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
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Hi there. I am excited to try this, however, I do have one question. Is this buttercream frosting recipe for piping onto a birthday cake? Thanks so much!
Hi, can you tell me how much frosting this recipe yields?
I think she said enough for a three layer cake or three dozen cupcakes
Hi, does this recipe come out super sweet or a dark chocolate type of flavor? I have tried making ‘frostings’ in the past but powder sugar makes super sweet, WAY too sweet and this one reads 3 cups. can frostings be made with regular sugar instead, I feel the powder sugar gives it a different than sugar flavor too…maybe too sweet….
Very good. However, we found it way too sweet. Remade with half the powdered sugar (2 and 1/2 cups instead of 5) and it was perfect!
Hi Gwen,
My english is not very good, but I try it.. 😉
when you half powdered sugar use, it is not too wet?
What do you use to make it sturdy as you use less powder sugar?
Thankyou!
Try adding more cocoa powder if the frosting doesn’t hold!
when u say cups do u actally mean drinking cups , mugs , im a novice but eager to try this recipe
Hi Gemma,
When I say cups in the ingredients listing, it refers to measuring cups – for dry ingredients you’ll use dry measuring cups and for liquid ingredients you’ll use a liquid measuring cup. I hope that helps!
*when you see cups of any dry ingredient in a recipe it always refers to standard measuring cups–the kinds that come in sets in the cooking/baking section in any store. The set will have a full cup, 1/2 cup, 1/3 cup, and 1/4 cup usually. These are for DRY measure. If you are measuring liquid for a recipe, use a liquid measuring cup–they are the ones that are plastic or glass and a hand like a small pouring pitcher. The lines for measuring are printing on the cup, and are based on liquid ounces. Hope that helps 😀
how long would the butter cream last on a cake at room temperature for?
Hi Danielle, that will depend largely on your personal environment. For me, I can store a cake frosted with buttercream frosting on the counter under a cake dome for up to three days without any noticable change. If you are serving to the very young, elderly, or someone with immune sensitivities, you may want to consider refrigeration beyond overnight.
My friend made this cake for my birthday and I had to have the recipe. My cake tasted delicious like hers, but the frosting lacks that deep, rich chocolate color. Any ideas? I triple checked my measurements, so I know the amount of cocoa is not the issue. I did not use Hershey’s brand cocoa. Do think colors differ from cocoa brands?
it could still be the amount of cocoa or the type you are using, cocoa is something you canplay around with to get the desired “darkness” flavour from the cocoa. obviously, any liquids will have to be altered to match but it sounds like a cocao problem. try more next time? or a thicker cream
Just add some Wilton Brown color gel to get the desired color. It will dar+ken with time so don’t over do it.
This is the perfect chocolate buttercream. The only recipe I’ll be using moving forward. I think you could put this stuff on cardboard and it would still be good!
Would instand coffee be ok as a substitute for the espresso?