Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

I am going to Jamaica over my one-year anniversary weekend (side note: how has it been one year?!?!) in just a few short weeks.  My boss brought in his wife's world-famous-ridiculously-amazing-drool-inducing German chocolate cake last Tuesday.  On Friday, I walk in and find two different kinds of pumpkin donuts sitting on my desk.  I brought in my usual plain Greek yogurt with blueberries for breakfast... but guess what prevailed?  Pumpkin donuts; no contest.

I swear the entire world knows when I'm trying to eat a bit healthier and kick my workouts up a notch and it just starts magically throwing baked goods in my face. Sigh. 

But I digress... what I really wanted to talk about was the fact that I made some cupcakes for an adorable coral and teal themed baby shower last weekend.  How awesome is that color scheme?  I think her nursery is modeled after these same colors, which I love.  Here were the invitations (I did some digging for you and found the same design on Etsy):

I made classic vanilla cupcakes with vanilla buttercream and some devil's food cupcakes with a rich chocolate buttercream.  I had a picture of the invitation beforehand, so I searched online and found adorable wrappers that matched the chevron and coral dots perfectly!  God bless the Internet.  I decided to pipe a little girly coral ruffle on the vanilla cupcakes to add some color and tie in the scheme.  Finally, I made cute little chevron toppers for the chocolate cupcakes with "Baby M" since they are still deciding on a name for their new little lady.  I had so much fun doing these!  I decided this would be the perfect opportunity to share my go-to chocolate buttercream.  Try using Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa with heavy cream in this recipe - it's to die for!

Chocolate Buttercream:
Makes enough to frost about 24 cupcakes

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened 

1 pound bag powdered sugar

1/2 cup cocoa powder (you can use Special Dark cocoa powder as well!)

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla

4 tablespoons whole milk or heavy cream

Cream the butter for a few minutes in a mixer bowl on medium speed until light in color and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and cocoa to the mixing bowl.  Turn your mixer on the lowest speed until the sugar and cocoa are completely absorbed by the butter.

Add the vanilla, salt and milk/cream and beat on medium speed for about three minutes.  If your frosting needs a more stiff consistency for piping, add a little more powdered sugar.