Does anyone have a good Chocolate Buttercream Recipe, one that can be used for frosting (to get the cake really really smooth) and one to create your decorations and designs with? This might be 2 different recipes and that's OK.

I just found this site today. This recipe sounds delicious to me. Maybe this will help. There are a lot of great recipes out there.

http://www.baking911.com/recipes/cakes/frosting_chocolate_buttercream.htm

Are you familiar with the Wilton Chocolate buttercream? I basically use that but I use all Butter Crisco, it gives it a real creamy texture and use milk, which can be adjusted for spreading purposes, instead of water. The amount of chocolate or cocoa added can also be adjusted to your taste buds!! I find it to be very easy to work with! I know other people swear by using half butter and half crisco or high ratio but it's really whatever works for you!!

Thanks, so much I am headed there now to check it out.

I found the Wilton's Chocolate Buttercream it calls for 3 - 4 TBSP of milk, so do I use milk or water or is it a preference of what I want? I don't mind using the milk or the water, I'm just a little bit confused on which is better or maybe they are about the same. I just want a smooth cake with a frosting that tastes good. I think my first try will be with the milk.

Thanks.

why anyone would use water is beyond me...but i guess it's personal preference. i use all shortening and sometimes cocoa powder or sometimes storebought chocolate frosting. it's good to experiment with different things. i'm gonna try the half butter/half shortening, but i am going to use italian butter to see if there is any difference in taste. i think there will be. i wish i could ship some to ya'll!!!

Use milk instead of water~ It's taste is so much better using milk!

I made a batch of the Wilton Chocolate Buttercream with milk and it does taste good. I will go with this one. Thanks.

Good choice! I think you will find that it smoothes easily and tastes great!

My chocolate buttercream is one batch of my buttercream and one batch of ganache.


MMMM!

Dawn,
That sounds scrumptious! I love ganache. And just about anything CHOCOLATE! mmmm! I bet it is very smooth on a cake also.

Yes, and crusts, too!

Can you do a basket weave with the buttercream/ganache? That's what the groom's cake is going to be. chocolate/ basket weave w/ strawberries on it~

Yes, It's just like any other buttercream

That sounds really, really good!

Mmmmmm that does sound good. I know I made a white chocolate mousse ganache and put some of it into a batch of regular buttercream icing and it was sooo good, and made it really smooth. (Yes, it does crust.) In fact I still have some left over that I need to use up.

Mouse- that sounds really good.

Are you able to share your white chocolate mousse ganache recipe?

I got it from this site: http://www.ladycakes.com/Recipes/Fillings/fillings.htm
(Thank you ladycake!)

Thanks, Mouse!! I'm a member over there, too... so I'll take a look.

Your welcome...I believe the recipe is on the right hand side near the bottom... my desktop pc at home is being stupid right now so I can't get her site to pull up for me to verify the position of the recipe. (I have some viruses I have to get rid of...)
**I saw that on one of your other posts that the white chocolate comes up kind of yellowish for you. I found that if you melt it with heavy whipping cream it is not as yellow- more like a very slight off-white.

calidawn, share your recipe of Choc BC & ganache~ Thank you~

This may sound silly, but I use the Wilton Chocolate buttercream recipe as well only instead of white milk I use chocolate milk (the kind that's already made in the cartons at the store). It seems to make it just a little richer - that is if I can keep the chocolate milk in the house long enough and away from my three kids and my husband!

Thanks Dawn! I will try it this week! The choclate BC icing cake I made for my daughters friend (I posted it) turned out too cocoaeeey LOL. I wanted to try a new one before I decide to use the CBC on the groom's cake~

So this recipe will be ok to basket weave ???

I've never done the basketweave with it... but I've done other things that would need a similar texture and stiffness.