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
Would I be able to sub the whole milk for a non-dairy milk?
Esther, you can use a non-dairy milk in this frosting. I hope you enjoy.
Best icing ever yum yum yum.
I made this cake for my husbands birthday, wow, came out good, this will be my go to chocolate cake. Easy to make. The only alteration I did is 1/2 cup less sugar.
Thanks, Debra, I hope you husband had a very happy birthday. I’m so glad you loved the cake.
Hi, I’ve made this before and it was an absolute delight! Want to try my hand at piping a vintage cake, will this recipe be stable enough? And I’ll definitely have to chill it given the hot weather, but will this be okay?
Ann, this frosting should work fine in a piping bag for your cake. You may want to try doing a sample before piping the entire cake to make sure it works like you want if it is for a special occasion. Refrigerating the cake will work fine if you make sure it is in an airtight container.
Nothing irritates me more than when I make a cake and accompanying frosting only to find out I don’t have enough frosting to do decorative frosting, so I have to end up making more frosting (despite being conservative with my frosting application). I am so immensely happy this was not the case for this frosting recipe for a two layer cake! I had so much frosting left over that I’m using it to make cake pops. The cake and icing were both absolutely WONDERFUL and I had so many friends complimenting the birthday cake and asking for the recipe. I frequently make adjustments after trying a recipe for the first time and this was so great that I would not tweak a single thing. I’d also like to note I’m not a huge chocolate fan and I may even make this for myself in the future because it was that good!
Mona, I really appreciate hearing how much you liked this frosting and especially the amount of frosting in this recipe. It is especially great to hear from someone who is not a huge chocolate fan. Thanks so much.
Perfection!! 10/10. Smooth, fluffy and everything you want frosting to be. Came together in a snap, and was absolutely delicious!! Thank you for this wonderful recipe. 🙂
What an absolutely luscious cake! I baked this cake in a 9×13 pan for about 33 min and it came out perfectly! Tender and soft, the crumb is just lovely and the flavor is delicious. I paired it with your chocolate buttercream (a 10/10 recipe in itself) and we are one happy family. Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe!
Thank you, Stacey! I am so happy you and your family loved th chocolate cake with the buttercream frosting.
After seeing 1000s of 5 star reviews, I’m making this cake for a party on Monday, but I need white/vanilla icing… how would you alter this? Or do you have a base recipe for the BC icing?!
Jonathan, you can use my Classic Vanilla Buttercream Frosting Recipe for the chocolate cake. I hope you enjoy!
love this buttercream recipe! I made this with your best chocolate cake, I am making this now for my son’s birthday party at the beach. is it okay if I use this buttercream on a hot weather?
So sorry for asking again. I cant see your response on my other comment last week. Thank you so much
Nahida, you can use this buttercream frosting in hot weather. Instead of leaving out in hot air, I would keep the frosted cake in a cooler and remove it just before serving. The buttercream frosting will melt it it is left out if really hot outside.
This buttercream frosting was the perfect pairing with Robyn’s Perfect Chocolate Cake. Divine!!
Thanks so much, Beverly. I agree that this buttercream frosting pairs perfectly with my Best Chocolate Cake. I’m happy you enjoy both.
Does this need to be eaten right away? Like, can I frost a cake and let it sit over night on the counter for the next day?
Tasha, you can leave the frosted cake sitting on the counter. I make my chocolate cake with this frosting ahead and store it under a covered cake dome on the counter. I hope you enjoy!
I’ve have made this make a couple of times and it has turned out amazing each time. Now I would like to make my sons birthday cake this year and I was wondering if I Can use fondant for this cake and frosting?
I’m so glad this buttercream frosting always turns out so well for you, Erica. You can use fondant on this cake. I have had several comments from people, including bakers, who do this. I hope your son has a very happy birthday. This is. a comment from Kim who used fondant on the cake “I can inform you that your cake recipe holds up under fondant, I did a 4 layered chocolate cake with chocolate Italian meringue buttercream filling, white ganache crumb coat with 3mm fondant finish. Also on top of that travelled 5 hours in a car to its destination. Once again thank you for your recipe and tips”