Ive looked through all the Chocolate buttercream recipes on here and have made the chocolate IMBC and one other that I cant remember. i used cocoa powder in one and semi sweet chocolate in the other. My problem is they both tasted very bitter and grainy. Im looking for a recipe that is very chocolaty for a cake thats due Saturday. I suppose if i cant find a good one ill have to resort to buying it at sams.

Also-i need a crusting recipe with crisco--the heat and humidity is bad here!

Thanks for any help!!

Did you use cocoa powder for IMBC? Don't! Use melted semi-sweet or even a good quality milk chocolate. Makes a world of difference. If you prefer an intense, dark chocolate flavor used semi or bitter-sweet but if you want a mellow, milky flavor, use milk choco. I've used about 8-12 oz of melted chocolate per pound of butter.
It won't crust though.

However I prefer using ganache to chocolate BC. You get a truer chocolate flavor. Choco BC tastes weak and sweet and to me.

I also like using Milk Chocolate BC --- melt 1 lb milk chocolate & 8 oz dark chocolate then beat the cooled chocolates into 12 oz softened butter. Yum!

i used semi sweet ghiradelli in the imbc. i think ill try with milk choco instead. my customer requested choco cake/choco bc but just havent had luck with the recipes ive tried.

does the milk chocolate bc you decribed crust? i will be painting a wood grain look on the bc which is the only reason i need it to crust.

i take indydebi's and add one 8oz bag melted Ghiradelli dark semi-sweet per single batch.

very delicious and not at all grainy or bitter -- being a traditional "sweet" BC, the flavor came out just right.

IMBC is not "sweet" so the semisweet would be not work there well if you like a sweet chocolate (then there are those of us who eat the dark semi-sweet chips straight up!)

for very smooth traditional BC -- blend melted chocolate into the fats first, then add the flavorings and PS

also, I like to sub butter for up to 1/2 of the veggie shortening to get an even richer taste.

thanks doug! i can use hi ratio right? if i use half high ratio/half butter will i still get a crust?

I haven't tried it with high ratio -- just reg trans-fat filled veggie shortening I get at Aldi's

(no local vendors of high ratio and I wouldn't use it enough to justify mail order)

Yes, you can use high ratio... And yes, you can use half butter as long as you are not worried about heat and humidity I love Indi buttercream!

i love the choc. bc recipe i use...it crusts too! it does use butter but i also live where there is a ton of heat and humidity and haven't had a problem with it.
6 T. softened butter
3/4 C. cocoa
2 2/3 C powdered sugar
1/3 C milk
1 tsp. vanilla
pinch of salt
cream butter, mix the cocoa and sugar together and then add that mixture alternately with the milk; beat to a spreading consistency. blend in vanilla and salt. make 2 cups approx.

Btw, a lot of people like the sam's buttercream. I personally don't like the vanilla, but I really really like the sam's chocolate buttercream.

It's really dark and crusts well enough if you give it some time. When I need a less intense chocolate, I mix it 2 parts choc with 1 part my own white buttercream for a really versatile chocolate.

It would not be a crisis if you decided to go with the sam's choc.

thanks everyone! I actually tried the sams choco bc and i really like it! i was just worried about it crusting. im glad to hear it does!! im going to try one more batch and if its a fail, then im buying the choco from sams!

Thanks, i needed this

I made another batch. I just hate how it tastes gritty, and just like powdered cocoa! I've tried about 10 recipes so far and I think I'm just too picky, lol. I'm going to buy the sams stuff tomarrow. I have future orders with choc buttercream, so it will sure save me from going through this dilemma again! Thanks everyone! I think I almost killed my mixer with this trial and error run, it's probably thNking me for going with sams now, haha

can it be frozen?

I am glad I came across this thread. I tried to make choco BC a couple weeks ago and 5 different batches and whole lot of powdered sugar later... I gave up and just made reg BC. I dont know if I have the patience to try any more recipes but i will definately try the sams!

Ive had bad luck with IMBC too. every batch I make just seems off. I think im just too preferential to Sugarshacks BC, lol. but as for Choco BC, I think im a sams worshipper, just so I dont have to make it myself. LOL