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 there,
My daughter’s 3rd birthday is coming up and I would love to make this for her. Do you have an easy icing I could use to pipe “Happy Birthday” in pink on this cake? I also wondered, how would you suggest making this a small cake as I wanted to do cupcakes as well…would you do a 9 inch and then just use a knife to cut it into a 5 inch? Is there anyway to do this without creating a disaster if the cake doesn’t cut well..maybe cut it semi frozen? Any suggestions would be so appreciated! I am not a baker, but I try very hard for my daughter to pull these things off…so your help is very welcomed! Thanks a bunch!
I live in Australia and may have to look for the espresso powder. If I can’t find it, can I use instant coffee granules instead?
Yes you can! I couldn’t find espresso powder, so that’s what I had to do. It doesn’t take much effort to smash the granules into almost a powder.
Yes.
This frosting is delicious… I made it today for my son’s birthday tomorrow….
Excellent and simple cake. My husband said as much when we served it, studded with Hershey bars for the 6 year old’s burthday. Yum!
Salted or unsaltebutter?
Given that this isn’t actually baked, using one over the other won’t effect the outcome in terms of texture and whatnot, but I would suggest using salted butter as it will help the chocolate taste pop without being overly sweet.
I’m gonna try the frosting tonight for my son’s birthday cake tomorrow…..he loves chocolate …..frosting looks yummy…
Happy birthday to your son!
thats funny! My daughters b-day was also 17th of march! I’m looking to make this cake for her party this saturday, but cover with fondant cause she wants a spiderman cake! 😛
What is the English measurements for the butter
12 ounces of butter.
Do you have to use the espresso powder? Or where can you find the espresso powder? Not a pro cake baker just trying to start a new tradition of baking my kids b-day cakes. Thanks!!!
You can omit it.
You can substitute 1 tablespoon instant coffee for the espresso powder. I dissolved the coffee in a shot glass and about a tbsp of water. It makes the icing have an excellent decadent flavor. Wow! It is amazing!!!!
u can find expresso powder at King Arthur Flour Company
I bought instant expresso coffee and ground it into powder in a mortar/pestal. It took about 5 seconds and worked perfectly 🙂
I think this cake will do for my birthday on the 17th of March…..its awesome
Happy birthday!
I used this as the frosting on my husband’s birthday cake tonight. yummy!!! Thank you for the recipe. delicious, easy to spread, the recipe made enough to fully frost the double layer chocolate cake.
That’s funny…I am making this cake tonight for my husband’s birthday also 03/17. 🙂 Happy Birthday!
Is this enough frosting for “two” 9×13 cakes? I am just frosting the top of the cake.
How many cupcakes will this frost?