Adding melted chocolate to buttercream

[RachelB]

I want to make the Devil's Food cake from the Bravetart Cookbook (my favorite cookbook) and use the Milk Chocolate version (p. 115) of her Marshmallow Buttercream. The instructions say to melt the chocolate and whip it into the finished buttercream. However, it does not say what temperature the chocolate should be. I have had a couple of bad experiences in the past when adding melted chocolate to buttercream when the chocolate turned into hard bits throughout the frosting. I don't want that to happen with this buttercream. I tried to find online what temperature the chocolate needs to be before adding it, but the only info I can find is that is needs to be "room temperature", and that is vague. What temperature should the chocolate be so that it won't turn into hard bits when I mix it into the buttercream? Thanks.

 

[retired baker]

I want to make the Devil's Food cake from the Bravetart Cookbook (my favorite cookbook) and use the Milk Chocolate version (p. 115) of her Marshmallow Buttercream. The instructions say to melt the chocolate and whip it into the finished buttercream. However, it does not say what temperature the chocolate should be. I have had a couple of bad experiences in the past when adding melted chocolate to buttercream when the chocolate turned into hard bits throughout the frosting. I don't want that to happen with this buttercream. I tried to find online what temperature the chocolate needs to be before adding it, but the only info I can find is that is needs to be "room temperature", and that is vague. What temperature should the chocolate be so that it won't turn into hard bits when I mix it into the buttercream? Thanks.

room temp chocolate is already set. It begins to set at 90.
Most of the year we used cocoa powder but in summer we used unsweetened choc to add stability.
A foolproof method is to make a strong ganache with double the amount of choc, let it cool and it will blend easy without "chipping".

 

[RachelB]

room temp chocolate is already set. It begins to set at 90.
Most of the year we used cocoa powder but in summer we used unsweetened choc to add stability.
A foolproof method is to make a strong ganache with double the amount of choc, let it cool and it will blend easy without "chipping".

room temp chocolate is already set. It begins to set at 90.
Most of the year we used cocoa powder but in summer we used unsweetened choc to add stability.
A foolproof method is to make a strong ganache with double the amount of choc, let it cool and it will blend easy without "chipping

Thank you so much. When I double the amount of chocolate, how much heavy cream would I use? The recipe I plan to use calls for 4 oz of 72% dark chocolate. When I double it to 8 oz, what amount of cream would give me a strong ganache?

 

[retired baker]

Thank you so much. When I double the amount of chocolate, how much heavy cream would I use? The recipe I plan to use calls for 4 oz of 72% dark chocolate. When I double it to 8 oz, what amount of cream would give me a strong ganache?

stay with 4 oz choc.
so try 1 oz cream to 4 oz choc.
Let it cool , mix some buttercream into the choc base , mix til smooth, then add the choc to the buttercream .

 

[RachelB]

room temp chocolate is already set. It begins to set at 90.
Most of the year we used cocoa powder but in summer we used unsweetened choc to add stability.
A foolproof method is to make a strong ganache with double the amount of choc, let it cool and it will blend easy without "chipping".

room temp chocolate is already set. It begins to set at 90.
Most of the year we used cocoa powder but in summer we used unsweetened choc to add stability.
A foolproof method is to make a strong ganache with double the amount of choc, let it cool and it will blend easy without "chipping

stay with 4 oz choc.
so try 1 oz cream to 4 oz choc.
Let it cool , mix some buttercream into the choc base , mix til smooth, then add the choc to the buttercream .

Thank you so much! I will try that.

 

[Sharzi]

I want to make the Devil's Food cake from the Bravetart Cookbook (my favorite cookbook) and use the Milk Chocolate version (p. 115) of her Marshmallow Buttercream. The instructions say to melt the chocolate and whip it into the finished buttercream. However, it does not say what temperature the chocolate should be. I have had a couple of bad experiences in the past when adding melted chocolate to buttercream when the chocolate turned into hard bits throughout the frosting. I don't want that to happen with this buttercream. I tried to find online what temperature the chocolate needs to be before adding it, but the only info I can find is that is needs to be "room temperature", and that is vague. What temperature should the chocolate be so that it won't turn into hard bits when I mix it into the buttercream? Thanks.

I don't know the temperature, but I cool it only enough that it's very slightly warm and still a thick liquid. Then I whip it in... the whipping will cool it down.

 

[RachelB]

I don't know the temperature, but I cool it only enough that it's very slightly warm and still a thick liquid. Then I whip it in... the whipping will cool it down.

Thank you so much!

 

[Mona]

That sounds like a delicious project! When it comes to adding melted chocolate to buttercream, you want to aim for a temperature that's warm but not too hot. Generally, melting your chocolate to around 85-90°F (29-32°C) should work well. This temperature is warm enough to mix smoothly into the buttercream without causing it to seize up.

To avoid any hard bits, make sure to let the chocolate cool slightly after melting before incorporating it into the buttercream. You can also try stirring the chocolate gently to ensure it’s at an even temperature throughout.

I’d love to hear how your Devil's Food cake turns out with that marshmallow buttercream! Good luck!

 

[RachelB]

That sounds like a delicious project! When it comes to adding melted chocolate to buttercream, you want to aim for a temperature that's warm but not too hot. Generally, melting your chocolate to around 85-90°F (29-32°C) should work well. This temperature is warm enough to mix smoothly into the buttercream without causing it to seize up.

To avoid any hard bits, make sure to let the chocolate cool slightly after melting before incorporating it into the buttercream. You can also try stirring the chocolate gently to ensure it’s at an even temperature throughout.

I’d love to hear how your Devil's Food cake turns out with that marshmallow buttercream! Good luck!

Thank you so much! I will report back when I make it.

 

[Jessie_Roos]

I totally understand your concern about adding melted chocolate to buttercream—it can be tricky! From my experience, it's best to let the melted chocolate cool to about 80°F to 85°F (27°C to 29°C) before incorporating it into the buttercream. This temperature range is warm enough to remain pourable but cool enough to avoid melting the buttercream and causing it to curdle or seize. Get more info.

Make sure to stir the chocolate after melting to help it cool evenly. You can also set the bowl of melted chocolate over a bowl of ice water (just be careful not to let any water get into the chocolate) to speed up the cooling process.

Once the chocolate reaches the right temperature, you should be good to go! Your Devil's Food cake sounds delicious, and that Marshmallow Buttercream will be the perfect topping. Happy baking!