Yo’s Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream

YO’S RECIPE BOX

I personally love this buttercream because it’s as light and smooth as Italian meringue buttercream but delightfully chocolaty. It isn’t too rich, so it pairs perfectly with any cake, satisfying chocolate cravings without overpowering other flavors. If you’ve got a young chocoholic in your house, this is the buttercream to use on all your cakes!

This buttercream needs a bit of time to set up—there’s a lot of chocolate. Make it at least a day ahead.

Makes about 6 cups

Ingredients

18 ounces good-quality dark chocolate

1 cup sugar

¼ teaspoon table salt

⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar

4 large egg whites

2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-size pieces, at room temperature

  1    Chop the chocolate as finely as you can. Put it in a heatproof bowl and set the bowl over a pan of lightly simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water).

  2    Melt the chocolate, stirring until smooth, then remove the bowl from the saucepan and set aside to cool while you prepare the buttercream. Leave the pan of water on the stove, as you will need it shortly.

  3    In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the sugar, salt, and cream of tartar. Whisk in the egg whites until thoroughly combined.

  4    Place the bowl with the egg whites over the pan of simmering water (again, do not let the bowl touch the water). Heat the mixture, whisking frequently, until it’s warm but not hot to the touch and the sugar is mostly dissolved (you should feel just a little grittiness when you rub a bit of the mixture between your fingertips), about 2 to 5 minutes.

  5    Transfer the bowl to the stand mixer and fit the mixer with the whisk attachment. Whip at high speed until thick and glossy and the bowl is no longer warm on the outside, about 5 minutes.

  6    With the mixer running, add the butter, a piece at a time, whipping until each piece is fully incorporated before adding the next. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula occasionally.

  7    After all the butter has been added, continue to whip the buttercream until it’s thick and smooth, 3 to 5 minutes.

  8    Check the melted chocolate: It should be soft and liquid, not firm; if it’s completely cooled and thickened, set the bowl over the still-hot water in the saucepan for just a few seconds and stir until it’s soft but not warm. Scrape the chocolate into the buttercream and whip on high speed until fully incorporated.

  9    Keep in a cool, dry place for up to a day. If you’re making this more than a day in advance, transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or the freezer for up to 1 month. Before using refrigerated or frozen buttercream, let it warm up to room temperature and stir to smooth it out.