White chocolate buttercream, easy to make and perfect for piping onto cupcakes, layer cakes, macarons or special celebration cakes.
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
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.
Mrs J Stein says
16 September 2019 at 1:44 pmHi Charlotte, I am doing a naked wedding cake for a friend, do you think this recipe is suitable to fill and cover cake, or would you go for a traditional white buttercream?
Charlotte Oates says
16 September 2019 at 6:59 pmIt should be OK, however, it doesn’t crust in quite the same way as a traditional vanilla buttercream so it depends a little on how you want to decorate the cake and if this is a problem and also how the cake will be stored and transported.
Nix says
10 September 2019 at 4:16 pmI don’t normally comment on recipes but had to for this one! It’s absolutely fabulous and the whole family loved it! Had to make another batch as the kept pinching it!! Thank you
Kathryn says
1 September 2019 at 7:42 amHi Charlotte,
Have you tried adding food colouring to this recipe and is it still ok to pipe if you do?
Charlotte Oates says
4 September 2019 at 2:48 pmYes, it’ll be fine as long as you use gel colouring.
Hannah says
14 July 2019 at 9:32 amI’m wanting to make a buttercream ruffle cake, would this recipe work for the ruffles?
Charlotte Oates says
17 July 2019 at 10:20 amIt may be tricky as this buttercream doesn’t crust like a more traditional vanilla buttercream. It should be fine if its a coolish day when you make it, but you make find it trickier on a warmer day.
Josh says
6 July 2019 at 10:08 amHey Charlotte
We share the same surname, so here’s to that I guess!
Would you suggest using this recipe in the summer? I will be baking a 2 layer cake with the burtercream as the middle and outside, and additional swirls on top.
I’m worried with the 50/50 butter content it won’t hold its shape in the heat/ humidity.
What do you suggest? Addition of corn starch? Does the chocolate add any stability?
Charlotte Oates says
9 July 2019 at 8:39 pmIt depends where in the world you are. It’ll be fine on a traditional British summer day (unless it’s those two random days we always seem to get each year where it’s stupidly hot), the buttercream is pretty stable and will hold its shape. I wouldn’t leave the cakes sitting out in bright sunlight though as that could make the buttercream go funny (any type of buttercream, not just this one). I would recommend storing the cake in the fridge in summer to ensure it stays fresh, but allow it to come up to room temperature before serving as it’ll taste better that way.
Moon says
31 May 2019 at 12:11 amHi, just wondered what type of piping nozzle you used? is it a open/closed star nozzle? if so what size? i have a set but I’m not sure which to use.
PS I’m a novice at piping, so wondered which is the easiest to pipe with?
thanks in advance
Charlotte Oates says
4 June 2019 at 12:02 pmI use a JEM 1B nozzle like this one.
yvonne says
8 May 2019 at 9:07 amIs the buttercream shelf stable at room temp?
Charlotte Oates says
9 May 2019 at 2:55 pmIt’s absolutely fine unless the room is particularly warm. On a normal British day it’ll be fine for a few days.
Ash says
15 April 2019 at 9:20 pmHi
Can i use vegan white chocolate? How long will the buttercream store for in the fridge? I am hoping to make buttercream day before asembling the cake.
Thanks
Charlotte Oates says
18 April 2019 at 12:20 pmI’ve never used vegan white chocolate so I’m not sure if it would work.
The buttercream will last for several days after making. However, you’re best spreading it onto the cake straight after making it as it goes a little fudgey in the fridge and will be harder to spread/pipe smoothly after chilling.
CT says
15 April 2019 at 11:38 amCould I make a large batch and then freeze it ready for when I need it?
Charlotte Oates says
18 April 2019 at 12:23 pmIt does freeze. However, the text goes a little fudgey so it won’t spread/pipe as smoothly afterwards.
Clair says
13 April 2019 at 2:38 pmWould I need double recipe to only cover and decorate a 4 tier unicorn cake?
Thanks ☺️☺️
Charlotte Oates says
15 April 2019 at 8:16 amIt depends on a few things…
1) What size cake are you making?
2) How thick do you want the buttercream around the outside of the cake?
3) Are you planning on adding buttercream swirls? (most unicorn cakes I’ve seen have them)