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
amazing! The consistency of this frosting came out perfect. It’s the first time a cake I made actually looked good, because the frosting was really easy to work with. And of course it tasted delicious, everyone wanted seconds
Emmeline, I’m so glad this frosting worked so well for you. Thanks!
OMG how good this buttercream frosting is and how easy it it to make it. Love it
The perfect chocolate icing! DELISH!!! Made your chocolate cake too! Smells Devine and can’t wait to eat it!!! Thanks for a fantastic recipe!
Cindy, don’t you just love to smell that cake baking. I’m so glad you enjoy it.
I have never made a chocolate cake from scratch but I am sure glad I found this amazing recipe. Also, now I have enough chocolate frosting for 2 more cakes! 😅
Irma, you can store the extra frosting in the refrigerator for about 3 – 5 days. Just make sure you store it in an airtight container. If you want to freeze it, put 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. Hope this helps.
I made Jumbo Cupcakes using this recipe. I halved the recipe and I made 8 Jumbo Cupcakes. We really love this chocolate cake recipe! I have made it several times and it is always so moist and delicious! I frosted them with Perfect Chocolate Buttercream Frosting and they are excellent! I will be taking them to work in the morning to share with my friends! Sharing is so fun! Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Shawn, I love that you are sharing these cupcakes with your friends. The jumbo cupcakes sound delicious.
made this with the chocolate cake today. I drizzled the entire finished cake with melted white chocolate. this cake is DANGEROUS! But thank you to the baker who posted these recipes. excellent cake and frosting.
Icing is delicious, made it today!
This frosting and the cake that goes with it are the absolute best!! I made it for my husband’s birthday and he said it’s the best cake he’s ever had, which is high praise coming from him! I don’t usually like frosting, many times I’ll scrape most of it off because it’s just too sweet. But this was perfect! I found myself licking the beaters like a kid! Highly recommended to all chocolate lovers!
I always consider it high praise when my husband loves something I cook, too, Christa. So glad your husband loved the cake and frosting.
If I can’t find espresso powder does espresso coffee work do you think? In the frosting and the cake? Can’t wait to make it!
Becky, you can just omit the espresso powder. The powder just enhances the chocolate flavor without a coffee flavor. I hope you enjoy the cake and frosting.
I didn’t have any either, so I used a few Tbsp coffee instead of the milk, and think it had a pretty similar effect.
In answer to using expresso powder I use 1 teaspoon of instant decaf expresso works great! I also make it gluten free with almond milk and gluten free flour comes perfect!
Hi Robyn!! How many cups does the recipe yield? You say it’s enough to frost a three layer cake, but I just wanna know if it will be enough to also pipe some swirls or roses. Thanks!!
Margaret, this recipe makes about 4 1/2 to 5 cups of frosting.