Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

Why It Works

• Unlike natural cocoa, which is acidic, Dutch styles won’t cause the dairy to curdle as it simmers.
• Condensing the milk and cream creates a thick, stable base for the frosting, no eggs required.
• Cocoa powder, a starch, helps thicken the frosting, while simmering intensifies its flavor.

Back when I first started investigating how to make an eggless chocolate mousse based on homemade condensed milk, I did a few trials that included a little butter whipped into the inky Dutch chocolate "pudding" base.

Many recipes for chocolate mousse melt dark chocolate with butter to make a ganache, so the idea was perfectly natural in terms of flavor and richness, if not technique. By whipping cool butter into the base rather than melting it with dark chocolate, I’d hoped to make an extra-fluffy sort of mousse. What I got instead was a chocolate buttercream.

Now, I’ve already published a recipe for chocolate buttercream that I love; it’s more or less a classic Swiss buttercream made with a brown sugar meringue.

What sets this mousse-like frosting apart is that it’s eggless, making it a friendlier style for folks with allergies, as well as anyone not armed with the sheer volume of eggs required for a Swiss or French buttercream. And, unlike other dairy-forward frostings, such as German buttercream, this one contains no cornstarch, a problematic ingredient for some children with allergies.

Because this frosting’s based on dairy, it has an especially creamy texture and flavor, one that mellows the intensity of Dutch cocoa into something wonderfully mild (think hot cocoa or chocolate milk). Since it doesn’t actually involve any dark or milk chocolate, only a small amount of cocoa powder, it’s an extremely affordable chocolate frosting that still tastes super luxe, a major boon to those of us who can’t help but think of recipes in terms of food cost.

The process starts out identical to that of my eggless chocolate mousse, with toasted sugar, Dutch cocoa powder, and a pinch of salt, all dissolved in a large pot with plenty of milk and cream.

Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

Then I bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, stirring constantly, until it reduces to an inky-black sort of pudding.

Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

I scrape it into a large baking dish to speed the cooling process and refrigerate until it’s cool and thick, but not cold—about 70°F (21°C). This step can be done up to a week in advance, in which case, after refrigeration, the pudding will need to stand at room temperature until warmed to about 70°F (21ºC).

Either way, I then transfer the cool pudding to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, along with some butter softened to the same temperature, and beat them together until creamy and light.

Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

As with any frosting, the working temperature of this recipe will affect its consistency and yield. When too cold, it will be heavy, dense, and a little greasy, with a low overall yield. So if it seems too stiff to spread, or if it looks slightly grainy or curdled, pop it over a simmering water bath for a few seconds to knock off the chill, then re-whip. The result will be about five cups of a deliciously thick and creamy milk chocolate frosting that’s spreadably smooth, with a sweetness that’s balanced by its rich chocolate flavor.

Pair it with classic devil’s food cake, chocolate skillet cake, or even Texas sheet cake, if you can bear to part with the traditional glaze.

Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

June 2018

Keep Screen Awake

7 ounces plain or toasted sugar (200g; 1 cup)

2 ounces Dutch cocoa powder, such as Cacao Barry Extra Brute (about 2/3 cup, spooned; 55g; about 2/3 cup); see notes

1/4 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use about half as much by volume

32 fluid ounces milk, any percentage will do (946ml; 4 cups)

6 fluid ounces heavy cream (170g; 3/4 cup)

12 ounces unsalted butter (340g; about 3 sticks), softened to about 70°F (21°C)

For the Base: In a 5-quart stainless steel or enameled Dutch oven, whisk sugar, Dutch cocoa, and salt to combine. Whisk in milk and cream to combine. If you have a scale, weigh the pot and ingredients together so you can digitally track the reduction. Place over medium heat, stirring occasionally with a heat-resistant spatula, until milk begins to simmer, about 12 minutes. (If this takes substantially more or less time, adjust the heat accordingly to better match the pace of the cooking process in step 2.) 1.

Simmer, using a heat-proof flexible spatula to stir and scrape continuously to prevent a milky buildup from forming around the sides or scorching along the bottom, until mixture is as thick and dark as chocolate pudding and reduced to about 2 1/3 cups (24 ounces), about 30 minutes. Again, if this process is moving too slowly or too rapidly, simply adjust the heat. If you’re using a scale, the pot will weigh 25 ounces less than when you started. Transfer to a wide dish (such as a 7- by 11-inch baking dish), cover with plastic, and refrigerate until thick and cold, or approximately 70°F (21°C), about 1 hour. 1.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat chilled cocoa base until smooth, then add softened butter a few tablespoons at a time. When ingredients are well combined, switch to a whisk attachment and beat until frosting is creamy, smooth, and light. The frosting’s ideal working temperature is about 70°F. If its temperature is significantly below that, the frosting may seem greasy or curdled; significantly above, and it may seem soft and loose. Its consistency can be adjusted according to the buttercream troubleshooting guide here.

Special equipment

Stainless steel pot or enameled Dutch oven, heat-proof flexible spatula, stand mixer

Notes

The flavor of this frosting hinges on high-quality Dutch cocoa powder, so don’t expect good results from low-fat brands. Look for those with a minimum of 20% fat. (You can use the nutrition label for some rough math, dividing the grams of fat per serving by the grams per serving.) My go-tos are Cacao Barry Extra Brute and Valrhona, but supermarket options like Droste work well, too. Check out my complete list of recommended Dutch cocoas for more information.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
113	Calories
9g	Fat
7g	Carbs
1g	Protein

×

Nutrition Facts Servings: 40 Amount per serving Calories 113 % Daily Value* 9g 12% Saturated Fat 6g 28% 25mg 8% 22mg 1% 7g 3% Dietary Fiber 0g 1% Total Sugars 6g 1g Vitamin C 0mg 0% Calcium 34mg 3% Iron 1mg 3% Potassium 41mg 1% *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)