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
Can I use cake flour instead of all purpose flour for this recipe?
For the cake, you can use cake flour if you wish. You will still use all of the remaining baking ingredients in the recipe. Thanks so much!
I love this recipe so much, my husband and son really enjoy it!
Thank you so much Karen! I’m so glad you all love the recipe! xo
I just made this cake and I loved it! So fluffy and moist. My husband on the other hand said there was something off about it, almost a smocky flavor. I did use instant espresso ( couldn’t find espresso powder) could that be the problem?
Hi Brenda,
I’m so glad you enjoyed it. I’m sorry your husband thought there was a smokey flavor – it probably was the instant espresso. I’ve never used instant espresso in it, so I can’t say exactly how it makes it taste.
I use espresso powder and don’t taste a coffee flavor, just taste an enhanced richness to the chocolate.
I can usually find it in my grocery store, but the times I can’t, I just order it online.
I hope this helps. Thanks so much! xo
I plan on using these frosting recipe with your chocolate cake recipe the day before I will be serving it. Do I need to refrigerate the cake overnight? Thanks!
Hi Nicolette,
You will not need to refrigerate the cake to serve it the next day. I hope you enjoy the cake! Thanks!
I made this lovely cake in the little care home I work in as a chef and everyone said they loved especially because it is so soft thank you so much for sharing this recipe with us kindest regards Mary xx
I’m so happy everyone enjoyed the cake, Mary! Thanks so much!
Absolutely love this cake!!!
I’m so happy you enjoy it! Thanks so much!
The best chocolate cake is phenomenal. I made it with cassava flour and coconut milk to be gluten and dairy free and it still came out superbly. You can’t even tell. I found this buttercream has a great flavour and I found it to be insanely sweet so be reducing the sugar next time. Thank you ?
That’s great that it worked out well for you with those substitutions, Allyson! I’m so glad that you liked it! Thanks so much!
Looking forward to trying this recipe. Is it possible to half the frosting recipe? I only want to use the buttercream frosting between the layers and not over the whole cake so I don’t need so much frosting.
I just made the frosting myself and whereas it’s not exactly “half” the recipe, it’s less. Reason being was I didn’t have enough butter.. so I went with:
1 cup butter
3/4 cup cocoa
4 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2/3 cups milk
1/2 tsp espresso (I didn’t have the grinds, so I used the actual liquid, and I didn’t cut the espresso down as I like the coffee flavour).
It might still be more than what you might need, so you could just half everything in the recipe, or make the full recipe and freeze the rest.
HI Robyn, my name is Elisa Wyatt and I am so excited about trying this recipe for Easter! I have one question, If I use Swans Down cake flour, do I still need to use salt, b.powder,or b. Soda?
Hi Elisa,
You will still need to use all of your baking ingredients in the recipe. I hope you enjoy the cake! Thanks so much!
Does this frosting have a coffee flavor? I made some cappuccino cupcakes and wanted a frosting with a hint of coffee flavor. Thanks for your help.
Hi Christine,
I think the amount of espresso in the recipe enhances the richness of the chocolate. It is really delicious! There is not a strong coffee flavor.
I hope you enjoy it! Thanks!