The Perfect Chocolate Buttercream Frosting recipe essential for birthday cakes and celebrations! It’s the best chocolate buttercream frosting I’ve ever tasted!
The Perfect Chocolate Buttercream Frosting is definitely a must in my house! Rich and delicious, this buttercream frosting is perfect for cakes, cupcakes and more.
This compliments so many delicious cakes and cupcakes, but my favorite is when it’s paired with my Best Chocolate Cake. It is literally the perfect chocolate frosting so it’s naturally so good on chocolate cupcakes or even my Vanilla Cake. But seriously, it is pretty amazing on anything it touches. Like a spoon works just fine, too!
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
Made from just six simple ingredients, this buttercream frosting comes together quickly. This recipe yields enough to frost a three layer cake or three dozen cupcakes beautifully.
Here’s how I make it.
Ingredients for Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
You’ll need these ingredients to make this frosting.
- butter – softened. I prefer using salted butter.
- unsweetened cocoa powder
- confectioner’s sugar – also called powdered sugar
- milk
- vanilla extract – this homemade version is rich and delicious, but if you can use another quality vanilla if you wish.
- espresso powder – this adds a such a richness to the frosting further enhances the amazing chocolate flavor. It’s easy to make your own and is available in many grocery stores, cooking supply stores or online. This little extra ingredient heightens the deliciousness even more!
How to Make Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
To make this delicious frosting, you’ll need a large mixing bowl or a large bowl for a stand mixer.
- Add cocoa to large bowl or bowl of stand mixer. Whisk through the cocoa well to remove any lumps.
- Then, add softened butter to the bowl with cocoa. Cream together the butter and cocoa powder until well-combined.
- Next, alternately add sugar and milk to the cocoa mixture by adding 1 cup of sugar followed by about a tablespoon of milk. After each addition has been combined, turn mixer onto a HIGH speed for about a minute. Repeat until all sugar and milk have been added. This is important – so please make sure to mix it just as described in these instructions. It makes the frosting into fluffy, delicious perfection!
- Then add your vanilla extract and espresso powder and combine well.
- If your frosting appears too dry, add more milk, only one tablespoon at a time until it reaches the right consistency.
- If it appears too wet and does not hold its form, add more confectioner’s sugar, only one tablespoon at a time until it reaches the right consistency.
- Frost your cake or cupcakes as desired and enjoy!
Thankfully, this chocolate buttercream comes together quickly and makes plenty to frost a three layer cake or three dozen cupcakes beautifully.
Can I Store Extra Frosting?
Yes! If you have leftover buttercream frosting once you’ve frosted your cake, you can refrigerate or freeze it.
To Refrigerate
Place frosting in an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 5 days. Once ready to use, remove from the refrigerator and allow to reach room temperature, then whisk well to fluff the frosting.
To Freeze
Place frosting in an airtight, freezer safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Once ready to use, place in refrigerator overnight to thaw, then remove from fridge for a short time prior to use as described previously and whisk to fluff the frosting.
More Favorite Frostings
Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
Whipped Cream – not a frosting, but still a great topping to many desserts.
Here’s my Perfect Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Recipe. I can’t wait to hear how you love it.
Perfect Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Recipe
Ingredients
- 1½ cups (339 g) butter, softened
- 1 cup (84 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 5 cups (567.5 g) confectioner’s sugar
- ½ cup (113.5 g) milk, whole
- 2 teaspoons (9 g) vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon (1 g) espresso powder
Instructions
- Add cocoa powder to a large bowl or bowl of stand mixer. Whisk through to remove any lumps.
- Cream together butter and cocoa powder until well-combined.
- Add confectioner's sugar to a large bowl. Whisk through to remove any lumps. Alternatively, you may sift the confectioner's sugar into the large bowl. Add the confectioner's sugar and milk to the cocoa mixture by adding 1 cup of confectioner's sugar followed by about a tablespoon of milk. After each addition has been combined, turn the mixer onto a high speed for about a minute. Repeat until all sugar and milk have been added.
- Add vanilla extract and espresso powder and combine well.
- If frosting appears too dry, add more milk, a tablespoon at a time until it reaches the right consistency. If it appears to wet and does not hold its form, add more confectioner’s sugar, a tablespoon at a time until it reaches the right consistency.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
You may also want to try my White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting recipe as well.
best frosting recipe i have ever had. My whole family loved it. I use it every time
I saw some people had posted about this being too runny. I followed the directions exactly with the exception of a little less espresso powder, using 1 1/2 sticks of softened organic butter. It was absolutely amazing!! Perfect consistency. I did put the cake in the fridge until we were ready to eat it, just in case the frosting melted. After it sat at room temp for about 15 mins, the frosting was once again creamy & perfect.
This is some of the best icing I’ve ever had! My husband said the same. He ate three spoonfuls then licked the mixer beater clean until his tongue was numb. It is so good! I used it to cover a two-layer 8-inch cake and have a good bit leftover, so we’ll snack on that too! Thank you so much for this amazing recipe!
I can not believe how good this cake is. OH MY!!!! Robyn, I adore you. My sister loves chocolate and coffee. So this was a great surprise for her on her birthday. Thank you so much for helping me to put a smile on so many faces. You can have all the stars you want. You’re the best!:-)
Hi Robyn! I made a slight adjustment to your recipe by adding fresh orange juice and zest instead of espresso powder, just for a different flavour. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Does this frosting hold well in warm weather?
Reasonably well, though I think the trick is to make sure the butter starts out fairly warm, and add enough powdered sugar for the frosting to be the thickness you want. If it’s a really hot day, I might let it sit for a bit to get to the temperature you expect to be serving it at, and then add more sugar if it’s too soft.
(Mine did end up getting pretty soft in the heat today, but it didn’t run.)
If I half the recipe, will it be enough to frost the cake?
This is an awesome recipe, will definetly use this again.
This frosting… My god… It almost didn’t make it to the cake! 10 out of 5 stars 😉
Hello Robyn, will this frosting work good with fondant?
How many cupcakes I can cover with it?
Thank you for your post!
We don’t use regular milk in our house. Can I substitute the milk with almond milk? Will it taste just as great?
It should work just fine with almond milk, though what I’ve been using recently for my allergic-to-dairy partner is coconut milk (and margarine). It’s very tasty that way, and I think the coconut milk may be even better than regular milk for this.