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
This frosting was ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!
People go wild for this cake every time I make it! It truly is THE best chocolate cake I have ever made, and I have made quite a few chocolate cakes. The espresso really adds body to this beautifully moist, decadent cake. And the frosting!!!! I could never rave enough about either of these recipes. Thank you for sharing this loveliness with the world. SO good.
This frosting recipe is only good if one likes coffee.
It tastes more mocha than chocolate. I’m sorry I made it.
What a waste.
Is there a substitute for espresso powder – not sure if they sell it here
Hi Ann,
If you aren’t able to find it locally, it is available online. You can also just omit it from the recipe until you find it. 🙂
Do you have a coffee grinder? I just grind up some of my coffee beans and it turns out great! I made this tonight for my coworker’s last day tomorrow. She requested double chocolate goodness. I have made this before and it’s AMAZING. You can’t eat too much of it cause it’s so rich though!
Made this cake today for my boy friend’s belated birthday. The cake was definitely a big hit!! Super moist and very tasty.
Will try this recipe for cup cakes next!
Thank you!
When a recipe like this calls for butter without specifying unsalted I’m assuming one should use salted butter. Is that correct?
You can use salted or unsalted butter, Anthony. I generally keep salted butter on hand and use it, but you can absolutely use unsalted if you prefer.
Hello! Love you’re work!!
I’m making your best ever chocolate cupcakes as a cake for my daughters birthday. Can you tell me how many times I’d need to multiply the recipe to make a 6 layer cake on a 20cm pan? Each layer to be maybe an inch thick. Also how many of the butter cream to frost all around too?
Thank you
A fan
My family asks for this cake and frosting at all our birthdays! It’s a hit! Another nice thing about it is I usually have all the ingredients! Thank you for sharing it!
Can you write down the recipe for making enough chocolate frosting for a 2 layer cake, as opposed to a 3 layer cake? Not sure how to decrease each ingredient. Thanks.
Divide all ingredients by 3 and then multiply by 2 would be my best guess. More or less the measures can be adjusted accordingly to reach the desired consistency
1½ cups butter (3 sticks), softened becomes 1 cup butter
1 cup unsweetened cocoa -becomes 2/3 cups
5 cups confectioner’s sugar becomes 3 1/3 cups
½ cup milk becomes 1/3 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract becomes 1 1/3 tsp
½ teaspoon espresso powder becomes 1/3 tsp
We just made the cake and the frosting-absolutely delicious.i just left the espresso out
Can this be made as a larger sheet cake instead of a 2-layer round cake?
Yes, I bake mine in a 9×12 pan and it turns out beautifully, about 2 inches thick! 350 for 35 minutes.