Chocolate Russian Buttercream

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature (226g)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste (4g - optional)
• 1/4 tsp fine salt (1g - optional)
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted (100g)
• 1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk (396g)

Instructions

1. 1

   --- Chocolate Russian Buttercream ---

2. 2

   Whip the room temperature unsalted butter on a medium high speed with a whisk attachment of a stand mixer or hand mixer for 5-7 minutes. The butter should lighten in color as you incorporate air into it.

3. 3

   Add in the vanilla extract, salt, and sifted cocoa powder mix on the lowest speed until incorporated. If you mix this too quickly, you'll get huge cocoa clouds billowing from your mixing bowl.

4. 4

   Mix in the sweetened condensed milk at a medium speed, in 3-4 installments.

5. 5

   Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula throughout the process. The sweetened condensed milk sometimes pools at the bottom of the bowl, so be sure to scrape all the way to the bottom.

6. 6

   Use to frost layer cakes, pipe on cupcakes, or even to ice cookies. It tastes amazing on just about everything!!