Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting
Personal feelings about frosting tend to be polar–either you love it or you hate it. I have built myself a house on the “no frosting” side of the fence, but this recipe for Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream is my reason for a vacation home on the other side. This light, perfectly sweet garnish could convert anyone to a love of frosting. That’s why it is a must share recipe.
Don’t be scared off by the name, the Swiss Meringue makes it sound both decadent and complicated; I promise it is just the first. You start by whisking a smooth meringue and then add in your butter and flavorings/colors to personalize the recipe to your unique tastes. This particular recipe calls for adding melted chocolate, which gives the frosting just a kiss of chocolate flavor. That slight taste is just the right amount to top a Triple Chocolate Cupcake so that you have tons of rich chocolate flavor, but you aren’t overpowered by it’s richness.
- 5 Egg Whites
- 1 1/4 C Sugar
- Pinch of Salt
- 2 C Unsalted Butter, Cubed
- 1/2 C Milk Chocolate Chips, Melted
- 1/2 C Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
- 2 tsp Almond Extract
- Whisk together egg whites, sugar, and salt in a glass bowl set over a pot of simmering water (medium high heat). Continue whisking until the sugar is completely dissolved and the mixture is smooth to the touch.
- Remove bowl from heat and beat the meringue using an electric mixer for about 10 minutes. Begin at a low speed and gradually increase to a medium-high mixing speed. Stop beating meringue when the mixture forms stiff peaks and is glossy.
- Mixing at a medium speed add butter a few cubes at a time, mixing well in between additions. Once all the butter has been added add-in melted chocolates and almond extract at a low speed. Continue mixing for a few minutes to remove all air bubbles from the frosting, which will give you the perfect smooth texture.
- The frosting may look like it is beginning to curdle as you are adding in the butter; if this happens, increase mixing speed slightly and continue adding butter. The frosting will smooth out as you continue to beat the mixture together.
- This is also delicious with Vanilla Extract instead of the almond.