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
Thank you for sharing this recipe!! I made this for my birthday and everyone loved it. It is hands down the best cake recipe and icing recipe I’ve tried. For any chocolate lover, this will undoubtedly wow you. Thank you!!!
I’m so happy you got to enjoy this for your birthday!!! I hope your day was a great one! Thanks so much, Teresa! xo
I am not a chocolate cake/frosting lover. Or chocolate lover at all. This recipe didn’t make me a chocolate lover either. That being said, it did make those chocolate lovers in my family even more of a chocolate lover. This recipe reinforced, strengthened, intensified their love of chocolate! I wish I had never made it because they ask me to make this for every gathering we have and we have gatherings weekly!!!!
(Im ok now-switching to nice mom mode)
Please tell me you have a best vanilla cake/buttercream frosting recipe for me. That’s my favorite. And I would absolutely love it if you did!
Thank you. You’re the best ever! Smile smile. Smile.
Hi Jenna,
As hard as it is for me to comprehend (smile) there are some people that just aren’t chocolate fans! I’ve got a relative who shall remain nameless who would much rather have vanilla cake, icing, ice cream…everything…over chocolate any day. As for me, I love both…I like to spread the love between them! 😉 But I am happy you make this cake for your chocolate loving family! Thank you! xo
I have a Best White Cake and Classic Vanilla Buttercream Frosting that may just be for you! That family member I was speaking of requests THIS cake for his birthday EVERY year!
Thanks so much, Jenna! I hope you enjoy this! xo
I made this cake yesterday. It is by far, the best tasting chocolate cake I have ever had, not to mention have ever made. Thank you for this. It will definitely be my go-to recipe for special occasions!
I’d like to post a picture if possible.
Hi Helen!
I’m so happy you enjoyed this! Wonderful you will be making it in the future as well – it’s one of my go-to cakes that everyone loves!
I don’t have the website set up to post reader photos, but if you have an Instagram account, I’d love to see the picture of your finished cake! Make sure to tag me on Instagram and use #addapinch as well. I will watch for it!
Thanks so much! xo
Hi Robyn
This was the first time we made this cake. Wow!!! Never tasted a better chocolate cake than this. So most and the butter cream frosting was the best. .
Pam
I’m so glad you loved it, Pam! xo
Hi Robyn
I have used your original choclate cake and buttercream recipe for months now and love it so much! I have recently turned vegan so I was wondering if you had an alternative (tried and tested) recipie for a buttercream (minus the butter?)
Thanks
Sofia
I made this for my daughters 4th birthday! Since she requested it the day before, and our grocery store didn’t have espresso powder, I made it without and it tasted AMAZING! I’m not even a big chocolate cake fan but the icing is so delicious! (Surprised I didn’t eat half of it before I iced the cake!)
I used half and half as the milk, worked perfect! Kids and parents LOVED it!!
Thanks for sharing such a delicious recipe!
Thanks so much, Shannon! I’m just tickled that this turned out beautifully for your daughter’s special birthday! What a fun time!
Thank you so much for letting me know that you and your guests enjoyed it! xo
How would this be using buttermilk in replace of the milk? Also, is this a frosting I can turn on medium speed for 5 min or so to get it really fluffy?
I’ve not made this with buttermilk, Emily and don’t know that it would taste good. The frosting usually gets pretty fluffy when made according to this recipe. I hope you enjoy it! Thanks! xo
I have made this chocolate cake on several occasions and the frosting was unbelievable for those who tasted it the reviews were wow thank you
So glad you enjoyed it, Sylvia! Thanks so much! xo
I have been using this recipe for years now and it has never disappointed. i like a few extra dark chocolate chips and they add a really nice flavor. (also seems to keep the cake moist too) i do the same for the chocolate buttercream and usually take heavy whipping cream and make it a filling between two layers. roughly chop dark chocolate for crunch and fold into the whipped cream and enjoy chocolate cake.
I have no words other than AMAZING! I have made a lot of different frosting flavors and usually I avoid chocolate because it’s kind of boring. A Co worker wanted a simple white cake with chocolate frosting and I wanted it to be out of this world for her. I followed both of your recipes and then did a little dark chocolate drizzle over the top for effect probably lol. I am very impressed by both and my husband knows I can bake and wasn’t really surprised how ridiculously Delish these are!!! Thank you!!
So glad you enjoyed it, April! Thanks so much! xo