Luxurious chocolate icing (hybrid)

I’ve created a wonderfully delicious dark chocolate icing…

I’m a night owl and do some of my best thinking at night, after everyone else is asleep. It’s both a blessing and a cursing, really. Sometimes, my body fights desperately with my brain because it can’t keep up with the endless stream of thoughts and crazy ideas.

And sometimes those crazy ideas are enough to get your tired body out of bed at one in the morning and into the kitchen for delicious cakey experiments. Oh, did I mention said crazy idea involved chocolate? Lots and lots of chocolate. So worth losing sleep for.

Now, I love my go-to buttercream recipe and I’ve been known to use ganache to fill my layer cakes, but I wondered if I could combine them for the best of both worlds. Why not? I had a chocolate cake that week that I needed a chocolate filling for. I figured I’d give it a try and I’m so glad I did!

As I started experimentally adding ingredients, it was like a vision of chocolatey goodness came over me. Or maybe I was just delirious from the lack of sleep.

Either way, I think you will agree, that what resulted from my nocturnal escapades, is THE best chocolate icing in the universe and the stuff that dreams are made of.

This dark chocolate buttercream icing is silky smooth and mousse-like, is sturdy enough to pipe and has a beautiful sheen to it. It even lightly crusts. And that gorgeous dark brown is all natural, without a bit of food coloring!

I would make this the day before to give it time to set up properly, although you could speed things up a bit by refrigerating the ganache. Whichever method you choose, it is so worth the extra time and effort than your typical buttercream icing takes to make.

You will be greatly rewarded for your patience! The best things are worth waiting for, right???

Oh, by the way, my chocolate cake turned out phenomenally! It was the most decadent and luxurious chocolate cake I’ve ever put in my mouth. I also had some leftover icing and decided to put it on some brownies a few days later….SO. GOOD.

You could put this stuff on pretty much anything and it would taste good, but I digress. You’ve just got to make it for yourself and see what I’m talking about!

I hope you do try this dark chocolate buttercream icing and let me know what you think!

Dark Chocolate Buttercream Recipe

For the Ganache

• 24 ounces semi sweet or dark chocolate chips
• 12 ounces heavy whipping cream

For the Buttercream

• 2 sticks of salted butter (room temperature)
• 8 ounces cream cheese (room temperature)
• 1 1/2 cups dark cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup strong coffee (room temperature)
• 6 cups powdered sugar

For the Ganache

1. Put chocolate chips in microwave safe bowl, pour whipping cream over chips and melt in microwave on 50% power, stirring every minute or so until chips are completely melted and whipping cream incorporates into melted chocolate. This should take about 5 minutes, depending on your microwave. Set aside.

For the Buttercream

1. Cream butter and cream cheese in stand mixer on high for two minutes.
2. Add vanilla and coffee. Mix until incorporated.
3. Sift in cocoa powder. Mix until combined.
   #Add powdered sugar and whip on high for about a minute or two.
4. Add room temperature ganache and mix on medium speed about one minute. Careful to not over mix.

Notes

Recipe can be easily halved.
After it has had several hours to set up, you can add whipping cream to adjust consistency as needed.
I used semi-sweet chocolate chips. If you want an even more intense chocolate flavor, use dark chocolate chips.

You can get the recipe here —→ http://www.cakesbypamelajane.com/2017/07/29/best-chocolate-icing-ever/