Robyn Stone
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! This Chocolate Buttercream is by far the best I’ve ever tasted and is frequently requested for birthday cakes and more!
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
It compliments so many delicious cakes and cupcakes, but my favorite is when it paired with my favorite chocolate cake recipe, chocolate cupcakes or even my white cake recipe. But seriously, it is pretty delicious on anything it touches. Like a spoon works just fine, too! Ha!
How to Make Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
To make this delicious frosting, first add cocoa to a large bowl or bowl of stand mixer. Whisk through the cocoa well to remove any lumps.
Thankfully, this chocolate buttercream comes together quickly and makes plenty to frost a three layer cake or three dozen cupcakes beautifully.
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 butter 3 sticks, softened
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa
- 5 cups confectioner’s sugar
- ½ cup milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon espresso powder
Instructions
- Add cocoa 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 sugar and milk to 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.
- 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.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
You may also want to try my White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting recipe as well.
Hi! Would I be able to substitute another type of sugar for the confectioners sugar(i don’t have enough and wondering if it’s worth a trip to the store or if i could use a different ingredient from home)? Thanks!!
Maddy, I haven’t made this frosting with any other type of sugar and have always used confectioner’s sugar. I would think any sugar other than the powdered would cause the frosting to be grainy.
Hi – May I suggest you specify Salted Butter in the recipe/ingredients section? Just a suggestion. I am a novice baker and have always heard that unsalted butter should typically be used for baking. I’d really wanted to try my hand at your “tried and true.” I’m a little disappointed after already making the icing, to read later in the comments that you use salted. I haven’t iced or tasted the cake yet, but I’m wondering if the salted butter cuts or balances some of the sweetness slightly. Worried that mine might be too sweet. Hopefully it will be fine.
You can use salted or unsalted butter in the recipe. I just prefer salted butter.
How do I proportion to make less icing. I don’t have enough confectioners sugar and we won’t need that much icing.
You can always half the ingredients in the recipe, Ella.
Can I use any other kind of fat instead of butter? Have you tried this with solidified coconut oil?
I haven’t tried making this without butter but you can make this buttercream frosting with the solid coconut oil, Mona.
Is it unsweetened coca powder you use for the frosting? Making this for my son’s 10th birthday on Wednesday so I want to make sure I have it right! 🙂
Yes, Staci, I use natural unsweetened cocoa powder for the frosting. Hope your son has the best 10th birthday! My son was so happy when he finally got to the “double digit” birthdays.
Hey can this be frozen? I made too much! Waaay too much!
You can freeze the buttercream frosting, Aoife. Put the frosting in a freezer safe, airtight food storage container and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to use after freezing, remove from freezer and place it in the fridge overnight to thaw. Right before you get ready to frost your cake, allow the frosting to come to room temperature and mix it well again to make it fluffy before using.
By “sticks of butter” do you mean 250g sticks? Silly question but I broke my 1cup while baking the cake and I’m not good with measuring cups by eyes, silly me!
The US stick of butter is 4 oz, Bella, and is 113 grams. Hope this helps.
Perfection! Easy recipe to follow. Take your time mixing the ingredients (icing sugar and milk). Left out the Espresso powder. (Had added it to the chocolate cake recipe, so I wasn’t sure it would over power the flavour for the kids.). Creamy, chocolaty goodness. Cut the recipe in half because I only had 2 1/2 cups of icing sugar and it was enough for a two layer 9″ cake.
Thanks, Karen.
Does the type of milk matter? Could I use heavy cream?
Annette, you can use heavy cream in this recipe. Hope you enjoy!
Does this frosting work well for piping?
This frosting has worked great for me in a piping bag, Michelle.
Great recipe! Easy and delicious. This will be my go to for chocolate cupcakes. I made the chocolate buttercream icing. Only used 3 cups of icing sugar and about 1/2 the milk. Absolutely out of this world!
Thanks so much, Jenn. So happy you love the cupcakes and frosting. xo
Can I use buttermilk for the milk?
I haven’t made this frosting with buttermilk, Eleanor, so I’m not sure how it tastes.