Basic buttercream made with melted caramelized white chocolate. It’s smooth, nutty and caramel tasting and just delicious.
Basic buttercream made with melted caramelized white chocolate. It’s smooth, nutty and caramel tasting and just delicious.
This was my husband’s birthday cake from a couple of weeks ago. Yep, it looks pretty basic. Every year, early in the summer, I tell him to let me know what kind of cake he wants so I can start planning and I’m always secretly hoping he’ll give me some awesome new idea and a real challenge. But he always tells me he just wants chocolate cake. I try to nudge him this way and that with suggestions relating to other things I know he likes – ‘what about some mango? Or coconut? What about multiple layers of different cakes?’ But nope, he just wants just chocolate.
Instead of fighting him this year, I decided to just make a really solid cake, something uncomplicated that I knew would truly delight him. I made a regular chocolate cake, filled the layers with a dark chocolate ganache (which he adores) and instead of going for a cocoa buttercream as I usually would, I reached for some golden chunks I had hanging out in the pantry.
Obviously, we are obsessed with this stuff. I can’t help it, there is just something wonderfully addictive about caramelized white chocolate and I’m not even a huge white chocolate fan, or even a caramel fan (both are a little too sweet for my taste). I’ve extolled the virtues of of toasted white chocolate before: the caramelization process reduces the saccharine quality of white chocolate and renders it deeply complex and unique. It’s just phenomenal. And as a buttercream… where’s my spoon? I seriously don’t even need a cake.
I have a recipe on the blog for a swiss buttercream version, but this is more basic and easier to make – which makes me like it more! No fussing over eggs and thermometers and long whipping times. Just make a little buttercream base and stir in the melted chocolate. It spreads like an absolute dream on a cake (the gorgeous swirls!) and really elevates any cake it goes on. I can’t wait to hear what you all think of it!
Share & tag me on instagram @buttermilkbysam
Hi Sam! How could I scale this recipe to fit an 8 or 9 inch cake?
Hi Katrina! If it’s a layered 8 or 9″ I’d double it to be on the safe side.
How does just melting the white chocolate caramelize it? I like this better than what I did today.
Hi Terry! Have you ever made caramel at home? This is similar to that process: first the sugar melts (in our case the white chocolate) then as it cooks over dry heat it changes in color and taste ie. caramelizes. It takes awhile, we are going way past the melting stage.
I must be missing something. How long do you cook the white chocolate to caramelize it. It seems it is just melted. Cake looks great. I would really like to learn how to do this.
Regina, check the notes section for details on how to caramelize.
Hello. Where do you buy your caramelized white chocolate from? Can you recommend a brand please? Thank you.
This is so beautiful, I am going to cry. Also, WHERE IS THIS MAGICAL CAKE STAND FROM? I need it so badly. Please.
Aw, thank you so much Katelyn!!! The cake stand is from TJ Maxx, it was one of those lucky finds!
Is the amount of powdered sugar in this recipe correct — a 1/2 cup?
Yes!