White chocolate buttercream – easy to make and perfect for piping onto cupcakes, layer cakes, macarons or special celebration cakes, including my white chocolate cake.
My buttercream recipes seem to be very popular on here. I’ve had a few requests for a white chocolate version so not wanting to leave you without the recipes you need, here it is! If there’s a flavour of cake or buttercream that’s not on here but you’d like to see, then let me know and I’ll do my best to add it.
This white chocolate buttercream is based on my yummy milk chocolate buttercream, where equal quantities of butter and icing sugar are beaten together and then lots of melted white chocolate is added. It gives you beautiful smooth buttercream that is the perfect consistency for piping.
- Melt your chocolate over a bain marie (in a bowl over a pan of simmering water). When I use milk or dark chocolate I’m happy to melt my chocolate in a pan on the hob, but I find that white chocolate is a bit temperamental and can easily go a bit grainy. The heat over a bain marie is gentler. You could also use the microwave using short bursts (20 seconds at first and then 10 seconds, stirring in between each one).
- Use chocolate from the baking aisle in the supermarket (it’s less temperamental than the chocolate from the sweet aisle).
- Make sure you let your chocolate cool to room temperature before adding it to the butter and sugar, otherwise it’ll melt the butter and you’ll end up with runny buttercream.
- You should find that your buttercream is the perfect consistency for piping. If it’s a little stiff then beat in a little milk (no more than 1 tsp at a time). If it’s a little too soft then pop it into the fridge for a few minutes to firm up slightly.
What You’ll Need
Before you start, make sure you have all of the equipment needed.
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Weighing Scales- Measuring Spoons
- Knife – to cut the butter
- Something to melt the chocolate in – either a bowl in the microwave, small saucepan, or bowl over a small saucepan.
- Electric Mixer (or a bowl and hand mixer or wooden spoon)
- Sieve
- Piping Bags – if you’re planning on piping the cupcakes
- Piping Nozzle – To pipe the cupcakes as shown in the pictures you’ll need a JEM 1B nozzle.
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White Chocolate Buttercream
INGREDIENTS
- 250 g unsalted butter - soft at room temperature
- 250 g icing sugar
- 200 g white chocolate
- A little milk - to get the buttercream to the right consistency, this may not be needed
INSTRUCTIONS
- Break the white chocolate (200g) and melt it over a bain marie (in a bowl over a pan of simmering water).
- Once the chocolate has melted, remove the bowl from the pan and leave the chocolate to cool.
- Beat the butter (250g) on a low speed until soft and then add the icing sugar (250g), 1 tbsp at a time and beat until fully combined.
- Once the white chocolate has cooled to room temperature pour it into the butter and sugar mixture and beat on a low speed until fully combined. You should find that the buttercream has a soft, spreadable consistency, if not add a little milk a tsp at a time until it is soft.
- Your buttercream is now ready to use.
NOTES
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
Any nutritional information provided is the estimated nutritional information per serving. Please refer to my guide to Charlotte’s Lively Kitchen nutritional information if you would like to learn more about how this is calculated.
Free From/Suitable For…
- Suitable for Vegetarians
- Egg-Free
- Gluten-Free
- Nut-Free
The ingredients for this recipe are easily available free from all these allergens. However, please ensure you double-check allergen information for all ingredients.
Kim Pook says
I found this buttercream absolutely delicious, only problem is it wouldn’t keep its shape when piped onto cupcakes as it was too soft. Not sure if my butter was too soft, or maybe kitchen was too warm
Aileen says
Will this colour ok using food colouring
Charlotte Oates says
Yes. Use gel colours, not liquid, and it should turn out perfectly.
Paula Quinn says
Will this last longer than white chocolate ganache – as I’m making a tall cake and want room temperature life but also I want my fondant to stick – really don’t want to use cream hence not keen on ganache
Charlotte Oates says
It depends on the temperature of the room. In the weather I have where I am today it’ll be fine, but on a warm summers day (like I had last week) I wouldn’t keep it out at room temperature as it can go a bit funny.
Davina says
Hi Charlotte,
My daughter and I follow your recipes for most of our baking! 🙂
Just wondering for this buttercream you use equal amounts of butter and icing sugar, usually its double the amount of Icing? Is it because of the White Chocolate? Thanks
Charlotte Oates says
I use a lower amount of icing sugar in this than a classic buttercream as white chocolate is very sweet and I found making it with 2:1 icing sugar to butter made a buttercream that was far too sweet for my taste. Reducing the sugar gave a much better balance.
Chrissie Douglass says
Hi there,
My daughter wants this on her wedding cakes, will it be ok to cover it in icing.
Cakes are 20 & 25cm, on top of each other.
Looking forward to trying it
Thanks
Chrissie
Charlotte Oates says
It’s fine to cover with icing although it doesn’t crust like some more traditional buttercream so you may find it a little soft. I’d recommend chilling the cake before adding the fondant to keep it firm.
May says
Works well for piping delicious
Maxene says
Always my goto white chocolate buttercream recipe! Absolutely love it! Even those I know who don’t like white chocolate love this!
Nargess says
I never ever writhe reviews. I wish i could give this recipe 10 STARS ! It was my first time piping cupcakes and i wanted white chocolate involved. After reading the comments I was a bit worried but I did it! It is an ABSOLUTELY beautiful buttercream and the consistency PERFECT! I listened to some of the tips in the comments and they were very helpful. I melted the chocolate over bain-marie but removed the pan off the heat half way and let the W.Chocolate melt. Have patience and let it come to room temperature before adding it VERY SLOWLY, drizzle down the side to the sugar and butter mixture and mixing until the right consistency. JUST PERFECT! thank you so much Charlotte, this recipe is being bookmarked and kept forever.
Nargess says
Hi
I’d love to make this recipe as I really want to have white chocolate in it. I want to make it to pipe cupcakes (first time) and I am worried as many comments say it’s too soft. Your photos look perfect , so will this be stiff enough to pipe as you have on your cupcakes in the photo? Any tips ? Thank you x
Charlotte Oates says
It should be fine. It’s always been just the right consistency to pipe whenever I’ve made it.
Sue Tyszkowski says
I’m planning to make 2 of your all in one sandwich cakes one vanilla one chocolate for my friends 80th birthday I plan to use your white chocolate buttercream. If I want to get ahead would the buttercream keep in the fridge for a couple of days before decorating the cake?
Charlotte Oates says
Yes, it should be fine in the fridge for a couple of days. May sure you take it out and allow it to come up to room temperature before using it or it’ll be too firm to use. You may still find that it’s a bit firm, if it is then you can beat in a little milk to soften it.
Erin says
Hello, would this buttercream be okay to cover a cake with and then stick printed edible icing on to it or would it not hold as it’s a softer buttercream? Xx
Charlotte Oates says
I’ve not tried it so I can’t be certain, but I would probably opt for a firmed buttercream to do that.
Malika says
Hi. Does this buttercream firm up, enough that you could paint on top of it (with cocoa butter+coloring mix). And would it stand at room temperature for at least 30 min to 1 hour, or would it melt? Thank you!
Charlotte Oates says
You may find painting onto it tricky as it doesn’t crust like some more classic buttercream. It is fine to stand at room temperature.
Addie says
Is this recipe stuff enough to pipe flowers (roses, dahlias, etc) on cupcakes?
Charlotte Oates says
Depends on how many cupcakes you’re thinking of decorating.
Denise Middleton says
Hi could you use this recipe to decorate a cake would it set like regular buttercream coated cakes or wound it be more like ganache
Thank you
Charlotte Oates says
It’s firmer than ganache, but it doesn’t crust like some buttercream, it remains softer.
alysha shoja says
can we microwave the chocolate? and also how long would the cakes last if it was put in the fridge?
Charlotte Oates says
You can, do it in short bursts of no more than 30 seconds, stirring between each one, to make sure it doesn’t burn.
Chloe says
I’ve tried this buttercream and it tastes great but the texture and appearance is grainy and it ‘split’. What am I doing wrong?
Thanks
Charlotte Oates says
If it’s grainy then that would suggest that the white chocolate seized a little as it was added to the other ingredients. To avoid this in future make sure that:
1) Your other ingredients are at room temperature before you add the chocolate (this should be the case as it’s hard to beat cold butter).
2) Your melted white chocolate has cooled to room temperature (but is still runny).
3) You add the white chocolate gradually and beat in each addition thoroughly before adding more.
4) You use white chocolate from the baking aisle in the supermarket as this tends to mix better with other ingredients.
Kady phipps says
This recipe was lovely but i found it had little lumps of white chocolate in it?
What am i doing wrong?
Charlotte Oates says
It’s difficult to know without knowing exactly what you did, but my guess would be that the chocolate was a little warmer that the butter and sugar mix when you added it which made the chocolate seize a little and get little lumps.