.
Substitutions are hard.
That said, substitutions aren’t impossible but can be the toughest part of recipe development. Small swaps, like reduced-fat milk (2% fat) for whole milk (3.5% fat), usually work fine. However, bigger changes—such as replacing oil with applesauce or sour cream with Greek yogurt—can significantly impact texture and density.
Be wary of general, all-purpose substitutions in baking; I find that usually there is never a one size-fits-all solution. I carefully select ingredients for my recipes, so for the best results, start with the original recipe and modify with caution.
Read all the recipe instructions before beginning.
I’m in the “Pre-read the Chapter before Class Lecture” club... and I invite you to join! Baking new recipes can be intimidating, so let’s set you up for success. I want you to think about timeframes. Most fillings and frostings can be made ahead of time, and give you an extra day for mental space. Also, as you become a more proficient baker, you can anticipate and recognize steps. (“Oh, this has a meringue step, so I’ll need an extra clean bowl…” etc.) Ensure you go down the ingredient list and have everything at the right temperature.
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Chocolate American Dreamy Buttercream
- 6g (1 tablespoon) Dutch-processed cocoa powder, sifted*
- 14g (1 tablespoon) boiling hot water
- 85g (⅓ cup + 1 heaping tablespoon) any chocolate, chopped (with emulsifiers**)
- 75g (5 ⅓ tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened slightly
- 13g (2 tablespoons) powdered sugar, unsifted
- pinch fine salt (to taste)
For larger quantities or to pair this with a cake, choose “Chocolate American Dreamy Buttercream” in my Cakeculator.
- 6g (1 tablespoon) Dutch-processed cocoa powder, sifted*
- 14g (1 tablespoon) boiling hot water
- 85g (⅓ cup + 1 heaping tablespoon) any chocolate, chopped (with emulsifiers**)
- 75g (5 ⅓ tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened slightly
- 13g (2 tablespoons) powdered sugar, unsifted
- pinch fine salt (to taste)
For larger quantities or to pair this with a cake, choose “Chocolate American Dreamy Buttercream” in my Cakeculator.
- 18g (3 tablespoons) Dutch-processed cocoa powder, sifted*
- 42g (3 tablespoons) boiling hot water
- 240g (1 1/4 cups) any chocolate, chopped (with emulsifiers**)
- 226g (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened slightly
- 40g (1/3 cup) powdered sugar, unsifted
- 1/8 teaspoon fine salt (to taste, start with a pinch)
For larger quantities or to pair this with a cake, choose “Chocolate American Dreamy Buttercream” in my Cakeculator.
- Hydrate the cocoa powder.
Sift the Dutch-processed cocoa into a small bowl. Pour in the boiling water and stir until smooth. Let it cool while you prepare the other ingredients. - Melt the chocolate.
If you use bar chocolate, chop it into small pieces (chocolate chip-sized is fine) and add them to a heatproof bowl.
Microwave method: Heat at 50% power in 30-second intervals, stirring each time until about 75% melted. Then, stir until fully melted.
Water bath method: Bring a small pan of water to a simmer, then remove from heat. Place the heatproof bowl directly in the water and let the chocolate melt, stirring occasionally. Avoid water contact to prevent seizing.Set aside to cool until the bowl is no longer hot to the touch (80–95°F/26–35°C if using a thermometer) but is still liquid. - Whip butter.
Add slightly softened butter to the stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, mix on low to break it up, then whip on high until pale and fluffy. - Add chocolates to butter.
Scrape the cooled and melted chocolate into the butter and mix briefly by hand. Whip on high speed for a few minutes, stopping once to scrape down the bowl.
Add the cocoa paste and whip on high for a few more minutes, scraping as needed. Once emulsified, the frosting will appear slightly paler and thicker. - Adjust for taste and smooth out the frosting.
Taste the buttercream for sweetness. Add the powdered sugar and salt, mix, and adjust as needed. You can double the sugar without a grainy texture, adding more gradually if desired. Once satisfied with the flavor, whip on high for a full minute.
Switch to the paddle attachment and mix on low for at least 3 minutes to smooth out air pockets.
Depending on the chocolate used, the buttercream may seem loose at first. Lower cocoa percentages create a softer texture. If you like it as is, use it immediately and chill the frosted cakes for 30 minutes to set.
For a firmer consistency, briefly chill the bowl in the freezer (about 5 minutes), then mix until smooth. When frosting larger cakes, refrigerate the finished cake for 30 minutes to stabilize the cocoa butter, ensuring a stable texture at room temperature.
If the frosting is too stiff, warm it slightly. Melt a couple of tablespoons in the microwave and mix back in, or use a hair dryer on the bowl’s side to gently soften.
Recipe Card - Adriana's Notes
*Dutch-processed cocoa (aka European cocoa - I prefer the Droste brand) works best in this recipe. It’s an alkalized form of natural cocoa, which imparts a more mellow flavor, less acidic taste, and darker hue. Your finished frosting will have a deeper brown color and a pleasant, well-rounded chocolate flavor.
**I’ve formulated this recipe so you can use any type of chocolate: bar, chips, or callets. This recipe only requires that the chocolate’s ingredients contain an emulsifier, which will be labeled: “lecithin,” “soy lecithin,” or “sunflower lecithin.” Most grocery store chocolates that I’ve seen will have this listed. If you’re using bar chocolate, just make sure it’s chopped to chip-like sizes. Also, you can use any flavor of chocolate (except for white), so be sure to read my guide in the intro, which will help you choose the right one.
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