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 Robyn, I am excited to try this recipe for an upcoming birthday. Could you please share what type of unsweetened cocoa powder do you use (natural, dutch-processed, black, triple processed, etc)? Thank you in advance.
Blanka, I use natural unsweetened cocoa powder. I hope you enjoy the cake.
Can you make this with Browned Butter?
Todd, I haven’t made this chocolate buttercream frosting with browned butter so I can’t tell you how it would be.
Todd, I haven’s made this chocolate buttercream frosting with browned butter.
Is decaffeinated espresso powder a thing? Can I use vegan butter (Earth Balance brand) in the recipe?
Mary, there are commercial brands of decaf espresso powder. You should be able to use a vegan butter in this frosting. Hope you enjoy!
Wondering if I have to use the expresso? I am making this for kids. Coffee gives me heartburn.
Kathleen, you can just omit the espresso powder with no other adjustments to the recipe. Hope everyone enjoys the cake.
Also, may I know please if I can use this exact same recipe to make cupcakes? Thank you
Gihan, you can use this frosting on cupcakes. If you are asking about using the Best Chocolate Cake Ever Recipe for cupcakes, it makes about 24 cupcakes.
Hello I have tried this once and I love it. I want to bake again for my daughter but is it possible to make the choco frosting purple or pink? How can I do that pls need to do it again on the 1st of August thank you
Gihan, I have not tried to dye this chocolate buttercream frosting purple. Someone else on here may have and can tell you what they did. I have dyed my Classic White Buttercream Frosting different colors using a gel paste dye. I just added a few drops at a time to the frosting until I had the color I wanted.
Robyn, I am wanting to make the best chocolate cake into a 12 inch round pan for my nephews birthday. Will the recipe you have for the 2 9inch pans be fine to just cook in one 12 inch round pan or do I need to make adjustments? It will have to bake longer, of course, I just wanted to know if it is enough or too much batter for one 12 inch round pan.
Cassie, you can make this recipe in a 12 inch pan. Hope you enjoy the cake.
Hi! I’m preparing for my husband’s SURPRISE 40th birthday party! I’m looking to make 7 dozen cupcakes. Can you tell me how many cupcakes could be frosted with this much frosting? Thanks!
Jenny, this recipe makes enough frosting to frost about 3 dozen cupcakes. Hope your husband has a very happy birthday and enjoys his surprise!
Instead of baking the chocolate cake in two tins, can you bake it in one and I guess it will need to bake a little longer.
Lise, the recipe was developed for 2 9-inch round cake pans. You could make it in a Bundt pan but it would need to bake longer, about 35 to 40 minutes. The oven temperature will be the same. You could also bake it in a 9×13 pan. I hope this helps.
I am trying this cake today but I was wondering whether this could be turned into a hazelnut flavoured cake with roasted hazelnut blended finely and perhaps with a few chunkier bits. Any idea ?
Khatleen, I haven’t added hazelnuts to this cake but other people have said they did. Hope you enjoy!