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! I’m planning to bake a cake for my best friend’s birthday next week and I’ve never done so before, ever. I decided I would go for a simple chocolate cake recipe wih chocolate buttercream frosting since its ingredients can be easily found in the kitchen. So earlier today, I went to make my first one just so I could sort of practice. The cake was okay, the buttercream frosting was okay, it’s actually really yummy. The only thing is I just wish it didn’t have to be extremely sweet. All the recipes for buttercream frosting is mostly composed of powder sugar, so now I’m just wondering: will it work just the same if I use more of the unsweetened cocoa powder and lessen the sugar a bit? I wanted to try and see for myself but I think it’s best to ask first to avoid wasting the ingredients in case it won’t work.
Hope to hear from you soon. Thank you very much!
This recipe sounds really good but I was wondering if you could use vanilla essence instead of extract.
just wanted to make sure before trying it out 🙂
Does the chocolate buttercream frosting recipe cover a 2-layered 9” cake adequately?
Hi Bonnie,
It does! I sized it so that it provides a generous amount of frosting! I hope you enjoy it!
I am using this recipe to ice cupcakes for a friend’s wedding next week. How much does one recipe yield? I need to make 6 dozen. Thanks!
I want to try your chocolate buttercream on top of the chocolate cake for a sport themed party. Have you ever topped this iciing with a marshmellow fondant? Would it be too sweet?
This recipe is amazing!! It’s the first time I’ve succeeded at making homemade frosting, and I can barely believe it! You really gave such helpful and easy-to-follow instructions. It’s no-fail, and will make me look like a pro. In our house, everything is dairy-free, so I made it with soy milk and margarine, and it worked great.
Thank you for sharing all of your delicious recipes! I do not have espresso powder but, have a Nespresso machine that uses pods to make shots of espresso. Can I substitute a shot of liquid espresso for the powder? Thank you.
Hi Sheila,
That should work just fine. Just offset the amount of boiling water by the amount of very, very hot espresso.
I’m making high hat cupcakes for my son’s birthday. Without ever using your recipe before, I was wondering if you thought it was a good recipe for a cupcake with a lot of icing. Would it be too sweet or rich? Also, how fluffy is it? Would using heavy cream make it fluffier or would it change the taste? Thanks!
Can you replace the milk with almond milk in this recipe?
I’ve used this recipe enough times to say this is my go to for a chocolate frosting . I’ve made kit-Kat cakes and brownies . i will say that the taste will change depending on the type of express powder you use. i’ve done this recipe with at least two types of coffes from time to time. other then that this is an amazing buttercream