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.
Lyndsey says
Hi
I’m looking to use this recipe to cover a birthday cake and see a lot of cakes are crumb-coated first. Would it be ok to use this to crumb-coat and then fully coated?
Thank you!
Charlotte Oates says
It should be fine, just made sure you chill the cake after the crumb-coat to ensure that it is form before you add the second layer.
Gurleen says
Hi,
I am thinking of trying this recipe tomorrow. Can food colouring be added to the final product to ice the cake?
Charlotte Oates says
Yes. Add it before you add any milk so that you still get the right consistency.
Natalie says
Just used this recipe today with one of my favourite white chocolate Lindt and it turned out great; really yummy on top of my chocolate cake
Jan says
Great recipe-thanks!
I added a teaspoon of vanilla extract, but that’s my preference. It was a good tip to move the bain marie off the heat and melt the chocolate gently. White chocolate can be tricky and I’ve had a few disasters with it in the past, but this worked fine. I’ve just finished piping a large Easter Cake with little rosettes -perfect! Happy Easter everyone!
Kay Hughes says
would orange extract compliment the flavour or best to leave it alone. Thanks
Charlotte Oates says
If you like white chocolate orange then a little orange extract would be perfect in this.
Megan says
Hi Charlotte !
I made the Chocolate birthday cake recipe with the chocolate buttercream and it was amazing 🙂 Really pleased with how it came out
I plan to make it again for someones birthday but using the White chocolate buttercream recipe
My question is I have some high quality white Hot chocolate powder and wondered what your thoughts would be on adding this into the buttercream as well as the melted white chocolate ?
Thanks,
Charlotte Oates says
It should be fine. Use the same quantities as for cocoa powder in the original chocolate buttercream recipe.
Mariam says
I love the taste, but the melted chocolate solidified when i added it to the butter sugar mixture. It formed little pieces, why is that and how to prevent it? Thank you
Charlotte Oates says
It sounds like your butter/sugar mixture may have been a little cold. Next time I would try drizzling the chocolate in gradually rather than adding all at once and beating in each addition before adding more. Hopefully that should help.
Stania says
Happy New Year, Charlotte!! Would it be enough to fill generously inside and outside 8″ cake? Or would I need to increase the amount by 25% of 50%?
Charlotte Oates says
It’s enough to cover and fill the cake, but only with a thin layer. To have a generous covering I’d up it 50% (a bit of a guess but it should be more than enough).
K M says
Hi! Can you flavor the white chocolate buttercream or it doesn’t need extra flavor? What would you suggest? Maybe vanilla?
Also can you use white chocolate with vegetable oil (not butter cocoa) or it will change the taste significantly?
Charlotte Oates says
Personally, I don’t add any extra flavour as I like it to taste predominantly of the white chocolate I’ve mixed it. However, if you have a taste and feel it needs a little boost of vanilla then mix in a small amount.
I prefer to use white chocolate made with cocoa butter as I find it melts more smoothly. However, as long as the chocolate you choose will melt without going grainy then it’s fine to use it.
Kirsty says
Can you add food colouring to this white chocolate buttercream?
Charlotte Oates says
Yes. Use gel colours so that you’re not adding too much liquid and add a little at a time.
Maddie Joanna says
Yes, just make you whip the butter as much as possible to make the buttercream as white as you can so that your colours won’t change because of the slight yellow tinge. E.g. blue will have a very slight green tone.
Kn says
hello does this firm up in the fridge enough to be able to go under fondant?
Charlotte Oates says
I use it under fondant. It doesn’t crust like some buttercreams due to the addition of the chocolate, but if it’s refrigerated I find that it’s firm enough to cover with fondant without any trouble.
Madeline Joanna says
Yes. It also does not crust at the surface like other buttercreams
Mrs J Stein says
Hi 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
It 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
I 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
Hi Charlotte,
Have you tried adding food colouring to this recipe and is it still ok to pipe if you do?
Charlotte Oates says
Yes, it’ll be fine as long as you use gel colouring.
Hannah says
I’m wanting to make a buttercream ruffle cake, would this recipe work for the ruffles?
Charlotte Oates says
It 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
Hey 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
It 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
Hi, 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
I use a JEM 1B nozzle like this one.
yvonne says
Is the buttercream shelf stable at room temp?
Charlotte Oates says
It’s absolutely fine unless the room is particularly warm. On a normal British day it’ll be fine for a few days.
Ash says
Hi
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
I’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
Could I make a large batch and then freeze it ready for when I need it?
Charlotte Oates says
It does freeze. However, the text goes a little fudgey so it won’t spread/pipe as smoothly afterwards.