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This may be the most delicious buttercream I’ve ever made. I wish I could take all of the credit for it, but it is from Carol Bloom’s The Essential Baker
I made the Devil’s Food Cake from The Essential Baker
It is made with whole eggs instead of just egg whites which gives it a lusciously smooth and creamy feel. The coffee and bittersweet chocolate are a perfect match for all of the sugar in the whipped Italian meringue that is the base. This recipe is decidedly more work than a simple Swiss meringue buttercream, but it is so worth it. I think this is my favorite recipe in the book so far. Over all I’ve come to the conclusion that this is a great cookbook and an essential addition to any bakers shelf!
Mocha Buttercream from The Essential Baker by Carol Bloom
Makes enough to cover and fill a 9-inch cake
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
2 extra-large egg yolks, at room temperature
1/4 cup granulated sugar
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1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
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1 pound (2 cups, 4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
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6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, very finely chopped, melted over a double boiler and cooled to room temperature
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2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
1 tablespoon water
In a small sauce pan fitted with a Candy Thermometer,
Place the eggs, egg yolks and sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer and whip on medium speed until they are thick, pale in color and hold a ribbon when the beater is lifted. Once the sugar syrup has reached its temperature of 242° F,
then slowly pour it into the bowl of whipped egg yolks while the beater is going on slow. Be sure to pour it along the bowl so that the hot syrup doesn’t hit the beater and splatter! Allow the eggs and sugar mixture to beat on medium high speed until the eggs have cooled, about 8 minutes.
Add the butter 2 tablespoons at a time.
The buttercream will go through a stage that looks soupy and curdled, but continue to add all of the butter and it will come together.
The finished buttercream will be smooth and silky.
Add a tablespoon of water to the espresso powder and dissolve.
Add the melted and cooled chocolate to the buttercream.
Mix to combine and decorate your cake. The buttercream will freeze if you have any left, wrapped really well in plastic. Just allow it to come bake to room temperature and whisk it on low speed to smooth it out.
Thanks for stopping by. I'm Zoe Francois, pastry chef and cook book author. This is where I play with sugar and take the mystery out of baking everything from cookies to wedding cakes. 
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are available from Amazon.
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Great pics. The frosting looks great, but I especially appreciate the illustrated recipe; much more entertaining than just copying the text from the cookbook.
Thanks!
Hi Sam,
Thanks, it is important to see what the steps should look like, especially the first time you venture into a recipe.
Enjoy! Zoë
This frosting sounds like it would be fabulous. I’ve never made Carol Bloom’s Devil’s Food Cake but I have made yours, Zoe.
Hey, everybody, I will vouch for how fantastic it tastes! It is now my “go to” chocolate cake/cupcake recipe.
And, Zoe, thanks too, for the pics!
It does look like it turned out quite perfect! You decorated that cake so wonderfully too. It’s beautiful!
tHAT LOOKS INSANELY GOOD! To be honest, anythign that adds coffee and bittersweet chocolate is bound to please me. You keep baking from this book and it makes me want to swoop it up and buy it as well.Plus, it was nominated for a James Beard award, which gives it a nice push. can you tell me the difference between italian, swiss, and reulgar meringue buttercream? I made a recipe like this one and it was called a french buttercream but I don’t get the difference
Thank you so much for that recipe, Zoe! That looks SO yummy!! I am always looking for new things to frost cakes with, other than my old Wilton buttercream recipe standby (which everyone still raves over and I can hardly stand anymore.) This looks fabulous! Can’t wait to try it!!
I really love all the pictures you put with your instructions! It helps so much to see what things are supposed to look like!
Oh, and I will definitely have to look into getting Carol’s cookbook! Thank you!
Rebecca
Thanks Carmen,
I’m so glad you like that Devil’s food cake, it is my all time favorite. It took me years of combining every recipe I’d ever tried to come up with one that I loved.
Zoë
Hi Amanda,
Great question about the different types of meringue. Here is the basics:
French refers to a meringue made from raw egg whites whipped with sugar until it is stiff and glossy. These days this is only used for things that will be baked.
Swiss Meringue is when the egg whites and sugar are cooked together over a double boiler into a syrup and then whipped until stiff and glossy.
Italian Meringue, like the one in this recipe has you add a boiling sugar syrup to the eggs in order to cook them, then you continue to whip this until it is smooth, stiff and glossy.
I’ll do a post on this and show you the difference.
Thanks, Zoë
Hi Recipegirl and Rebecca,
Thanks and I hope you enjoy her book!
Zoë
Can you tell me about your candy thermometer, Zoe? The metal casing looks very sturdy.
A post on your favorite and/or essential tools would be really helpful. The off-set spatula you used for the crepes is beautiful.
This is such an informative and helpful website for those of us who are visual learners!
Thanks for the clarification Zoe! I really appreciate the explanation.
This looks fantastic! Any idea how it would taste sans coffee? While I adore the taste of mocha in just about everything, I am quite alone in that love within my family.
Hi Elizabeth,
What a great idea, I’ll work on a list of my favorite tools and equipment. Until then I’ve added a link to my post that shows you exactly the thermometer that I used. I must say I bought mine locally for about twice what amazon is charging. Oh well, it is still worth it!
Thanks, Zoë
Hi Amanda, you are so welcome. Look for a full post on Meringue. I probably won’t get to it until after our crazy book tour in June.
Thanks! Zoë
Hi Katie,
It will be wonderful without the coffee as well. My preference would be to make it with a very bittersweet chocolate, just so it won’t be overly sweet. You could also add a dash of vanilla and a pinch of salt to the buttercream to perk up the flavor.
Let me know how it comes out!
Zoë
Amazing! I don’t think I’ve ever seen a smoother frosting. You spread that frosting with such a smooth & perfect coating. Nice job.
I agree with you re: the salt; it truly brings out the flavor in just about everything.
Hi Dawn,
This stuff is really smooth. Sometimes adding chocolate to buttercream makes it harder to get a clean finish and this one is almost better with the chocolate. Great to work with!
Thanks, Zoë
That does look outrageous! Wish I could like the spoon!
mmmm… This frosting looks like it would be perfect for my “renewal” cake. My husband and I are planning a nice renewal of vows at the end of the year, and we wanted to make our own cake together, part of the ceremonial thing you know? And of course, we both adore chocolate on chocolate cake!
Thanks for the recipe and the great illustrations!
Hi Leah,
What a fantastic idea! Enjoy the making and the eating of it.
Congratulations!
Zoë
Wow! I’m not even the biggest buttercream fan but that sure does look great. The cake is really beautiful, so simple but elegant. Nice pictures as well!
Ooh, that’s pretty! Looks like a great recipe.
Hi Zoe!
I made this tonight for some friends, with the devils food recipe in cupcake form…it was unbelievable! I even goofed up the water/sugar/cream of tartar portion…it cooked just a minute or so too long – and became slightly carmelized. It didn’t seem to harm the taste overall, although I am hoping to catch it in time next time I make it!
It was delicious – and the pictures and explanations were extremely helpful in my first buttercream venture! You are helping me break out of my “freaked out by baking” mold!
Thanks lady!!
Hey Jen,
You are a baking diva! I’ll have to try the caramelized sugar to see if it isn’t even better. I bet the flavor added a bit of character!?
Bake on my friend! Zoë
Zoe,
A few months back you popped into my mind and the next day, there you were on the front page of the food section of the Philadelphia Inquirer. I was tickled to see you and your amazing accomplishment! I immediately ordered the book and started baking. Since then we’ve enjoyed dozens of loaves of your delicious bread…and each time I think of you and hope that you and all your boyz are doing well in Minneapolis.
xo
Denise
ps: Awesome site, I’ve been a regular lurker…and as soon as our heatwave breaks I’m making this cake!
Hi Denise,
How great to hear from you! Thanks for all the kind words about the bread. So glad you are baking.
How is Philly? We are hoping our next book tour will bring us there.
xo Zoë
Zoe,
Philly is awesome. We are having a great time being back but are missing our friends in MN. We spent all of last summer in VT and thought of you when we were in Montpelier.
When you come to Philly, make sure to leave some time for a visit and some foodie fun.
In the meantime, visit me at http://www.lifestylerevolution.typepad.com
Denise
Gorgeous looking cake! I love the precise blobs of buttercream
Hi Y,
Thank you! The buttercream tastes even better than it looks.
Zoë
This looks gorgeous! Question: could I use the buttercream plain (no coffee or chocolate) and/or with other flavourings (e.g. for a dessert with fruit etc.)
Hi Lisa,
Yes absolutely. Flavor at will and use on anything you like. Buttercream is very adaptable. Just be careful not to add to much liquid to it or you will change the consistency.
Enjoy! Zoë
Oh, how I wish I’d found this last weekend. I was looking for a buttercream recipe for a vanilla layer cake. The one I used was good, but this one looks divine! Definitely bookmarked.
Hi Susan, I’m about to make several batches of it for Friday. I love the stuff.
Zoë
Zoe! WOW! Thats about all I can say…and I haven’t even put it on the cake yet! I found your recipe very easy to follow and you weren’t kidding about it being an OUTRAGEOUS Mocha Buttercream! I’m using it as the filling for a cake I’m making for my sister, and she’s going to just love it! Thanks for posting this one up!
-Genevieve
Hi Genevieve,
I’m thrilled that you made this buttercream, it really is one of my all time favorites!
Enjoy! Zoë
Hi, I am totally fascinated by your website, talent and generosity in sharing such valuable knowledge. Thank you so much. I am addicted to your posts now!
In Portugal, where I live, I can’t seem to find “cream of tartar” nor “glicerin” (for the homemade fondant). Do you suggest any alternatives?
Thanks for answering.
Have a wonderful 2009.
All the best!
Hi Madalena,
Thank you so much for your kind words!
You can replace the cream of tartar with lemon juice. It just is there to help strengthen the egg whites and allows them to whip up bigger. Any acid will do the trick.
Glycerin is harder to replace. Have you tried your pharmacy? Some fondant recipes say that you don’t really need the glycerin, but I find that it makes it much easier to use if you have it..
Good luck and thanks!
Zoë
Thank you for this recipe Zoe. I made it for New Years and topped a raspberry cake with it, it was divine. I usually do not get good reviews on chocolate, as most of my family is not a fan. However, this went down with wonderful reviews, it is so light and rich at the same time! I have been testing and looking for a wonderful chocolate buttercream (with REAL butter not crisco cream), and this is heavenly.
Thanks–BC
Hi BC,
Your cake sounds amazing! I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for letting me know!
Zoë
Zoe, I never have extra-large eggs on hand because I typically by large. Would it make a huge difference if I used the L instead of XL eggs?
Hi Cyndi,
I think you will be just fine with Large eggs, unless they seem unusually small to you.
Enjoy! Zoë
I just made this buttercream this morning and iced a cake made from your Devil’s food cupcake recipe that I had in the freezer. I didn’t have the bittersweet chocolate so substituted some semisweet chocolate chips and semisweet baking chocolate (about 9 oz. instead of the 6) and it was to die for! Everyone (including the kids) loved it! I have to confess I “tasted” a good portion of it while making icing the cake! Thank you so much for your illustrated instructions, I know I would have wondered about the curdled look while adding the butter had I not known it was ok. Barbara
Thank you Barbara,
I’m so glad you enjoyed the icing and the Devil’s Food, two of my favorites!
Zoë
Hi! This recipe looks amazing and I want to try it out next month for my birthday. But I have a few questions first. The cake I’m making is going to be chocolate and soaked in a kahlua type syrup (nonalchoholic) and I’m making a sculpted cake. Will this taste as well if it’s layered with rolled out fondant and if so, do you have a fondant recipe that you think would taste well with this. Preferably one that’s easy to color. If you could help me that would be so amazing. Thanks!!
Hi Lauren,
Here is the fondant recipe that I use: http://zoebakes.com/?p=1059. It is easy to color and tastes much better than the store bought varieties, but I’d make it once before you do your cake. It is easy to work with once you have the feel for it, but if you’ve never used fondant before it is a new feeling to get used to.
Thanks and Happy Birthday! Zoë
Help! I attempted to make this buttercream last night but my water, sugar, & cream of tartar started turning brown around the corner of the saucepan at 192 degrees, I never got to 242F. So as it turned darker I freaked and added it to the side of my kitchenaid mixer with the sugar/egg but my sugar mixture hardened. It was smoking and just an ugly mess. Do you think my thermometer is not accurate?? Does it need to be a candy thermometer? I really want to make this buttercream but have never tried this process before…Thanks!
Hi Ann Marie,
It sounds like your sugar and water may not have been mixed together and the sugar on the bottom of the pot was caramelizing too quickly. Did it seem like there was raw sugar on the bottom of the pot?
What kind of thermometer are you using? Is it a digital instant read? I like the candy thermometer because it rests in the sugar/water the whole time and you can keep a close eye on the temp as it rises gradually.
I hope this helps! Zoë
Thanks Zoe! You are absolutely right. I didn’t mix the sugar and water well, I just swirled it a little around the saucepan. I thought it would mix as it simmered. So maybe that was the root cause.
My thermometer is a cheapy instant read from BB&B that I had to hold in the saucepan since I couldnt attach it to the pan and one time I dropped it in. I love your thermometer and will buy one this w/e before I make this again! Thank you so much!! With stiring the sugar and water and a better thermometer I should be able to do this!
Hi Ann Marie,
When you give it another shot let me know how it goes, I have a feeling you will have no problems at all!
Thanks, Zoë
I followed this recipe to the “T” and it is amazing. I have used it several times and everyone raves about it! Thanks!
Just made this fabulous buttercream! This is the sort I like, and did not know how to differentiate between Swiss, Italian, standard and on and on… This is fabuloso!!! I just frosted my buche de noel with it. I used a Martha Stewart genoise cake recipe, and then filled it with a mousse I use from a Green & Black’s cookbook. So it’s white cake, chocolate mousse, and mocha buttercream… GLORIOUS and a beautiful, beautiful cake that was worthy of photos!!!!
Now my next question is, how do I make the traditional butter cream that is not too sweet (about like this or less) that when cold is almost like unsalted butter that chunks off the side of a cake slice, and when warm is creamy and wedding cake like…. I’d love to learn both, since this is awesome, but is not quite what a wedding cake features… Any help or email to my personal email would be great.
Thanks!
Hi Zoe,
1. I don’t have instant espresso powder, but I do have instant coffee, could you tell me how much to use?
2. Will this sit well at room temperature or will I have to refrigerate the cake?
Thank you!
Hi Zoe!
I just made this recipe and cannot get over how incredibly light & fluffy it is! I’ve only made “American” buttercreams up until now and this was such a treat. Your blog & photos were super helpful!
The only issue I had was that there are a few small pieces of “scrambled egg” in it. Does that happen often…how can I avoid it in the future.
I definitely plan on making this beautiful & delicious frosting again.
Thank you!
Hi Maria,
Next time you make it bring the water in your double boiler to a raging boil, turn off the heat and then put the bowl with the egg/sugar over the steaming water. The residual steam should be enough to melt the sugar into the eggs, without actually cooking them. You also need to stir constantly with a rubber spatula. It amy take a few more minutes but you will not get that scrambled egg in your buttercream.
Thank you so much for trying it! Zoë
Hi Zoe,
I am now addicted to your website, even while b/feeding my 4 months old baby i keep on browsing your site. Thank you for the recipes and the details esp the pictures for direction. Just one question, will this be able to hold a fondant to finish my cake?
Made this frosting this afternoon for a chocolate cake. So luscious and fluffy and yummy! The flavor is really remarkable. Thank you for sharing the recipe and the very helpful photos.
Hi Zoe!
I just *tried* to make this recipe for the second time. The first time I made the recipe x2 and was successful, everything went as planned, it was so delicious and creamy, I added lemon zest and just splash of fresh lemon juice and it was perfectly tangy and sweet.
This time I tried making it x5 (for a lot of cake!), but I was not successful at all. Everything seemed look the right after I added the sugar, but after I added the butter, the mixture never became curdled, the mixture just remained a warm sugar/egg/butter soup.
Does this recipe not do well when you try to make it in high volume like this? should I just make several regular size batches to achieve the quantity I need?
Hi Stacy,
What size mixer are you using to make a x5 batch? Unless you are using a 20-quart mixer I can’t imagine how you could whip this? If you do have a pro mixer than it may have been that the egg whites were not cool enough when you added the butter and so it just melted, instead of setting up. If you do not have a pro mixer, then I bet you just couldn’t get enough air whipped into the egg/butter mixture.
I hope this helps? As long as you have the right equipment it should work as a larger batch!
Thanks, Zoe
Hi Zoe,
Can a cake frosted with this chocolate buttercream be frozen? Will the consistancy be all right when it thaws?
Thanks for your help.
Karen
Hi Karen,
Yes, you can freeze the buttercream and it is just as good after. Wrap it really well. You need to let it defrost still wrapped. You may mess up any design you made on the cake, but the taste will be great.
Enjoy, Zoe
Hi Zoë,
I am new to your site and I am very impressed. I made this frosting today to use in the chocolate macarons posted on The Parisian Peanut Butter Cup entry. This frosting is out of this world good! I am one of those people who prefer meringue or whipped cream frostings over buttercream, but this frosting has changed my mind!
I will also be making the peanut butter filling for the macarons, but since I’m testing them out on a couple of French people, I thought I would give them the chocolate option filling as well, since it seems that a lot of Frenchies aren’t fans of peanut butter. I am sure they will be delicious!
Merci!!!
looks wonderful – can you tell me how you bake your devil’s food cake (you have instructions for cupcakes only) – how many layers, 8 or 9 inch cake pans, how long to bake? thanks
Hi Anol,
Here is a post that talks about baking the cakes in rounds: http://zoebakes.com/?p=2117
Thanks and enjoy! Zoë
thanks!!