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Chocolate French American Buttercream

Categories Cakes/Cookies/Candy, Dessert

This chocolate French American Buttercream frosting is a hybrid of a classic French buttercream which uses egg yokes, cooked sugar syrup and butter to create that signature French rich and creamy buttercream frosting but then I add the American buttercream frosting classics to it like whipping cream and powdered sugar to make it extra fluffy and a little sweeter than a traditional French buttercream. The result is a delicious, light, fluffy and rich frosting that I adore!

I used it to fill the center of my favorite chocolate cake RECIPE HERE. I used my Chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream to frost the outsides of this cake and this chocolate French American Buttercream to frost the outside.

Chocolate French American Buttercream:

Makes enough frosting to frost a 3 layer – 8 inch cake or a 2 layer – 9 inch cake or 1 – 9 x 13 inch cake.

  • 6 egg yokes
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter – slightly cooler than room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract – you can leave this out but I love the vanilla undertone it gives
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 6 tablespoons whipping cream
  • 1 teaspoon instant espresso or pero – optional

Instructions

  1. Add egg yokes to a mixing bowl with a whisk attachment.
  2. Heat sugar and water in a sauce pan with a candy thermometer attached to the side. Candy thermometers can be off so I always do the ice water test too, see instructions below.
  3. Don’t stir the mixture but allow to the mixture to come to a boil then stir.
  4. Once mixture hits 238 F. or just below the soft ball stage remove from heat and turn on your mixer with a whisk attachment and pour the sugar into the side of the bowl with the egg yokes while it is mixing.
  5. Whisk until smooth and cooled down to room temperature.
  6. Add butter to mixture and blend until smooth.
  7. Add vanilla, salt, powdered sugar, cream, cocoa powder, and instant espresso powder or pero and blend until mixture is soft and fluffy.

*The ice water test: Set a glass of ice water next to the sauce pan and test the candy stage by scooping up a spoonful of the cooking sugar mixture then pouring the spoonful of mixture into the glass then feeling it with your hands to see what the sugar feels like, it should be able to form a soft ball.

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4.93 from 13 votes

Chocolate French American Buttercream

a cross between a french style buttercream and a traditional American buttercream icing.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time6 minutes
Course: cake, cupcakes, Dessert, treat
Cuisine: cupcakes, desserts, French, pancakes, treat
Keyword: Cake, Dessert, frosting, Kids Favorite, treat
Servings: 3 cups

Ingredients

  • 6 egg yokes
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter – slightly cooler than room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract – you can leave this out but I love the vanilla undertone it gives
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 6 tablespoons whipping cream
  • 1 teaspoon instant espresso or pero

Instructions

  • Add egg yokes to a mixing bowl with a whisk attachment.
  • Heat sugar and water in a sauce pan with a candy thermometer attached to the side. Candy thermometers can be off so I always do the ice water test too, see instructions below.
  • Don’t stir the mixture but allow to the mixture to come to a boil then stir.
  • Once mixture hits 238 F. or just below the soft ball stage remove from heat and turn on your mixer with a whisk attachment and pour the sugar into the side of the bowl with the egg yokes while it is mixing.
  • Whisk until smooth and cooled down to room temperature.
  • Add butter to mixture and blend until smooth.
  • Add vanilla, salt, powdered sugar, cream, cocoa powder, and instant espresso powder or pero and blend until mixture is soft and fluffy.