Boozy Buttercream

In the past I used to avoid buttercream when decorating cakes and cupcakes. Why? Because of the insane amount of sugar all recipes called for. I’m sorry but for me 500 gr of icing sugar is a little too much for 200 gr butter, no?

So one day I simply decided to try and develop my own recipe for buttercream with less sugar and the addition of melted chocolate and, of course, alcohol.  And it turned out great! Not impossibly sweet but still firm enough for piping flowers and stars and swirls on a cake or cupcakes.

The addition of melted chocolate and a couple of tablespoons of whiskey gave unique flavor to this buttercream, giving it a little edge and making it stand out from traditional chocolate buttercream. I would recommend adding scotch whickey because of its distinctive, smoky flavor but Irish or even bourbon will do just fine.

Very important thing, though – your butter really needs to be at room temperature, which means it needs to sit at least 3-4 hours on your counter after you take it out of the fridge.

Also, you may increase the quantity of the cocoa powder, which would make your buttercream richer in color, slightly firmer and a just a little more bitter.

This buttercream is perfect for piping decorations on cakes.

…or for playing around with, especially if you would like to try out your new Wilton piping nozzles ;)

So, here is my recipe for my Boozy Buttercream:

You need:

1/2 cup (113 gr) butter, room temperature

1 – 1 1/2 cups (120 – 180 gr) confectioner’s sugar

2 tbsp cocoa powder

2 tbsp chocolate chips OR 30 gr chocolate, chopped

1-3 tbsp milk

2 tbsp whiskey

You do:

1.      Cut the butter into small cubes and beat with an electric mixer at medium speed about 2-3 minutes, until light and fluffy.

2.      Meanwhile, place the chocolate and a tablespoon of milk in a small bowl and microwave at low temperature for about 15-30 seconds, until the chocolate starts to melt. Take it out and stir it, until it’s smooth and shiny. If the mixture is too warm, you may need to wait a little until it reaches room temperature, or it will melt your butter.

3.      When the butter is light and fluffy, add 1 cup powdered sugar, the cocoa, the chocolate mixture and the whiskey. Start beating at low speed until everything starts holding together. Then increase the speed to high and beat for about 3-4 minutes.

4.      You may add an additional half a cup (about 60 gr) of powdered sugar if you think your mixture is too thin or not sweet enough. Alternatively, if you think it is too thick, add 1-2 tablespoons of milk to thin it.

5.      As soon as your mixture is ready, put it in a piping bag and pipe away to impress everyone with your creations. You may store the buttercream in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days and use it again after bringing it to room temperature.

Important! This buttercream is suitable for icing and decorating cakes with swirls or simple flowers, but if you would like to make more complicated decorations such as buttercream roses, etc., you will need to increase the total quantity of the sugar to two cups, so that your mixture will be firm enough to hold your flowers in place.