Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream Recipe

One of my favorite frostings is Swiss Meringue Buttercream. Now that I have started making cakes and cupcakes from scratch, I have also begun to try new icing/frostings. I will never go back to frosting in a container. There is no comparison! This Buttercream is so silky and delicious, it is a delight!

The recipe below has been adapted from Martha Stewart

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/swiss-meringue-buttercream-for-white-cupcakes

and The Cake Book by Tish Boyle.

Ingredients
Makes about 9 cups, enough for about 28 cupcakes
2 1/2 cups sugar
10 large egg whites
4 cups (8 sticks or 2 pounds) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

12 oz of bittersweet chocolate

5 tablespoons water

Directions

Chop bittersweet chocolate into pieces. Mix chocolate and water, and melt in double boiler. If you don't have a double boiler, then boil water in a sauce pan and melt chocolate in a stainless steel bowl above the boiling water. When chocolate is melted, set aside and let cool to room temperature.

Place sugar and egg whites in the heat-proof bowl of an electric mixer. Set bowl over a pan of gently simmering water (use the same one you melted the chocolate with), and whisk gently until sugar has dissolved and egg whites are hot to the touch, about 3 minutes or when it reaches 160 degrees using an instant read thermometer. You can test it by rubbing the mixture between your fingers; it should feel completely smooth.

Transfer bowl to mixer stand. Using the whisk attachment, beat on high speed until mixture has cooled completely and formed stiff and glossy peaks, about 10 minutes.

The picture above is just after eggs have reached 160 degrees, and placed in the mixer. Below the mixture has reached stiff peaks.

Now, add the butter, one piece (1 tbs) at a time, while the mixer is on medium. Don't worry if the buttercream appears curdled after all the butter has been added; it will become smooth again with continued beating. Beat mixture on high for 1 minute. Add vanilla, and beat just until combined.

Add melted chocolate to buttercream and whisk on medium high until mixed. Remove from mixer and with a rubber spatula scrape sides and incorporate everything into meringue.

Perfect Chocolate Swiss Meringue, a delicious topping for a deep chocolate cupcake! Enjoy!

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