This mocha buttercream may be the most delicious buttercream I’ve ever made. I wish I could take all of the credit for it, but it is from Carol Bloom’s The Essential Baker
I made the Devil’s Food Cake from The Essential Baker
It is made with whole eggs instead of just egg whites which gives it a lusciously smooth and creamy feel. The coffee and bittersweet chocolate are a perfect match for all of the sugar in the whipped Italian meringue that is the base. This recipe is decidedly more work than a simple Swiss meringue buttercream, but it is so worth it. I think this is my favorite recipe in the book so far. Over all I’ve come to the conclusion that this is a great cookbook and an essential addition to any bakers shelf!
How to Make Mocha Buttercream
See me make this buttercream step by step here and you’ll find the full recipe at the bottom of this post!
In a small sauce pan fitted with a Candy Thermometer,
Place the eggs, egg yolks and sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer and whip on medium speed until they are thick, pale in color and hold a ribbon when the beater is lifted. Once the sugar syrup has reached its temperature of 242° F,
then slowly pour it into the bowl of whipped egg yolks while the beater is going on slow. Be sure to pour it along the bowl so that the hot syrup doesn’t hit the beater and splatter! Allow the eggs and sugar mixture to beat on medium high speed until the eggs have cooled, about 8 minutes.
Add the butter 2 tablespoons at a time.
The buttercream will go through a stage that looks soupy and curdled, but continue to add all of the butter and it will come together.
The finished buttercream will be smooth and silky.
For Mocha Buttercream
Add a tablespoon of water to the espresso powder and dissolve.
Add the melted and cooled chocolate to the buttercream.
Mix to combine and decorate your cake. The buttercream will freeze if you have any left, wrapped really well in plastic. Just allow it to come bake to room temperature and whisk it on low speed to smooth it out.
For Peanut Butter Buttercream
Instead of using the coffee and melted chocolate, use 1 cup smooth peanut butter. It should be a commercial brand like Skippy or Jif, because they are emulsified and have the consistency that you want. Natural fresh ground peanut butter is awesome, but it is heavy and will make the buttercream too greasy and may even separate if you use too much.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
- 2 extra-large eggs at room temperature
- 2 extra-large egg yolks at room temperature
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 lb (2 cups, 4 sticks) unsalted butter softened
To Make it Mocha Buttercream
- 6 oz bittersweet chocolate very finely chopped, melted over a double boiler and cooled to room temperature
- 2 tsp instant espresso powder
- 1 tbsp water
To Make it Peanut Butter Buttercream
- 1 cup smooth peanut butter. It should be a commercial brand like Skippy or Jif. NOT natural/fresh ground
Instructions
- In a small sauce pan fitted with a Candy Thermometer, bring the 1 1/4 cups sugar, water and cream of tartar to a boil over medium-high heat. If any of the sugar crystals get onto the side of the pan, be sure to wipe them down with a wet clean pastry brush. The sugar needs to cook until it hits 242° F on the thermometer. This takes several minutes.
- While that is boiling, place the eggs, egg yolks and 1/4 cup sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer and whip on medium speed until they are thick, pale in color and hold a ribbon when the beater is lifted.
- Once the sugar syrup has reached its temperature of 242° F, slowly pour it into the bowl of whipped egg yolks while the beater is going on slow. Be sure to pour it along the bowl so that the hot syrup doesn't hit the beater and splatter! Allow the eggs and sugar mixture to beat on medium high speed until the eggs have cooled, about 8 minutes.
- Add the butter 2 tablespoons at a time. The buttercream will go through a stage that looks soupy and curdled, but continue to add all of the butter and it will come together. The finished buttercream will be smooth and silky.
Mocha Buttercream
- Add a tablespoon of water to the espresso powder and dissolve. Add the melted and cooled chocolate to the buttercream.
- Mix to combine and decorate your cake. The buttercream will freeze if you have any left, wrapped really well in plastic. Just allow it to come bake to room temperature and whisk it on low speed to smooth it out.
Peanut Butter Buttercream
- Instead of using the coffee and melted chocolate, use 1 cup smooth peanut butter. It should be a commercial brand like Skippy or Jif, because they are emulsified and have the consistency that you want. Natural fresh ground peanut butter is awesome, but it is heavy and will make the buttercream too greasy and may even separate if you use too much.
I followed this recipe to the “T” and it is amazing. I have used it several times and everyone raves about it! Thanks!
Hi Ann Marie,
When you give it another shot let me know how it goes, I have a feeling you will have no problems at all!
Thanks, Zoë
Thanks Zoe! You are absolutely right. I didn’t mix the sugar and water well, I just swirled it a little around the saucepan. I thought it would mix as it simmered. So maybe that was the root cause.
My thermometer is a cheapy instant read from BB&B that I had to hold in the saucepan since I couldnt attach it to the pan and one time I dropped it in. I love your thermometer and will buy one this w/e before I make this again! Thank you so much!! With stiring the sugar and water and a better thermometer I should be able to do this!
Hi Ann Marie,
It sounds like your sugar and water may not have been mixed together and the sugar on the bottom of the pot was caramelizing too quickly. Did it seem like there was raw sugar on the bottom of the pot?
What kind of thermometer are you using? Is it a digital instant read? I like the candy thermometer because it rests in the sugar/water the whole time and you can keep a close eye on the temp as it rises gradually.
I hope this helps! Zoë
Help! I attempted to make this buttercream last night but my water, sugar, & cream of tartar started turning brown around the corner of the saucepan at 192 degrees, I never got to 242F. So as it turned darker I freaked and added it to the side of my kitchenaid mixer with the sugar/egg but my sugar mixture hardened. It was smoking and just an ugly mess. Do you think my thermometer is not accurate?? Does it need to be a candy thermometer? I really want to make this buttercream but have never tried this process before…Thanks!
Hi Lauren,
Here is the fondant recipe that I use: http://zoebakescom.bigscoots-staging.com/?p=1059. It is easy to color and tastes much better than the store bought varieties, but I’d make it once before you do your cake. It is easy to work with once you have the feel for it, but if you’ve never used fondant before it is a new feeling to get used to.
Thanks and Happy Birthday! Zoë
Hi! This recipe looks amazing and I want to try it out next month for my birthday. But I have a few questions first. The cake I’m making is going to be chocolate and soaked in a kahlua type syrup (nonalchoholic) and I’m making a sculpted cake. Will this taste as well if it’s layered with rolled out fondant and if so, do you have a fondant recipe that you think would taste well with this. Preferably one that’s easy to color. If you could help me that would be so amazing. Thanks!!
Thank you Barbara,
I’m so glad you enjoyed the icing and the Devil’s Food, two of my favorites! 🙂
Zoë
I just made this buttercream this morning and iced a cake made from your Devil’s food cupcake recipe that I had in the freezer. I didn’t have the bittersweet chocolate so substituted some semisweet chocolate chips and semisweet baking chocolate (about 9 oz. instead of the 6) and it was to die for! Everyone (including the kids) loved it! I have to confess I “tasted” a good portion of it while making icing the cake! Thank you so much for your illustrated instructions, I know I would have wondered about the curdled look while adding the butter had I not known it was ok. Barbara
Hi Cyndi,
I think you will be just fine with Large eggs, unless they seem unusually small to you.
Enjoy! Zoë
Zoe, I never have extra-large eggs on hand because I typically by large. Would it make a huge difference if I used the L instead of XL eggs?
Hi BC,
Your cake sounds amazing! I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for letting me know! 🙂
Zoë
Thank you for this recipe Zoe. I made it for New Years and topped a raspberry cake with it, it was divine. I usually do not get good reviews on chocolate, as most of my family is not a fan. However, this went down with wonderful reviews, it is so light and rich at the same time! I have been testing and looking for a wonderful chocolate buttercream (with REAL butter not crisco cream), and this is heavenly.
Thanks–BC
Hi Madalena,
Thank you so much for your kind words!
You can replace the cream of tartar with lemon juice. It just is there to help strengthen the egg whites and allows them to whip up bigger. Any acid will do the trick.
Glycerin is harder to replace. Have you tried your pharmacy? Some fondant recipes say that you don’t really need the glycerin, but I find that it makes it much easier to use if you have it..
Good luck and thanks!
Zoë
Hi, I am totally fascinated by your website, talent and generosity in sharing such valuable knowledge. Thank you so much. I am addicted to your posts now!
In Portugal, where I live, I can’t seem to find “cream of tartar” nor “glicerin” (for the homemade fondant). Do you suggest any alternatives?
Thanks for answering.
Have a wonderful 2009.
All the best!
Hi Genevieve,
I’m thrilled that you made this buttercream, it really is one of my all time favorites!
Enjoy! Zoë
Zoe! WOW! Thats about all I can say…and I haven’t even put it on the cake yet! I found your recipe very easy to follow and you weren’t kidding about it being an OUTRAGEOUS Mocha Buttercream! I’m using it as the filling for a cake I’m making for my sister, and she’s going to just love it! Thanks for posting this one up!
-Genevieve
Hi Susan, I’m about to make several batches of it for Friday. I love the stuff.
Zoë
Oh, how I wish I’d found this last weekend. I was looking for a buttercream recipe for a vanilla layer cake. The one I used was good, but this one looks divine! Definitely bookmarked.
Hi Lisa,
Yes absolutely. Flavor at will and use on anything you like. Buttercream is very adaptable. Just be careful not to add to much liquid to it or you will change the consistency.
Enjoy! Zoë
This looks gorgeous! Question: could I use the buttercream plain (no coffee or chocolate) and/or with other flavourings (e.g. for a dessert with fruit etc.)
Hi Y,
Thank you! The buttercream tastes even better than it looks.
Zoë
Gorgeous looking cake! I love the precise blobs of buttercream 🙂
Zoe,
Philly is awesome. We are having a great time being back but are missing our friends in MN. We spent all of last summer in VT and thought of you when we were in Montpelier.
When you come to Philly, make sure to leave some time for a visit and some foodie fun.
In the meantime, visit me at http://www.lifestylerevolution.typepad.com
Denise
Hi Denise,
How great to hear from you! Thanks for all the kind words about the bread. So glad you are baking.
How is Philly? We are hoping our next book tour will bring us there.
xo Zoë