I've never made chocolate buttercream before, so I just followed the recipe in the Wilton course 1 book. It says to add 3/4 cup chocolate to the original buttercream recipe, but it does not specify sweet or unsweet chocolate for the cocoa powder. Other than taste, does it make a difference (consistency, etc...)?
Thanks for your input!
I didn't know there was a sweeten cocoa powder? When you use cocoa powder you are going to have to add more liquid to it, usually a tablespoon or two.
You could also use 4oz of melted chocolate squares. I usually use unsweeten, but have used sweet and semi sweet as well.
You want cocoa powder, not hot cocoa like hot chocolate. I had someone who used hot cocoa mix for cocoa it made a big mess of the icing. It melted in her hands and slide off her cake. This was years ago and a teen who never heard of cocoa powder. She learned and really liked the chocolate bc from then on.
There is sweetened cocoa powder, not hot cocoa mix. Ghiridelli makes it, I use it for my brownies.
What is really yummy for Chocolate buttercream is to mix in some chocolate ganche insteat of cocoa or melted chocolate. I got this idea out of Toba Garrets book, it is soo good!
Thank you, all, for your input. Now, one more question ... I've never bought chocoalte ganache. What form does it come in, and do I use the same amount of ganache as I would chocolate squares or cocoa powder?
Orrrrrrrrrrrr ... is there a better recipe out there that I could use instead of using the recipe in the Wilton book?
Thank you so much for your patience with this "newbie"! 
I just made chocolate buttercream for my Wilton course I class, and I made a batch each way, with cocoa powder and then with unsweetened chocolate that I melted, and the one with the cocoa powder tasted much more chocolatey. My hubby agreed, too. Plus, using cocoa powder is easier than melting the chocolate anyway. I haven't tried ganache yet, but it sounds good!
I happen to have made ganache for another cake so I had it on hand. But it is pretty easy to make. You can find a recipe in the recipe section of this site, but I used Toba Garrets recipe. I don't have it in front of me right now, but if you shoot me a PM I will get it to you. It is basically heavy whipping cream heated to boiling and then you throw in chocolate let it melt in the hot cream and stir until mixed, then chill till firm. I used about 1/2 to 1 cup, I just eyeballed it.
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