Dark brown buttercream- how?

[lolalotta]

I want to make this hedgehog chocolate cake for DDs birthday. How do I make the buttercream a rich dark brown? Mine is always very pale!

I just add cocoa to butter and icing sugar...

Lots of cocoa powder.

yep, you need to be v heavy handed with the cocoa

I'd say melt a small quantity (about 1/4 of the total amount of icing you need) of dark (70% cocoa) chocolate, and mix that into your cocoa-powdered butter icing. As the chocolate cools and sets, the icing will hopefully be a little more stable than standard buttercream.

More cocoa powder, and I've noticed a difference moving up a brand. So maybe try a slightly more expensive one next time you need to buy some?

Is it definitely buttercream? Ganache comes out much darker than buttercream and I prefer the taste

Wow, what quick responses, thank you! Sara I haven't a clue?!? I have only made ganache once and it went terribly wrong, I managed to split it somehow?!?
Would live to get it right one day though?
I have just found this icing recipe from hummingbird bakery and thought it looked quite chocolates?

*love