Chocolate Pudding Buttercream
Yield
- Enough for the inside, outside, and decorations of a three-tier 8” cake.
Notes
- Also known as “German buttercream”, sort of.
- Chocolate above 60%-ish cacao will require extra sugar to compensate for the bitterness.
- Important: Finely chop the chocolate – it prevents little clumps of unmelted chocolate from appearing in the finished product.
- Important: Scrape down the bowl often when adding pudding to butter, to prevent unincorporated bits.
Ingredients
- 385 mL milk
- 6 egg yolks
- 160 g granulated sugar
- 50 g cocoa powder, Dutch-process or natural
- 20 g cornstarch
- 1 1/2 tsp espresso powder
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 385 g semi-sweet (below 70% cacao) chocolate, finely chopped
- 2 cups (4 sticks; 460 g) butter, at room temperature
Steps
- Add the milk and egg yolks to a measuring cup. Whisk to combine.
- Add sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch, espresso powder, and salt to a medium saucepan, and whisk to combine, breaking up any lumps. Slowly whisk the milk and egg yolk mixture into the sugar mixture until smooth.
- Set the pan over medium-low heat and cook the mixture until it thickens and starts to bubble, stirring the mixture constantly with a rubber spatula and making sure to scrape the corners and bottom of the pan. Once it bubbles, cook for an additional minute until thick and creamy, taking extra care to scrape the bottom and sides of the pan to avoid scorching the mixture, 6 to 8 minutes total. If you do get a few small lumps, whisk the mixture vigorously for a few seconds to smooth them. Stir in vanilla extract. Lightly fold in chopped chocolate, and allow to melt for a few minutes before fully incorporating. Cover with plastic wrap and let pudding cool completely.
- After the pudding has cooled, whip the room-temperature butter in the bowl of a stand mixer until smooth. At low speed, slowly add the pudding, beating well after each addition. Increase speed to medium and beat until smooth and spreadable.
Source