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.
Delicious!!!! Forget the cake, just eat this frosting!!!!!
I loved this frosting but my daughter thought it was a little too sweet. Do
You have any suggestions as to how to adjust the other ingredients if I were to reduce the amount of sugar?
Thanks.
I’m sorry, Barbara, but I haven’t made this recipe with less sugar.
Adding just a tiny bit of salt fixed the sweetness for me.
This was my most successful attempt at homemade frosting. However, I only used 4 cups of sugar and it turned out perfect to us. After through mixing with a stand mixer, it came out light and fluffy.
Add a dash or two of salt for more balanced sweetness.
I use salted butter, Rosa, but you can add a dash of salt if you use unsalted butter.
This is the best! It is soft and creamy, I made a cake for my moms birthday and this was the BEST frosting/icing EVER!
Thanks so much, Rhiannon!
Easily one of the best chocolate cakes/cupcakes ever. Makes 18 good size cupcakes. When you make it , it is very loose. I thought for sure I had screwed up something. I wouldnt change a thing. However the frosting is alittle too sweet. Delicious recipe.
Hi Robyn
Which stand mixer attachment should I be using? Paddle or the Whisk attachment to mix the frosting?? Thanks in advance. Can’t wait to make this for my wife’s birthday this coming weekend.
Cheers
Saj
I use the paddle attachment, Saj. I hope your wife has a very happy birthday!
Do you think this recipe would make enough to cover a 7-inch three-layer cake? Or should I make 1.5 times?
Rebecca, this recipe makes enough frosting for a 3-layer 9-inch cake or 3 dozen cupcakes.
Perfect. Buttercream isn’t a difficult thing to make but the proportions are very important and these are just right. I love the addition of coffee to cut a little of the intensity of sweetness. Thanks for sharing it.
Thanks, M.W.
Love it
This is a VERY delicious frosting! I made it exactly as directed. There have been so many requests for how much frosting this recipe makes that it would be nice to have it answered in the recipe. I had to do a search on all comments to get a sense of the quantity. After I finished making it, the frosting almost filled a 6 cup storage container, so I’m going to say it makes between 5-6 cups if you beat it according to the instructions. I had enough to fully frost a two layer, 9×13 sheet cake, including the crumb coat and enough to have a pretty thick layer in the middle and on the top/sides…and lots of little tastes along the way! So as other reviewers noted you should have enough to do a 3 layer 9 inch round cake.
I used the following in my recipe:
Salted butter (I prefer a little salt in my sweet things)
Guittard Cocoa Powder (Rouge)
2 teaspoons Cafe Bustelo espresso powder
This is a keeper for sure! Thank you very much!
Thanks, Lorna, I’m thrilled you love this frosting recipe. I’m sorry you missed this information in the post: “makes plenty to frost a three layer cake or three dozen cupcakes beautifully”.
I love your buttery chocolate frosting, its delicious. Every time my husband craves chocolate cake, he wants the frosting to go with it. Booth recipe from your best chocolate cake and chocolate frosting. And, both recipes are to die for. Thanks again. You made my husband a happy man, really. He’s hard to satisfy when it comes to chocolate cake. 2 thumbs up to you.
Thanks so much, Mervat!
I have made this cake 4 times, perfect each time. Our absolute favourite Chocolate cake recipe.
Thank you, Ronald.