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
Hi I live in Perth WA and this is my go to cake and icing as it is just amazeballs and is loved by everyone who tries it. This weekend i am making the cake for a birthday but it will be held outdoors and it’s going to be pretty hot. I’m covering it in fondant but was just going to ask if you could substitue half butter and half copha (shortening) and add a couple of teaspoons of cornflour to stabilise it for the heat if it would work? Or do you think it will keep unrefrigerated under fondant in 25-27°c heat?
Thanks:)
If I don’t want too much frosting to be left over when I use this recipe with your chocolate cake recipe (which is only 2 layers), by how much should I cut down these measurements?
I don’t cut down the recipe for my Chocolate Cake. I use all the frosting. Hope you enjoy it! Thanks!
These are the measurements I use for frosting a 2 layer cake (including sides) with no frosting left over: 1 stick butter, 1/3 cup cocoa, 2 cups confectioners sugar, 3 oz. milk (I use buttermilk), 3/4 teaspoon vanilla, and 1/6 teaspoon espresso powder. I love frosting but had too much left over and these are the proportions I came up with and they work for me, and the results are great. Hope this helps.
KB
Made this fabulous chocolate cake with icing last Sunday on my son’s 4th bday and everyone loved it! The chocolate icing is to die for! Thanks for Robyn!
Happy birthday to your son! We were both making it on Sunday for our boy’s birthdays! How cool! xo
Robyn, anyone…
can I use buttermilk instead of milk for the butter cream frosting?
Hi Marion,
I don’t use buttermilk in this frosting because it will change the flavor and make it more tart.
Thanks!
WOW! made this for my daughter’s birthday yesterday. AMAZING!!!
I made it for my son’s birthday yesterday, too! 🙂 Happy birthday to your daughter!
Hi! How much butter in grams is 1 and 1/2 cups?
Many thanks!
I didn’t have espresso powder, so I used 1/3 Cup special dark cocoa, and 2/3 cup regular cocoa. Came great!
So glad you enjoyed it, Kim! Thanks!
Can I substitute the butter for coconut oil, and the milk for soy milk, to make it dairy free? Also I want to colour it blue, so wondering about leaving out the coca so that it isn’t brown. Do you think this would work? Thanks!
Can you subsititute normal instant coffee powder for the espresso?
I’ve not used that and don’t think that will work well in the recipe, Giselle. I suggest using espresso powder for the best results. You can also omit the espresso powder if you need to do so. Hope you enjoy it! Thanks!
I’ve used instant coffee for this and it turned out excellent.
Is the frosting suppose to be grainy? Will adding more milk help smooth the frosting into a creamier frosting ?
Hi Megan,
No, the frosting is not grainy at all. You’ll want to make sure of a few things: your butter is room temperature, you completely cream together your butter and sugar before adding in the other ingredients, and you follow the recommendations in the instructions about whipping in the air at a higher speed.
Can I use Dutch processed cocoa powder?
You sure can, Ann. I hope you enjoy it!