Makes: Enough frosting and filling for one 9-inch layer cake or 2 dozen cupcakes
Time: 10 minutes
The easiest buttercream you’ll ever make—laced with rich, bittersweet chocolate. It can be paired with most cakes and adapted endlessly. You’d do well to use cream, but milk works too.
1. Melt the chocolate over low heat in a double boiler or microwave; set aside to cool.
2. Use an electric mixer or a fork to cream the butter. Gradually work in about half the sugar, then add the melted, cooled chocolate. Add the rest of the sugar ½ cup at a time, alternating with the cream and beating well after each addition, until it’s as sweet as you like (you might not use all 4 cups).
3. Stir in the vanilla and salt. If the frosting is too thick to spread, add a little more cream, a teaspoon at a time. If it’s too thin (unlikely but possible), refrigerate; it will thicken as the butter hardens.
VANILLA BUTTERCREAM A classic for White Cake or Chocolate Cake: Omit the chocolate and use 2 teaspoons vanilla extract.
CARAMEL BUTTERCREAM Lightly sweet and wonderfully complex: Omit the chocolate and cream; decrease the confectioners’ sugar to 2 cups. When the butter-sugar mixture is smooth, beat in 1 cup Caramel Sauce; make sure it’s completely cooled or the frosting will melt. If you like salted caramel, increase the salt to 2 teaspoons.
ESPRESSO BUTTERCREAM There’s no better pairing for this than Chocolate Cake or Vanilla Latte Cake: Omit the chocolate; beat 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder with the butter until smooth.
GINGER BUTTERCREAM A spicy-sweet frosting for Pumpkin-Ginger Cake, Molasses-Spice Cake, or Carrot Cake: Omit the chocolate; beat 1 tablespoon ginger into the frosting with the vanilla and salt.
CINNAMON BUTTERCREAM Try it on Chocolate-Cinnamon Cake, in Gingerbread Whoopie Pies, or on Sweet Potato Coconut Cake: Omit the chocolate; beat 1 tablespoon cinnamon into the frosting with the vanilla and salt.
MAPLE BUTTERCREAM Thinner than typical buttercream; use this frosting for cakes like Pumpkin Spice Cake or spread it on Pancakes, Waffles, and French Toast: Substitute ½ cup maple syrup for half of confectioners’ sugar. Omit the vanilla and chocolate. Proceed with the recipe, then refrigerate the frosting to solidify it somewhat before using.
CITRUS BUTTERCREAM Try this using half butter and half cream cheese: Omit the cream and chocolate. Add 2 tablespoons fresh citrus juice and 1 tablespoon grated or minced zest or more to taste.
PISTACHIO BUTTERCREAM The perfect filling for Macarons or topping for Pistachio-Saffron Cake: Omit the chocolate. Beat ½ cup pistachio paste with the butter until smooth before adding the sugar. (To make your own pistachio paste, blend 1½ cups—about 6 ounces—roasted unsalted pistachios and ¼ cup sugar in a food processor until finely ground, then add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and process until smooth, 5 to 10 minutes. Add another tablespoon of oil if necessary to loosen it up.)
PEANUT BUTTERCREAM For Chocolate Cupcakes or sandwiched between Oatmeal Cookies: Substitute ¼ cup smooth peanut butter for half the butter. Omit the chocolate (or don’t, if you love peanut butter cups). Proceed with the recipe; this may require more cream to get it to the right consistency.