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
Hi, I just wanted to check whether the frosting could be frozen. I made too much and don’t want to waste it.
Thanks
Alicia, you can certainly freeze this frosting. 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.
There’s no such thing as too much of this frosting!!
It. Is. Amazing.
My co-workers beg me for the leftovers in a bowl!
Just wondering how large the cake is, how many people it feeds? Apologies if that is already posted somewhere but I couldn’t find it. Thanks!!
Elise, this recipe makes plenty to frost a three layer cake or three dozen cupcakes beautifully. One of the recipes I use this frosting on is my Best Chocolate Cake (Ever) Recipe which serves 24. Hope this helps.
I’ve tried every best chocolate cake recipe out there and I rarely make comments but…this deserves a 5 star review. It is, the best chocolate cake I’ve ever made and I’ve only made several hundred cakes! Kudos to perfection!
Thanks so much, Mickman. I’m happy you love this cake!
Hi there,
Excited to try the chocolate buttercream recipe for my sons birthday cake. Just curious, After adding the frosting to the cake, can the cake be stored outside in room temperate or should I put it in the fridge?
The buttercream frosting can be stored at room temperature for about 3 to 4 days, Tamar. I keep cake frosted with buttercream frosting on the counter under a covered cake dome. I hope your son loves his cake!
I had given up on my quest for a great chocolate cake, and was mostly making cake from a mix with homemade frosting for family birthdays. My search is over! This cake is everything that was promised and more! Depth of flavor, smooth, even texture. Dense, yet fluffy. Perfect moisture. Chocolate heaven. It is certainly rich, so a little vanilla ice cream, milk, or coffee cuts through perfectly. For me, it’s got to be worth the extra time and effort, and it was such an enjoyable process, I would make it again tomorrow if I had an occasion. The cake batter came together beautifully (a little nervous about thinness, but you noted that) the frosting was super manageable and held up to time and temperature like a champ. I doubled everything, made both cakes and cupcakes and still no problems. Lovely to make, lovely to eat.
Oh, thank you so much, Holly. I truly appreciate your comments.
Hi- is it okay to use for a child birthday cake with the espresso powder? Thanks!
You can omit the espresso powder, Nicole, if you want to leave out caffeine. The cake is still delicious.
Can you freeze extra frosting? If so, how long? I always seem to have extra.
Lola, you can certainly freeze this frosting. 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.
This frosting is literally to die for! I made this cake/frosting combo for my roommate’s birthday and we literally devoured the frosting in minutes. We ended up not putting in nearly as much confectioners sugar as the recipe states and just put it in based on our preference. I actually have made this recipe just to eat the frosting on its own and my friends and I ate it in a matter of hours. Cannot say enough good things about this!
Ariana, I’m so happy everyone loved the cake and frosting. Hope your roommate had a very happy birthday!
Delicious Cake, made it twice with a two week break in between. First time used for a Spider Halloween cake- best cake I have ever baked, then for my little sister’s birthday cake-amazing as well. This recipe and the classic chocolate cake recipe are a perfect mix- a party favorite by everyone!
Thank you, Avery. I’ll have to make a Spider Halloween cake next year. I’m so thrilled everyone loved the cake. Happy late birthday to your sister.
Best cake I ever made!