The Best Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

While I know most people order cakes these days for special events, if you have the time, I encourage you to make your own. It is so much more meaningful and most of the time tastes better. My friend and I recently made a birthday cake and decided to make the frosting. You cannot go wrong with a buttercream, let's be honest, butter is amazing! So I stumbled upon a recipe from Ina Garten and with a few modifications came up with this somewhat putsy but sweet, fluffy, delicious, and totally worth it chocolate buttercream frosting.

• 16 ounces semisweet chocolate
• 3/4 cup egg whites (4 to 5 extra-large eggs), at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Chop the chocolates and place them in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan simmering water. Stir until melted and set aside until cooled to room temperature. It helps to occasionally stir it so the chocolate at the bottom of the bowl does not burn.

Mix the egg whites, sugar, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Place the bowl of egg whites over the pan of simmering water and heat the egg white mixture until they are warm to the touch, about 5-10 minutes. Return the bowl to the electric mixer and whisk on high speed for 5 minutes, or until the meringue is cool and holds a stiff peak.

Add the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, while beating on medium speed. Scrape down the bowl, add the melted chocolate and vanilla, and mix for 1 minute or until the chocolate is completely blended in. If the buttercream seems very soft, allow it to cool, and beat it again.

This frosting makes about four cups. We covered two 9" round cakes and had some to enjoy later. Once you make this frosting I can guarantee you will never buy canned frosting again!