Chocolate Licorice Buttercream (Russian Buttercream)

Chocolate Licorice Buttercream Cupcake Savvy

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Chocolate Licorice Buttercream (Russian Buttercream)

This Chocolate Licorice Buttercream is silky smooth with a rich, unique flavor blend of chocolate and licorice. It has a creamy, luscious texture without the grit of powdered sugar, similar to Swiss Meringue Buttercream but egg-free. Perfect for cakes, macarons, and more, this dual-color buttercream adds a striking and delicious finish to your desserts.

Prep Time 30

Total Time 30

Servings Cups

Calories 1237kcal

Author Fay

EQUIPMENT

INGREDIENTS

100 g (3.5 oz) licorice
100 g (3.5 oz) heavy cream
2 tablespoon (2 tablespoon) water
2 tablespoon (2 tablespoon) cocoa powder
500 g (1.1 lb) butter unsalted and softened
395 g (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
gel food color black

INSTRUCTIONS

Prepare Licorice Mixture:

Add licorice and heavy cream to a saucepan. Stir constantly over medium heat.
After a couple of minutes, add the water and continue to stir. The goal is to extract as much flavor as possible from the licorice into the cream.
Strain into a bowl to remove remaining licorice chunks. Set aside to cool.

Prepare Cocoa Mixture:

Mix cocoa powder and hot water in a bowl. Stir well to combine, allowing the hot water to bloom the cocoa powder and enhance the chocolate flavor. Set aside to cool.

Prepare Buttercream:

Add softened butter to a mixing bowl. Mix for at least 5 minutes until the butter has lightened significantly in color and is fluffy and silky smooth.
Add the sweetened condensed milk to the butter. Mix for 1-2 minutes until well combined.
Add the cooled licorice mixture and mix well for a couple of minutes, scraping down the bowl as you go.
Add the cooled cocoa mixture and mix well for 1-2 minutes, scraping down the bowl as you go.

Color and Pipe:

Divide the buttercream into two bowls. Add a few drops of black gel food color to one of the bowls and mix well.
Fit an 18” piping bag with the nozzle of your choice (a 1M piping tip works well). Fill with half of each buttercream by adding one buttercream to one side of the bag and the other to the other side, creating a dual-color effect.

Use:

Use this dual-color chocolate licorice buttercream to layer and cover cakes, and pipe borders. It’s also great for filling macarons, cookie sandwiches, and whoopie pies.

NOTES

For best results, chill the sweetened condensed milk for several hours before use, especially in warm climates.
Ensure the licorice mixture is completely cool before adding to the buttercream to prevent melting the butter.
Mix the butter until it is very light and fluffy for the best texture.
Strain the licorice mixture well to avoid chunks in your buttercream.
Experiment with the amount of licorice to find your preferred flavor intensity.
Use gel food color sparingly to achieve the desired shade without affecting the texture.

NUTRITION