White Chocolate Buttercream

Soft, creamy, light, white chocolate buttercream. A divinely decadent buttercream frosting, perfect for layered cakes and cupcakes. Come on don’t deny it, you just know you are going to love it!

I was a bit nervous when making this buttercream for my triple chocolate cupcakes. I wanted to top them with a white chocolate buttercream but I didn’t want it to be overly sweet or sickly. But I think I have achieved the perfect balance a buttercream that is truly delicious, rich and creamy without being too sweet.

It goes brilliantly with the dark chocolate of the cupcakes and would also make a delicious filling for a Victoria sandwich perhaps paired with raspberry jam. White chocolate and raspberry is a favourite flavour combination of mine.

An easy to make frosting

Buttercream is a favourite frosting for many bakers not least because it is quick and easy to make and this white chocolate buttercream is no exception.

Use to top cupcakes, fill or ice layered cakes and fill biscuits or macrons.

Buttercream icing can be made one or two days in advance if desired. store in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before using.

Melt the chocolate

Start by melting the chocolate – Anyone who has worked with chocolate a lot will know it can be a bit of a temperamental ingredient and white chocolate is the most temperamental of all. Therefore I highly recommend that you melt the chocolate over a pan of hot water rather than in the microwave. It is too easy to overheat in the microwave.

For the same reason choose cooking chocolate from the baking aisle rather than dessert chocolate from the sweet aisle. They tend to be more stable and easier to use in baking and frostings.

The flavour of cooking chocolate can vary and some are better than others so try find a brand you like. Or to get the best flavour with the ease of use, try a mixture of 50% white cooking chocolate and 50% white dessert chocolate which I find works well. I also find a little vanilla extract added to the frosting especially when using all cooking chocolate can lift the flavour.

Beat the butter

Next beat the butter until it is soft and fluffy. I use my electric hand mixer for this but you can use just a wooden spoon if you don’t mind having a little bit of a workout.

Most recipes call for unsalted butter. I don’t like very salty butter so I choose a brand that is only lightly salted and I tend to use this for everything, so if your butter is only lightly salted then it will be fine.

Add the sugar

Next, add half the icing sugar and beat until well combined.

Tip: If your icing sugar is a bit lumpy make sure you sieve the icing sugar first to remove any clumps as these will not dissolve in the butter icing.

Then add the remaining icing sugar. If you are using an electric mixer do this at the lowest speed or you will end up with billowing clouds of icing sugar flying everywhere.

Once all the icing sugar has been added turn up the speed (or beat harder if doing so by hand) until the mixture is light and fluffy.

Add the white chocolate

Beat in the melted chocolate, but make sure the chocolate has cooled first. If you add the chocolate while it is still hot it will melt the butter and you will end up with runny icing.

Finally, beat in a little milk or cream to get the desired consistency.

Use as required

This recipe is enough to generously top 12 cupcakes or fill and ice a medium sponge cake.

white chocolate buttercream step by step

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