Perfect Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Recipe

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4.97 from 774 votes
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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.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting frosts Chocolate Cake on white antique cake stand - ©addapinch.com

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.
Fluted edge white heirloom cake stand holds chocolate cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting - ©addapinch.com

How to Make Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting is incredibly easy to make and takes about 10 minutes from start to finish!

  1. 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.
  2. 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!
  3. 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.

Best Vanilla Cake Recipe - A one bowl vanilla cake recipe that is quick, easy, and delicious! Made from scratch, this cake is perfect for every occasion!

Vanilla Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

More Favorite Frosting Recipes

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Here’s my Perfect Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Recipe. I can’t wait to hear how you love it.

Perfect Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Recipe

4.97 from 774 votes
Perfect Chocolate Buttercream Frosting is an essential when it comes to birthday cakes and other celebrations. Get this family favorite, perfect chocolate buttercream frosting recipe.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 36 (2 tablespoons) servings

Ingredients

  • 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

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.

Nutrition

Serving: 2 tablespoons | Calories: 141kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 63mg | Potassium: 45mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 242IU | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 0.3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Enjoy!
Robyn xo

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About Robyn

Robyn Stone is a cookbook author, wife, mom, and passionate home cook. Her tested and trusted recipes give readers the confidence to cook recipes the whole family will love. Robyn has been featured on Food Network, People, Southern Living, and more.

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Recipe Review




2,814 Comments

  1. CHRISTINA says:

    Hello, Can you use whipping cream (35%) instead of milk?

  2. Grace says:

    I loved this cake and icing it was AMAZING! Thank you so much for sharing!!!

  3. StaciaLynn says:

    My husband made this before & it has become the go to cake for a really good chocolate cake. My 15 year old is making it to enter in the County Fair minus the espresso & adding chocolate chips to the cake for an extra chocolate kick, it’s a baking with chocolate contest, we will let you know how it turns out!

  4. Louise says:

    Hi, are the cups, US cups or UK cups? Thanks.

  5. AJ says:

    I called 7 local grocery stores and could not find espresso powder. I finally called my local coffee shop. They ground a bag of fresh espresso beans to fine powder for just the cost of the bag of espresso beans. 12.00

  6. Amatullah R Smith says:

    5 stars
    I turned these into cupcakes by simply baking them for 16 minutes at the same temperature as the recipe says. They were the moistest, richest cupcakes I’ve ever had. As for the buttercream frosting, I used half of a stick less butter than suggested, and whipped it. It was perfectly delicious! Thanks for the recipe!

  7. Emma says:

    I made this cake for the 1st and 3rd tier of my wedding cake. Without question it was fantastic! Could not recommend it highly enough. The cake freezes really well due to the high oil content without compromising on taste or texture at all. I froze the cakes slightly warm so it held in the moisture better. It’s quite dense so held up to the weight of fondant and piping well. I’ve also make it for nieces 1st birthday ladybird cakes (baked in a mixing bowl lol) and just changed the espresso powder to decaf instant coffee for the parents sanity. I always use salted butter for the frosting, pretty sure I don’t follow the proportions listed though as I find the volume too much and the amount of sugar a bit high, but I just prefer it less sweet. Happy baking!

  8. Miguel says:

    Thanks for this recipe.. The cake came out wonderful, but the icing came out too sweet.. And when I taste the frosting i can feel the sugar powder.. Any way to correct this? Its my first time.. Thank you!

  9. TR says:

    Thanks for sharing this recipe and the chocolate cake recipe. It’s very good. Can you freeze any leftover frosting?

  10. Brandy says:

    This recipe for the cake and icing is for a 2 layer cake. I would love to make them but as a 3 later cake. How should I modify the cake and frosting recipes to accommodate this? THANKS!!!

    1. Robyn Stone says:

      Hi Brandy,
      You can increase the recipe again by half for the cake as well as for the frosting. Hope that helps! xo