Perfect Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Recipe
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Chocolate buttercream frosting is an essential recipe. Rich, soft, creamy, and delicious, my recipe for chocolate buttercream is easy to make and simple to pipe and decorate for cakes, cupcakes, and other desserts. It is the best I’ve ever tasted and pairs perfectly with my favorite chocolate cake recipe.
Why I Love This Recipe
This recipe has a rich chocolate taste and a smooth and creamy texture. 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. It stores well if I need to make it ahead.
Ingredients to Use & Why
You’ll need these ingredients to make this frosting.
- Butter – Use softened butter for the creamiest frosting. If you use butter that has not been properly softened, the butter will not mix appropriately with the other ingredients for the frosting.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder—The chocolate flavor in this frosting comes from the cocoa powder. You can use natural or Dutch-processed. You can also use raw cacao powder if you prefer. Cacao powder is pure cacao bean powder and is less processed than either natural or Dutch-processed. You may choose to use a bit less cacao powder, as it can have a richer taste.
- Confectioner’s sugar (also called powdered sugar and icing sugar) adds sweetness to the finished frosting. Since confectioner’s sugar is a fine-grain sugar, it combines easily with the other ingredients for the creamiest texture.
- Milk—Whole milk, heavy cream, or half-and-half have a higher fat content than reduced-fat milk. This adds creaminess and stability to the frosting. Make sure that the milk used is at room temperature. Cold milk can separate and cause the frosting to have a grainy texture.
- Vanilla extract—Use pure vanilla extract rather than vanilla flavoring for the best flavor. I love to use my homemade vanilla extract (such a simple recipe!).
- Espresso powder – While optional, I highly recommend adding espresso powder to chocolate recipes. Like vanilla extract brings out the flavor in sweet recipes, espresso powder further enhances the chocolate flavor in chocolate recipes. It is easy to make your own and is available in many grocery stores, cooking supply stores, or online.
How to Make Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting is incredibly easy to make and takes about 10 minutes from start to finish!
- Beat the cocoa powder and butter until creamy. Whisk through the cocoa powder in a large bowl to remove any lumps. Add the softened butter and cream together until well combined and creamy.
- Add the sugar and milk. Alternately mix in the confectioner’s sugar and the milk. After each addition, mix on HIGH speed for about a minute. This is a key step and makes the frosting fluffy and delicious!
- Add vanilla extract and espresso powder. Mix in the vanilla and espresso powder until well combined.
How to Tell When Buttercream Frosting is Done
Swipe a kitchen spoon back and forth through the buttercream frosting. It is ready if it is fluffy, creamy, smooth, and holds shape. If too dry? Add more milk, a tablespoon at a time, until it reaches the desired consistency. If too wet? Add more confectioner’s sugar, a tablespoon at a time, until the frosting holds its form.
Thankfully, this chocolate buttercream comes together quickly and makes plenty to frost a three-layer cake or three dozen cupcakes beautifully.
Storage Tips
Refrigerator: 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.
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.
Vanilla Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
More Favorite Frosting Recipes
Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
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, half and half, or heavy cream preferred
- 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.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
This cake is the best ever. Easy to make and moist.
Am I able to mix in the Coco powder last so I can use some for coloring?
Kara, I have not added the cocoa powder last in this frosting recipe. I advise following the instructions as written.
I am a hopeless choc-o-holic, and a bit of a snob about it :).
This really is an amazingly delicious icing that when made per the recipe, comes out a bit stiff. And stiff buttercream is Good — because you can pile it thicker everywhere!
Use the espresso powder! I don’t care for the flavor of coffee at all. The amount used here does not impart a coffee flavor. Think of the espresso as the umami of chocolate – it adds a richness and depth to the cocoa. S
I’ve made this recipe many times — said differently — i met this recipe long ago, and my travels and searching were at an end — it’s that good.
One thing that really helped me, for which Ms. Robyn doesn’t go into here, was some lessons on best practices for frosting a cake in general, in particular, with buttercream icing. The lessons I found at the site “Sugar & Sparrow” really upped my game, especially for finishing with a stiff buttercream without tearing the cake apart, and to make it look really nice. I struggled with this icing atop Robyn’s amazing chocolate cake recipe — best ever indeed — the layers are super moist and fragile. A little technique transformed an amazingly delicious dog’s breakfast of a cake, with crumbs all in the icing, into the deliciousness in a package that at worst could have come from a bake shop!
One last thing – spend money on the butter. I use Plugra unsalted and add my own salt. Kerrygold is a solid 2nd place IMO — 2nd because I prefer the richness and bit of sour that comes from cultured European style butter, which Plugra has. Generic ingredients in general will deliver a delicious outcome. Use great ingredients to really up your game.
Curtis, thanks so much for your tips for this frosting. I agree that the espresso makes all the difference!
Do you use gluten free flour in the same quantity as wheat flour? Any other adjustments required for GF cooking?
Jenny, when I make the chocolate cake as gluten free, I use a flour that is a 1:1 substitution such as Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free Flour. I don’t make any other adjustments to the recipe. I hope you enjoy the cake.
Best chocolate cake and frosting recipe ever! Whenever it’s someone’s birthday in my family, this is the cake everyone wants! Thank you, Robin, for such an easy and delicious recipe!
Best cake ever!