Ina's Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Ina Garten of Food Network's Barefoot Contessa is one of my favorite chefs.  I was watching her show where she prepared a 30th wedding anniversary meal for Jeffrey.  She made the most awesome little chocolate wedding cake, it was so cute!  The buttercream frosting she made included many ingredients that I have not used in a chocolate frosting, so I wanted to make sure that I didn't lose the recipe.

For the complete meal from this episode, click here.  It is all good!

Ingredients

• 1 pound bittersweet chocolate
• 12 ounces semisweet chocolate
• 3/4 cup egg whites (4 to 5 extra-large eggs), at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 1/2 pounds unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 3 teaspoons instant espresso powder, dissolved in 1 1/2 teaspoons water
• 3 tablespoons dark rum, optional

Directions

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.

Mix the egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar, 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 whites until they are warm to the touch, about 5 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, vanilla, espresso, and rum, if using, 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.

Key Lime Cupcakes

Cake mix and ready-to-spread frosting make prep super easy.

Topping

1 box (4-serving size) vanilla instant pudding and pie filling mix
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
1/4 cup Key lime or regular lime juice
4 drops green food color
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar


Cupcakes

48 regular-size paper baking cups
1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® yellow cake mix
Water, vegetable oil and eggs called for on cake mix box


Frosting

1 container Betty Crocker® Whipped fluffy white frosting
1 tablespoon Key lime or regular lime juice
1/2 teaspoon grated Key lime or regular lime peel



1. In large bowl, beat pudding mix and whipping cream with wire whisk 2 minutes. Let stand 3 minutes. Beat in 1/4 cup Key lime juice and the food color; stir in powdered sugar until smooth. Cover and refrigerate.

2. Heat oven to 375°F (350°F for dark or nonstick pans). Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups. Make cake batter as directed on box. Spoon about 1 rounded tablespoonful batter into each muffin cup, using about half of the batter. (Muffin cups will be about 1/3 full.) Refrigerate remaining batter. Bake 12 to 16 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from pan to cooling rack. Repeat with remaining baking cups and batter. Cool cupcakes completely, about 15 minutes.

3. Remove paper baking cups from cupcakes. Swirl about 2 teaspoons topping on top of each cupcake.

4. Stir frosting in container 20 times. Gently stir in 1 tablespoon Key lime juice and the lime peel. Spoon frosting into 1-quart resealable food-storage plastic bag. Cut 1/2-inch opening from bottom corner of bag. Squeeze 1 rounded teaspoonful frosting from bag onto topping. Garnish with fresh lime wedge, if desired. Store in refrigerator.



This recipe comes from Betty Crocker.com . . .

Butter Cream Frosting

Ingredients

2 Tbs. flour
1/2 C. milk
1/4 lb. butter
1/2 C. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla


Directions

Mix flour and milk. Cook over low flame until thickened. Let cool. Cream butter and sugar. Beat for 5 min. Add cooled paste and add vanilla. Beat another 6 minutes.



This covers a larger cake, but I would double it for a layer or bundt cake.

Butter Frosting

Ingredients

1/4 C. butter
3 1/2 C. sifted powdered sugar
2 Tbs. rum (or 1/4 tsp. rum flavoring plus 2 Tbs. milk)
Milk


Directions

In a medium mixing bowl, beat butter until fluffy. Gradually add 2 C. of the powdered sugar, beating well. Slowly beat in the rum or rum flavoring and 2 Tbs. milk. Slowly beat in remaining powdered sugar. Beat an additional milk, if needed to reach piping or spreading consistence.

Yield about 1 2/3 cups

Bakers Fudge Frosting

Ingredients

4 (1 oz.) squares unsweetened chocolate, cut into pieces
1/2 C. cold milk
2 egg yolks, well beaten
1 1/2 C. sugar
1 Tbs. butter
1 tsp. vanilla


Directions

Cook chocolate and milk over low heat, stirring constantly, until smooth and blended. Beat egg yolks with 3 Tbs. of the sugar. Add remaining sugar to chocolate mixture and cook, stirring, until smooth. Whisk in egg mixture and butter and cook 1 minute. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Beat until thick and creamy.

This makes enough frosting to fill and frost two layers.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

1 lb. confectioners’ sugar
1/2 C. butter, softened
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 Tbs. genuine vanilla extract


Directions

To make frosting, beat butter and cream cheese together until smooth; beat in vanilla until well-mixed. Gradually add confectioner's sugar until it is all incorporated. Frost cake.