Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream
This silky chocolate buttercream is the perfect addition to any cake. Try it on Edd Kimber’s Chocolate Layer Cake for an indulgent treat.
Introduction
There are many styles of frosting and buttercream, but Swiss meringue is the one I use the most. For me, it has the best of everything: sweetness, texture, ease of use and adaptability. Made with egg white, it has a wonderfully silky texture with just the right level of sweetness and works well in most situations. For my favourite chocolate buttercream, I make a classic Swiss meringue buttercream and simply add melted chocolate. I have experimented with a mixture of chocolate and cocoa powder but I chose the simpler route, using a dark chocolate with around 80–85% cocoa content. This may seem high, and you may worry about the sweetness level, but I find this to be the best way to balance sweetness whilst also achieving a prominent chocolate flavour.
Ingredients
| 160g | egg whites (from 4 large egg whites) |
| ¼ tsp | cream of tartar (or a few drops of lemon juice) |
| ¼ tsp | fine sea salt |
| 320g (scant 1 ⅔ cups) | caster (superfine) sugar |
| 450g (1lb, 4 sticks) | unsalted butter, diced and at room temperature |
| 250g (9oz) | dark chocolate (80–85% cocoa solids), melted and cooled |
Method
Put the egg whites, cream of tartar, salt and sugar in a large heatproof bowl and place over a pan of simmering water. Cook, stirring with a whisk, until the mixture is hot to the touch and you can no longer feel any grains of sugar. remove the bowl from the heat and transfer the mixture to a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk until the mixture is at room temperature and the meringue is stiff and glossy. This can take up to 5 minutes. With the mixer still running, add the butter a couple pieces at a time, mixing until combined before adding more. Once all the butter has been combined the mixture should have a buttercream-like texture. Pour in the chocolate and mix until fully combined.
To get the silkiest possible texture, switch to the paddle attachment and mix on the lowest speed for a few minutes, eliminating any excess air bubbles and ensuring the smoothest possible buttercream.
* Try this ganache on Edd Kimber’s Chocolate Layer Cake.
Troubleshooting
Whilst relatively simple to make, there are two things that can go wrong. Thankfully, they’re easy problems to fix.
Split Buttercream: If, when you add the butter, the butter cream appears to be curdled or split this is usually down to the butter being too cold. Simply continue mixing and, as the butter warms up, the buttercream will come together.
Loose Buttercream: If, when you’ve added the butter, the buttercream seems too loose, almost like wet paint, it is likely the meringue was still too warm and has partially melted the butter. In this situation, stop adding butter and pop the bowl in the refrigerator for 10–15 minutes then continue mixing, it should come back together with ease.
Reviews
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