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
I made a cake for a family reunion which I don’t normally frost, but b/c my sister-in-law who usually makes (and frosts) the same cake to share at the reunion was not going to be there this year, I decided I would frost it this time. I didn’t have her recipe so I searched online and chose this one because of the scads of five star ratings.
But I found I need a different bowl (deep but straight sided and narrowish) or a different technique for this recipe–the high speed mixing flung frosting all over my kitchen. I was thoroughly dismayed–til I took the cake to the reunion the next day and lamented the mess I made whipping the frosting. I maintained it couldn’t possibly be good enough to justify the mess it made. But two sister-in-laws disagreed. They insisted the frosting was the best they’d ever tasted! And was worth whatever it cost me in frustration and clean up time. OK fine. Any tips on minimizing mess???
Julie, I have never had the frosting go out of the mixing bowl. You will need a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Also, are you using the paddle attachment or the whip attachment? I always use the paddle attachment when making this frosting. Start the mixer on low speed as you start mixing the ingredients and increase as they are combined. I hope this helps.
Delicious and perfect directions! Thank you!
I LOVE this recipe. It was a huge hit at my son’s birthday party last year and I was hoping to use it again and modify it to make a normal buttercream icing. If it were possible to use this and somehow make it white, I would use it all over again. I don’t think it would be quite the same without the cocoa and espresso powder. If you need a chocolate icing, use this one!
Kelly, try my Classic White Buttercream Frosting. I think you will like it.
Quick and easy. Made half batch and it generously covered 13×9 pan of brownies with enough left over for a good healthy lick (or three or four!). (Well maybe not so healthy but you know what I mean.) Love it and so does my family.
I made this frosting for my Grandson’s Birthday cake. It was delicious! So light and fluffy it melts in your mouth. Everyone commented on how good the frosting was.
This will definitely be my go to recipe for chocolate buttercream. 😋
Fantastic and easy
Can one use half and half for the Frosting mix
You can use half and half if you wish, Elizabeth.
Absolutely perfect! I omitted the espresso powder, because I didn’t have any on hand and it was still delicious. Very airy and easy to spread on the cake and plenty for my three tiered cake. I’d been using a different recipe that called for melted chocolate morsels and I didn’t love the taste. This one, with the cocoa powder is so much better! Thank you!
How much does this recipe make?
This makes about 4 1/2 cups frosting, Mylee. It is plenty to frost a 3-layer cake or 3 dozen cupcakes.
If I don’t want the coffee flavor can I just omit? Do I need to tweak in any other way?
Lulis, you can just omit the espresso powder without any other changes to the recipe.
This is the absolute best I’ve tried! 😍
Do you use salted or unsalted butter in this recipe?
I use salted butter, Molly, in all my baking. You can use whichever you prefer.