- 3 cups powdered sugar (375 grams) If doubling the recipe, try 5 cups
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (31 grams)
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature (226 grams)
- 2/3 cup Nutella (176 grams)
- 3 tbsp heavy cream (45 ml)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Recipe from piesandtacos.com
Sift the powdered sugar and cocoa powder together to avoid lumpy frosting. Beat the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, or using a hand mixer. Make sure the butter is room temperature, about 72ºF. If the butter is too soft, it can make the buttercream runny, forcing you to add a lot of extra powdered sugar to obtain the proper consistency.
Beat the butter for 2 minutes at medium-high speed.
Add the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, Nutella, vanilla, and heavy cream. Mix on low to combine. When the ingredients are combined, raise the speed to medium-high, beat for another two minutes.
If the frosting is too runny, add more powdered sugar. And if the frosting seems too dry, add a bit more heavy cream, one tablespoon at a time.
Keep the frosting covered, because it can develop a skin and become dry.
After the frosting is done whipping, you can mix it with a spatula by hand for about 5 minutes, or mix it with the paddle attachment on low for 10 minutes to eliminate air bubbles, and make the frosting silky.
Storage
You can refrigerate the frosting for up to 1 week. To use it, simply let it come to room temperature and mix on medium-low for one or two minutes to make it creamy and fluffy.
The frosting can be frozen for up to 2 months. To defrost, let it sit in the fridge overnight, or on top of the counter until it thaws. Then, once it comes to room temperature, mix on medium-low for one to two minutes with a mixer.
NOTES
Amount: This recipe is enough to fill about 40 macarons, frost 14 cupcakes, or a 6-inch layer cake. To frost an 8-inch cake, make 1.5x the recipe, by multiplying all ingredients by 1.5.
Butter: Make sure the butter is at about 72ºF. If the butter is too soft, the frosting might be too runny.
Scale: Measure the powdered sugar using a scale instead of cups.
Powdered sugar: You can always add a bit more powdered sugar to make the frosting become stiffer, but you really shouldn't have to if you measure the sugar by weight instead of cups.
Consistency: If needed, add a bit more heavy cream to the frosting.
Salt: You can also add a pinch of salt to the buttercream to balance out the sweetness. Not a lot of salt is needed, just a pinch will do, about 1/16 of a teaspoon.
