Recipe Background
There are desserts out there that taste like a warm hug. This is one of them. Chocolate Buttermilk Bars are tangy, rich, chocolatey delights — tender and fudgy, with a luscious chocolate frosting sweetly blanketing each bar. You can even make them red velvet if you want! For a luxury that everyone will enjoy, Chocolate Buttermilk Bars are the way to go!
There are desserts out there that taste like a warm hug. This is one of them. Chocolate Buttermilk Bars are tangy, rich, chocolatey delights — tender and fudgy, with a luscious chocolate frosting sweetly blanketing each bar. You can even make them red velvet if you want! For a luxury that everyone will enjoy, Chocolate Buttermilk Bars are the way to go!
Ingredients
For the bars:
- 1 cup butter cubed, plus more, to taste, for greasing the pan
- 1/4 cup baking cocoa
- 1 cup water
- 2 cups all-purpose flour plus more, to taste, for dusting the pan
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 2 large eggs room temperature, beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3-4 drops red food coloring optional
For the frosting:
- 1/2 cup butter cubed
- 1/4 cup baking cocoa
- 1/4 cup buttermilk
- 3 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- salt to taste
- 3/4 cup walnuts optional, chopped, for topping
Directions
- In a saucepan over high heat, add 1 cup of the cubed butter, 1/4 cup of the baking cocoa, and the water and stir to combine.
- Bring the cocoa mixture to a boil.
- Transfer the cocoa mixture from the heat and allow it to cool.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Using the extra butter, grease a 15x10-inch baking pan, then using the extra flour, dust the greased pan.
- In a large bowl, add 2 cups of the remaining flour, the sugar, the baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and whisk to combine.
- Add the cocoa mixture and 1/2 cup of the buttermilk to the flour mixture and mix well to combine.
- Add the eggs and 1 teaspoon of the vanilla to the flour mixture and beat to combine into a batter. Add the red food coloring now if red velvet bars are desired.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan, spreading it out evenly.
- Bake until the bars are set, about 20 minutes.
- In a saucepan over medium-low heat, add 1/2 cup of the remaining butter, the remaining baking cocoa, and the remaining buttermilk, while stirring to combine.
- Transfer the butter mixture from the heat as soon as the butter is melted and the mixture is combined.
- Add the confectioners' sugar, the remaining vanilla, and the extra salt to the butter mixture and stir to combine.
- Spread the frosting evenly over the warm bars.
- Slice and serve topped with the walnuts.
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