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
I would love to make this cake for my son’s birthday party!! Does the cake or butrercream have a coffee taste from the expresso powder?, oh can I add chocolate chips to the batter as well? Can’t wait to make it!
Hi Michelle,
The espresso powder doesn’t give the cake a coffee taste…it just enhances the richness of the chocolate. I hope you enjoy it and that your son has a wonderful birthday! Thanks! xo
This is the best frosting I’ve ever made. Thank you so much for putting the time and effort into posting this recipe. I’ve gone through a number of them online and none of them compare to this! Thank you thank you!
how do you manage to dissolve all that sugar? i put only 3 cups and it was creaking on teeth although i’ve mixed it for 15 minutes
There is no way confectioner’s (powdered) sugar can do that.
I found the cakes came out really thin. They were a nice texture but so thin. Was incredibly disappointed. Especially since I made it the night before a work picnic and had to then stay up until 3am making another cake instead. I followed the recipe to the letter but for some reason they didn’t rise much. Sorry guys! ??
Oh no, Juanita! I’m sorry that it didn’t work for you. I’ve not had this cake not rise for me. I know that had to be frustrating right before an event, too! I would recommend double checking the freshness of your baking powder. xo
Would love a yellow cake layer cake for the chocolate buttercream, frosting.;Do you have one?
thanks
Best Chocolate cake recipe! I didnt make the buttercream frosting, ill make it for a special occasion.. nevertheless my kids loved it !
This recipe is foolproof. Have made it several times and love it.
Do you have a recipe for a vanilla or yellow cake version of this cake? One that has the same crumb texture like this one?
Thanxs much
Measuring I am confused with e.g. 1 1/2 cups of butter………….. is it measuring butter softening till it fills cup you using…….. Not an avid baker, but would love try cake……… Prefer to get measurements e.g. 500g of watever. Be thrilled if you could guide me here.
looks deli…will this have a coffee taste to it since it uses espresso powder?? I love all things chocolatey but i donot like coffee much.
1 stick of butter = 1/2 cup
So this recipe is calling for 3 sticks of butter.
Happy baking, Noreen!
Can I make this recipe with homemade butter? It has a smooth, buttery texture but there are tiny, grainy pieces in there.
This is the best chocolate cake recipe, I made it for my sister’s birthday and it was amazing. Very moist and tastes superb! Just included it into my cake book, thou I didn’t mix everything together at once. The dry ingredients were mixed separately and then added to the wet ingredients! And I loved the buttermilk, thanks for sharing this recipe!
What is the yield of this recipe?