Making Chocolate Flavoured Buttercream
DID YOU KNOW? Our Vanilla Filling Cream has been such a hit that we now offer a ready to use Chocolate Filling Cream too, flavoured with 100% unsweetened Belgian Chocolate. It tastes delicious with our Death by Chocolate Sponge...
If you prefer, you can still make a make a delicious chocolate flavoured buttercream for your chocolate cakes yourself, using only your normal buttercream or filling cream and melted belgian chocolate, either dark, milk or white as desired. If you do not have a stand alone mixer (Kitchenaid or Kenwood Chef type) you can still do this in a large mixing bowl but will ideally need someone else to stir the cream whilst you slowly add the chocolate.
You will need about 250 - 500g of chocolate to flavour 1kg of plain filling cream - the more you add, the richer the flavour.
First melt the chocolate, either in a bain-marie or in the microwave. If using a microwave, melt in short bursts at medium/low power, stirring often. You will find the chocolate will melt at a temperature which feels barely warm to the touch - make sure not to overheat as it will burn very easily.
Make sure your prepared plain filling cream is soft and not fridge cold, else the chocolate will set up when you try to mix it in. If necessary, especially in winter, you can warm the filling cream slightly first either in the microwave or by standing it over a bowl of warm water. It does not need to actually be warm to the touch, but it should not be too cold either!
Put the filling cream in a mixer bowl and beat on the slowest speed on your mixer while you slowly drizzle the melted chocolate down the side of the bowl. Adding the chocolate too quickly will make it difficult to mix in throughly before it starts to set - and don't pour straight into the middle of the bowl, or you may get spattered!
Once all the chocolate is added, stop the mixer and scrape the bowl down well. Mix again to combine any remaining chocolate.
Use as you would your normal filling cream.