Okay, so, I’ve always been a huge fan of Costco’s chocolate cake, you know, the one with that super rich, decadent icing? I always thought it was some kind of secret recipe, locked away in a vault somewhere. But, I decided to try and recreate it, because, why not? I figured it could be a fun experiment, even if it might not taste like the exact one.
First, I started digging around online, just to see what people were saying about it. Turns out, I’m not the only one obsessed with this icing! Some folks mentioned that Costco changed their process for this cake over the years. The “All American” chocolate cake used to be more time-consuming, which also meant more expensive. This is why they changed some things. That is kinda sad to hear, but anyway, I still started my experiment!
I found out that Costco uses vegetable shortening in their buttercream, which is apparently solid up to 115 degrees. That means it probably holds its shape better than regular butter, maybe? This would make sense, considering those cakes are always sitting out on display.
Armed with this little tidbit, I went into the kitchen to try my first experiment. I decided to use a basic chocolate buttercream recipe as a starting point. Whipped up some butter, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and milk. Then, I added in some melted chocolate, just for that extra chocolate punch. It was okay, but still, it was not what I imagined in my head.
Next, I tried a version with shortening, just like the folks online were saying. The texture was definitely different. It was stiffer, and it did seem like it would hold up better at room temperature. I also added a bit more cocoa powder, and a pinch of salt, just to balance out the sweetness. This attempt was much better!
Different Batches
I made a few more batches, tweaking things here and there. Played with the ratio of butter to shortening, messed around with the amount of cocoa powder. Even tried adding a little bit of espresso powder, because why not? It’s all about experimenting, right?
- Batch 1: Standard buttercream – tasted good, but not quite there.
- Batch 2: Shortening version – texture was closer, flavor needed work.
- Batch 3: More cocoa, pinch of salt – getting warmer!
- Batch 4: Butter/shortening blend, espresso powder – interesting, but not it.
- Batch 5: Back to shortening, adjusted cocoa and sugar – bingo?
Finally, I think I landed on something pretty close. It wasn’t exactly the same, but it was darn good. Rich, chocolatey, not overly sweet, and it held its shape beautifully when I piped it onto a test cake. I’d say it was a successful experiment overall.
Honestly, it was more about the process than anything. Just having fun in the kitchen, trying new things, and seeing what happens. And hey, now I have a pretty killer chocolate icing recipe in my back pocket, even if it’s not an exact replica of Costco’s. Plus, I ate a bunch of icing while making it. Win-win!
