Outrageous Mocha Buttercream!

By carvalhohm

Ingredients

• 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 extra-large egg yolks, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
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• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
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• 1 pound (2 cups, 4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
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• 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, very finely chopped, melted over double boiler and cooled to room temperature
• 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
• 1 tablespoon water

Details

Servings 1
Adapted from zoebakes.com

Preparation

Step 1

In small sauce pan fitted with Candy Thermometer, bring 1 1/4 cups sugar, water and cream of tartar to boil over medium-high heat. If any of sugar crystals get onto side of the pan, be sure to wipe them down with wet clean pastry brush. Sugar needs to cook until it hits 242° on thermometer. This takes several minutes.

Place eggs, egg yolks and sugar in bowl of your stand mixer and whip on medium speed until they are thick, pale in color and hold ribbon when beater is lifted. Once sugar syrup has reached its temperature of 242°, slowly pour it into bowl of whipped egg yolks while beater is going on slow. Be sure to pour it along bowl so that that syrup doesn’t hit beater and splatter! Allow eggs and sugar mixture to beat on medium high speed until eggs have cooled, about 8 minutes. Add the butter 2 tablespoons at a time.

Buttercream will go through stage that looks soupy and curdled, but continue to add all of butter and it will come together.

Finished buttercream will be smooth and silky.

Add tablespoon water to espresso powder and dissolve.

Add melted and cooled chocolate to buttercream.

Mix to combine and decorate your cake. Buttercream will freeze if you have any left, wrapped really well in plastic. Just allow it to come bake to room temperature and whisk it on low speed to smooth it out.