Mexican Chocolate Buttercream
Smooth, rich chocolate buttercream with subtle hints of cinnamon and cayenne create the perfect balance of sweet, earthy, and spicy in this Mexican chocolate buttercream! It is a staple for our Cinco de Mayo celebrations and one of our favorite frostings!
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I cannot believe that Cinco de Mayo is just around the corner. Didn’t we just do this? Wasn’t Christmas like last week? Has it really been that crazy of a year?
Yup.
Crazy and weird and hard and in some ways good. Like just a teeny tiny bit of justice in the ongoing, uphill battle of racial equality.
So it’s not surprising that this year feels like it’s going by in spurts—slow at times and on fast forward at others. And here we are in spring, with one of my favorite reasons to eat yummy food coming up: Cinco de Mayo!
A few years ago my husband I made this buttercream for a churro cake and it was a hit. I never thought I’d be a fan of chocolate and cinnamon. In fact, I’m usually a believer that chocolate and spices don’t belong together period. It’s just not my thing.
But just a bit of cinnamon and a dash of cayenne make this buttercream ah-mazing! Seriously! Adding just a subtle hint of just those two spices is what really makes this buttercream my go-to for Cinco de Mayo cakes—or anytime I feel like spicing things up.
What kind of cocoa?
Since there is no baking (and thus no chemical reaction) involved, your favorite kind of unsweetened cocoa or cacao powder will do for this buttercream. We actually buy an organic, fair trade cacao powder from Costco that I love. I also love the Trader Joe’s Cocoa Powder, because it’s rich and dark without being bitter, and I believe they have a cacao powder as well. Another of my favorites is Ghirardelli, because they have plain cocoa, dark cocoa, and even premium. And, while I don’t care for Hershey’s chocolates or their syrup, I do love their Special Dark Cocoa Powder if I want to make a richer buttercream.
What kind of cinnamon?
Most generic cinnamon is a variation of cassia, like Saigon. However, Ceylon cinnamon is the one with all the health benefits and a smoother, less knock-you-down flavor. It’s my preferred cinnamon.
How to make Mexican chocolate buttercream
First, you need to start with soft-but-not-too-soft butter. You should be able to make an indentation in it with your finger, but this should take some pressure. I always use the matte method: if the butter is shiny, it’s too soft. But don’t worry! Pop it back in the fridge for 5-10 minutes and you’ll be good to go!
Beat your butter until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar, one cup(ish) at a time, beating until smooth and scraping the bowl as necessary.
Add the cocoa or cacao powder (I suggest sifting it into the butter) along with cinnamon and cayenne (optional). Beat until smooth.
Add the vanilla and salt and beat until smooth. Taste at this point, adding more sugar, cocoa, cinnamon, or cayenne as needed. Add some splashes of heavy whipping cream, as needed (I often skip that if my cake will be outside to help it stay sturdy).
Beat on high for 3-5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Stir by hand for a minute to release the larger air bubbles.
Enjoy!
Pairs well with
This frosting pairs with so many cakes! Some of my favorites are:
Make a Mexican Hot Cocoa Cake!
Tips and notes for this recipe
Use the fridge to your advantage
As I said, you can get your butter back to the matte stage of softened (where it’s soft but not shiny) by refrigerating it for 5-10 minutes. The same goes for the finished product. Rather than add too much heavy whipping cream and cause your buttercream to break (separate irreparably) or become too loose, you can refrigerate it to get a smooth finish. In fact, this is a great way to get your cakes perfectly smooth after you’ve frosted them!
In addition to smoothing out grainy frosting, the fridge will help deepen the cinnamon flavor! Overnight is my preference, but you can refrigerate it (if very well sealed) up to 2 weeks or freeze it (if very well sealed) 1-2 months. Any longer will result in weird flavors making their way into your frosting.
Add ingredients to taste
I like a richer cocoa taste and choose to add minimal amounts of powdered sugar. I also like a very specific hint of cinnamon—noticeable without overwhelming me. Plus, cayenne is a must in Mexican chocolate for me! I always try to list ranges when the amount is variable, so feel free to add a little more or less cocoa, cinnamon, cayenne, or even sugar until you love the taste. Because that’s what cake is all about: you!
My buttercream tools
Here are my must-have tools I use for making this buttercream. Affiliate links provided.
You might also like:
Chocolate Hazelnut Buttercream
Chocolate Marshmallow Buttercream (my most popular recipe on this site!)
Mexican Chocolate Buttercream
- total time: 10-15 minutes
yields: about 2 ½ cups (enough for a 2-3 layer cake or 24 cupcakes)
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups (12oz) unsalted European style butter, softened*
- 4-5 cups (520-650g) powdered sugar
- 4-6 tablespoons (28-42g) unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
- 1 tablespoon (13g) pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon (3g) sea salt
- 1 to 2 teaspoons (3-6g) ground cinnamon
- pinch or two cayenne pepper (optional)
- 2-4 tablespoons (28-56g) heavy whipping cream (optional--omit if your cake will be outside)
Instructions:
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, beat butter on high until smooth, about 30 seconds.
- Add in powdered sugar, one cup at a time, beating on low then increasing speed to high for 1 minute, until smooth. Scrape the bowl as needed. Taste as you go and only add as much powdered sugar as needed. You can add more after the cocoa powder if it’s necessary.
- Add sifted cocoa powder, cinnamon, and cayenne, starting with just 4 tablespoons (or ¼ cup) cocoa, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and a small pinch of cayenne. Beat until smooth then taste, adjusting amounts to taste. Do this slowly so you don’t overdo it.
- Add in the vanilla extract and salt and beat until smooth.
- Scrape down the bowl and taste again. Add more powdered sugar, cocoa powder, cinnamon, or cayenne, to taste. But do this slowly and trust your gut if it tastes good as-is.
- If it’s too thick or grainy, add in heavy whipping cream, one tablespoon at a time, until spreadable. Don’t worry if it’s a little grainy--the next step will help with that. Don’t add too much cream, as it’s impossible to recover from making it too loose.
- Once the flavor is well-balanced and to your liking, scrape the bowl then beat on high for 3-5 minutes, stopping once to scrape down the bowl. This will smooth it out quite a bit. Stir vigorously by hand for a minute to release the large air bubbles. Note: if, after beating for 5 minutes and adding some heavy whipping cream, it’s still too grainy, you can refrigerate it for a few hours or overnight. This helps smooth out almost all frostings. Just remember to let it come to room temperature on the counter then stir well before using.
Enjoy!
Frosting can be made ahead and stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Let come to room temperature on the counter then stir well before using.
*If your butter has become shiny or oily, put it back in the fridge for 5-10 minutes until it firms up a bit (not hard) and is matte in appearance.
