French Chocolate Buttercream Recipes

FRENCH BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• In a small heavy saucepan, combine sugar and water. Bring to a boil; cook over medium-high heat until a thermometer reads 240° (soft-ball stage), 3 to 4 minutes. Meanwhile, using a stand mixer, beat egg yolks in a large bowl on high speed until thick and foamy, 8-10 minutes. , Slowly pour hot sugar syrup over egg yolks while beating continuously. Continue beating on high until mixture cools to room temperature, 15 to 20 minutes. , Gradually add butter, a few tablespoons at a time, beating on medium after each addition until smooth. Beat in vanilla. Use immediately.

FRENCH CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM CAKE

Steps:

• Place oven rack in centre of oven, heat to 350°F.
• Butter and flour bottoms of 2- 8 inch round cake pans, reserve.
• Beat eggs in large mixer bowl at high speed 1 minute.
• Continue beating, adding sugar very slowly, about 7 minutes.
• Melt chocolate with 3/4 cup butter.
• Drizzle warm chocolate mixture into egg mixture, beating at low speed until blended.
• Add sour cream and vanilla, beat at low speed until thoroughly blended.
• Sift together 1 1/2 cups flour, the cocoa and baking soda.
• While beating at low speed, add dry ingredients, about 1/2 cup at a time, to chocolate mixture alternating with milk, about 1/3 cup at a time.
• Stop mixer as necessary to clean sides of bowl with rubber spatula.
• Beat until well blended.
• Pour half of batter into each reserved pan, place pans in oven diagonally on same rack.
• Bake until cake tester or wooden pick inserted in centre of each cake comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes.
• Cool cakes in pans on wire racks until just warm, remove from pans and cool completely on racks.
• Prepare Chocolate Buttercream.
• Reserve about 1/2 cup buttercream for decorative piping.
• To assemble cake, place 1 layer on serving plate, spread top evenly with 3/4 of the firm buttercream.
• Refrigerate 30 minutes.
• Place second cake layer on top of first layer.
• Frost sides, then top of cake completely with buttercream.
• Pipe reserved buttercream through pastry bag fitted with star tube in a decorative border around top of cake.
• Refrigerate cake until thoroughly chilled, serve cold.
• Cake must be stored in refrigerator.

FRENCH CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• Melt chocolate in a microwave according to package instructions. Set aside and let cool completely.
• Combine sugar and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil; let boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Beat eggs in a large bowl using an electric mixer until frothy. Drizzle in sugar mixture slowly; beat on high speed until mixture turns pale yellow and expands in volume, about 5 minutes. Add butter by tablespoon one at a time with mixer running, beating well after each addition. Frosting will become watery; continue with remaining butter.
• Mix in cooled melted chocolate. Beat on high speed until frosting thickens and becomes fluffy, about 5 minutes.

FRENCH BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• Place the whole eggs and yolks in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until the eggs are pale yellow and thick, about 5 minutes. (The eggs will hold an indent made with your finger for a few seconds.)
• Meanwhile, pour the sugar and 1/3 cup water in a medium saucepan set over medium heat. Attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pan and bring to the soft-ball stage, without stirring, 240 degrees F.
• Begin whipping the eggs again on medium-high speed and slowly drizzle in the hot syrup, aiming the syrup between the side of the bowl and the beaters. Continue to whip until both the bottom of the bowl and the mixture are cool, 10 to 15 minutes. The mixture should be thick, but will not form a peak at this point. Beat in the salt.
• While still beating on medium-high, add the butter, a few pieces at a time. As the butter is added, the buttercream may appear to thin out some, but it will thicken into firm peaks once all of the butter is added. Beat in the vanilla extract.
• Use right away or refrigerate in an airtight container overnight. The buttercream may need to be beaten again to smooth out before using.

FRENCH BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Steps:

• Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan.
• Bring to a boil while stirring to dissolve the sugar.
• Continue to boil until the syrup reaches a temperature of 240 degrees F (115 C) While the syrup is boiling, beat the yolks with a wire whip or the whip attachment of a mixer until they are thick and light in color.
• As soon as the syrup reaches 240 F, pour it very slowly (in a thin stream) into the beaten yolks while whipping constantly.
• Continue to beat until the mixture is completely cool and the yolks are very thick and light.
• Whip in the butter a little at a time.
• Add it just as fast as it can be absorbed by the mixture.
• Beat in the vanilla.
• If the icing is too soft, refrigerate it until it is firm enough to spread.
• Chocolate: Melt 3 oz sweet chocolate and cool slightly (chocolate must not be too cool or it will solidify before completely blending with the buttercream).
• Blend with about one quarter of the buttercream, then blend this mixture into the rest.
• For very sweet buttercreams, use 1 1/2 oz unsweetened chocolate instead of the sweet chocolate.