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
This was my first time making buttercream frosting, and I love how it turned out! I made it to frost your chocolate cake I made yesterday (https://addapinch.com/cooking/the-best-chocolate-cake-recipe-ever/). Both turned out amazing. I didn’t add coffee to either. For the frosting, I only used 2 sticks salted butter, 2/3 C. unsweetened cocoa, about 2 2/3 C. powdered sugar, 4-5 Tbsp. milk, 2 tsp. vanilla. I love the texture of the frosting. After frosting a 2-layer cake (including between layers), I still have about 1 C. extra frosting. I guess it’s better to have a little leftover than not quite enough. 🙂
Thanks for the awesome recipes!
I’m so glad you liked it. I always pile all the frosting on the cake, but if you have left over I can’t even begin to tell you how good it is on a graham cracker or a vanilla wafer. Heaven!
I love this frosting! I used it for a birthday cake and everyone loved it. Thank you for sharing 🙂
Will this frosting be stable enough to hold m&m’s on the side of a cake?
Just made the frosting recipe! Yummmmmy! I creamed the butter first and then sifted the cocoa powder with the powdered sugar. Looks and tastes great! Thank you 🙂
Hi made this recipe exact, besides the espresso powder, yesterday and the consistency was a little runny. Instead of using more confectioners sugar, is there something else I can add to make it thicker or should I omit the milk? Even though it was a little runny, the taste was delicious.
Hi Jennifer,
One thing to be sure of is that your butter is softened, but not overly softened or melted, which can cause the texture to be off a bit. As you suggested, you can omit the milk to see how that works for you as well. I hope that helps!
This recipe sounds excellent. I just have two questions.
1) Should butter be salted or unsalted?
2) Do you know how I might use espresso coffee grounds as opposed to the espresso powder? Should I use the same amount?
Looking forward to tasting this,
Dovid
Just a follow-up to my questions on 1/19. I made the icing, which was delicious. Used unsalted butter. As for the espresso coffee grounds (as opposed to the powder called for by the recipe), I used 1/2 tsp, which made the coffee flavor a little too strong. If you’re using espresso coffee grounds (like Illy, for instance) you may want to cut it it 1/4 tsp. Anyway, the icing was geshmak (as we say in New York), thank you for sharing it.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Great tip for using espresso coffee grounds. I, too, found that espresso coffee grounds gave the icing too much coffee flavor for what I was looking for in the recipe and gave it a slight bitter aftertaste. If you can find the espresso powder, it works beautifully without that, but if you can’t, you can always omit.
hi Robyn thanks for sharing this chocolate cake recipe. i have tried it several times and its always a huge success. The cake comes so moist! The only change in the recipe is that i use strong instant coffee instead of expresso powder. (You cannot taste the coffee at all for all those skeptical, it just makes the chocolate flavour come out more)
I will also try the frosting today after all the positive reviews!
Thanks again
I followed your most delicious chocolate butter cream frosting recipe and I must tell you, it’s the best of the best frosting I have ever made. Thank you! I also put it on your chocolate cake recipe and can’t wait to serve my hubby his birthday cake tonight.
Happy birthday to your husband! I’m so glad you love the buttercream frosting recipe. It is absolutely one of our favorites as well! xo
Hi Robyn,
Im making this recipe for the best ever choc. Cake and as im making it for my parents iwas wondering if i can lessen the sugar. By how much will i be able to reduce it for the icing to still remain tasty?? Thank you
Love the cake! Love the recipe! The steps are so easy to follow.
This is the first cake that I baked and everyone loved it.
Cant wait to try the White Cake recipe. This will be always be my Chocolate cake recipe!
Thank you for sharing!
Congratulations!