Do you have a great chocolate frosting recipe?

[Loves Vintage]

I just put this yellow cake http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2009/07/best-birthday-cake/ in the oven. I would like to make a chocolate frosting. The one that goes along with this recipe is all sour-cream. No butter? I thought there was also butter when I read it the first time. Huh. I think I'd like to try something else. The only other chocolate frosting recipes I've tried before have been with powder chocolate. I'm looking for semi-sweet/bittersweet chocolate based. I actually bought chips, instead of solid chocolate because ingredients were the same, but chips were much cheaper by weight. Hope that doesn't mess anything up.

Oh, and if you insist on Valrhona only (I know there are a few of you here!), can you please tell me where you get it? That would be for next time only.

Thanks!

 

[AGBF]

I just noticed you still didn't receive any replies, LV. I am not the ideal person to ask for a chocolate frosting recipe, because I do not recall ever having one. I have some spectacular chocolate cake recipes, however. I am afraid that my chocolate cakes are all so rich that I usually just dust them with confectioner's sugar and/or put some whipped cream in a bowl on the side. I could look on a recipe website, but I suspect that you could have done that on your own! I'm sorry!

Deb

 

[Lulie]

This recipe is a foolproof swiss meringue buttercream, super easy from 'crumblecookie':

2 large egg whites
pinch table salt
12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled to 85-100 degrees
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Combine the sugar, egg whites, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Set over a small saucepan of simmering water, and, whisking constantly, cook until the mixture is slightly thickened, foamy, and registers 150 degrees on an instant read thermometer, 2-4 minutes.

2. Fit bowl to stand mixer, and with the whisk attachment, beat at medium speed, until mixture is the consistency of shaving cream and slightly cooled, 1-3 minutes. Add butter 1 Tb piece at a time, until smooth and creamy. The frosting may look curdled halfway through, but it will smooth out eventually.

3. Once all the butter has been added, pour in the cooled chocolate and vanilla. Mix until well combined. Increase speed to medium-high and until light and fluffy, another 30 seconds to a minute.
I'm not a huge chocolate fan but I've purchased Valrhona bars at Williams-Sonoma and 9oz powder from our local Sur La Table.

 

[ChloeTheGreat]

Hershey's Pefectly Chocolate Frosting on the back of the Cocoa powder box (also available online, of course)...the cake recipe is a favorite too.
I've used the frosting for a yellow cake before and it was a success!

 

[NTave]

I second the Hersheys Chocolate buttercream frosting receipe. Yum. And the cake recipe too

 

[JulieN]

I use Valrhona. You can get it at better grocers. Whole Foods will have it for sure.

I use something very much like the Smitten Kitchen frosting. I make a chocolate ganache, which is chocolate and heavy cream, instead of chocolate and sour cream.

 

[Loves Vintage]

Thanks for the replies everyone! I went with a frosting recipe from the blog that Lulie referenced. It was a Martha Stewart recipe and used sour cream and cream cheese, both of which I had. I would love to try a meringue buttercream one day, but I wasn't confident enough and it was late. I finished at 11:30 pm. Anyway, I think I messed it up anyway. It's supposed to be mousse-like, but it is definitely not. I think the chocolate was still too warm when I put it in. It was late, so I rushed it. Oh well, I learned for next time.

And the cake. It's certainly good, but it is not GREAT. It is dry. All of my cakes come out dry, and I have no idea why. I do not overmix. Just a few whirls on the kitchen aid at slowest speed. I don't get it. I make muffins and they always come out great. I can make banana bread. It's not dry. Why do I always mess up cakes!?! Oh, and the cakes rose quite a bit, so it's not a baking powder expiration issue.

Deb - It was super-sweet of you to reply to my lonely post, even though you had no advice.

JulieN - Thanks for the Valrhona tip. I will check WF next time I'm there.