Black buttercream without food coloring
Gluten free, nut free, food coloring free
Equipment
- Immersion blender
Ingredients
- 50 g black cocoa powder
- 50 g boiling water
- 125 - 150g softened butter (see notes)
- 200 g icing sugar/powdered sugar
- 20 ml (1 tablespoon)* thickened cream/whipping cream (1 Australian tablespoon is 20ml, which is 4 US teaspoons) see notes
- Pinch of fine salt, to taste
Instructions
- Measure the black cocoa powder into a medium heatproof bowl and pour over the boiling water. Stir thoroughly to combine - a thick paste should form. Cover and set aside to cool.
- Whip the butter on medium-high using the paddle attachment or your hand beaters until it is lightened in colour and starting to get airy. Add the cooled black cocoa powder paste with the speed on low. Scrape down the bowl and continue to beat until combined - the butter should have turned a grey/black colour.
- Add the powdered sugar in increments while the mixer is on a low speed. Continue scraping down, adding sugar and processing until all the sugar is added. The mixture should be a light black or dark grey colour and have a fluffy, buttercream texture.
- Add the cream and salt and mix again on low to combine. If your buttercream is looking thick, you can add an extra tablespoon or more of cream until you reach your desired consistency.
- Once you are happy with the buttercream consistency, remove it from the stand mixer. If it is looking or feeling soft, pop it in the fridge for 10 minutes to firm up.
- Use your immersion blender/soup stick to blitz the buttercream. You should notice that it is immediately a darker black colour if you lift the blade. Continue until you have emulsified all the buttercream.
- If the buttercream is still a little grey, take about 1/4 - 1/3 cup and microwave it for 3-4 seconds. Return the melty buttercream to the bowl and use a spatula to fold it into the mixture. This should further deepen the black colour.
- Use to generously frost 12+ cupcakes or 1 large cake. I estimate you could very thinly frost two 20cm/8 inch cakes with this batch, although I'd recommend making either 1 1/2 - 2 batches to be on the safe side.
Notes
- You must use black cocoa here - Dutch processed or any other variety will not yield a black colour. I bought mine online in Australia so I recommend searching out an online store near where you live.
- Blooming the cocoa with the boiling water brings out the flavour but also the black colour. Don't skip this step. Make sure it has cooled before you use it, though, or you risk melting your butter.
- Use less better for a firm, more easily piped (and sweeter) buttercream or a buttercream that needs to hold up to hot weather, and more for a buttery buttercream good for swirling on a cake.
- The cream is optional but it does add a nice glossy sheen and rich texture to a buttercream.
- In Australia, thickened cream is generally around 35% fat and contains a thickener such as guar gum. Any cream with a fat profile similar to this will work here.
- The immersion blender is what takes the buttercream from a light black to a true black so I don't recommend skipping this step.
- Read the notes in the body of the post for getting the most out of this recipe.
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