CHOCOLATE SWISS MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM

Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream image

There's buttercream, and then there's Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream. Satiny smooth, rich and deeply chocolaty, this frosting will take your cake and cupcakes to a whole new level. For these spectacular results though, some time and effort is required-but no guesswork! The Betty Crocker Kitchens have laid out precise instructions and tips, so you'll know exactly what to expect-even in the case of the unexpected, check out our Expert Tips for more. Before you dig in, here's what to keep in mind. This frosting is called Swiss meringue buttercream, because you make Swiss meringue first, which means cooking egg whites and sugar over a pan of simmering water in a double boiler (to avoid burning) until mixture reaches 160°F (for food safety reasons), and then whipping egg white-sugar mixture into stiff, glossy peaks. With your Swiss meringue made, the next step is to begin adding softened butter, one piece at a time. Adding the butter slowly is key, because you are blending two mixtures that wouldn't normally mix. To pull it off successfully, have patience. Your frosting will simply look like soupy meringue until nearly the last piece of butter is blended, so keep the faith, follow the directions and keep beating. Once you've incorporated the butter with the meringue, it's easy to stir in the cooled, melted chocolate.

Provided by By Betty Crocker Kitchens

Categories Dessert

Time 55m

Yield 12

Number Of Ingredients 5

Ingredients

6 egg whites
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups butter, softened and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 oz semisweet or bittersweet baking chocolate, chopped (from 4-oz bar)

Steps:

In medium glass or metal bowl, beat egg whites and sugar with whisk until blended. Set over pan of simmering water, beating occasionally, until sugar has dissolved and egg mixture reaches 160°F on candy thermometer, 16 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat.
Pour into bowl of electric stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Beat on high speed 2 to 3 minutes or until glossy peaks form and bowl has cooled to feel slightly warm. Still on high speed, slowly add 1 1/2 cups softened butter, one piece at a time, scraping side of bowl occasionally, until mixture is smooth, thick and shiny, 12 to 14 minutes. Beat in vanilla. If mixture separates, beat until smooth.
In small microwavable bowl, microwave chopped chocolate uncovered on High 60 seconds, stirring halfway through microwave time. Continue to microwave in 10-second increments, until chocolate can be stirred smooth. Let stand 10 minutes. Beat cooled melted chocolate into frosting until smooth.
Fill and frost 1 (8-inch) three-layer cake.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 340, Carbohydrate 28 g, Cholesterol 60 mg, Fat 4 1/2, Fiber 0 g, Protein 2 g, SaturatedFat 15 g, ServingSize 5 Tablespoons, Sodium 210 mg, Sugar 28 g, TransFat 1 g