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
Do you use salted or unsalted butter for the frosting?
I like to use salted butter unless I specify unsalted. Hope you enjoy this Kathy! So good!
I am about to make the frosting but all I have is unsalted butter. How much salt should I be adding?
You can use the unsalted butter, Lakisha. I just prefer using salted butter but yours will still be delicious! Thanks so much!
If you use the espresso can you taste the coffee flavor at all? The person I am making it for hates coffee…..
Hi Connie,
The espresso powder enhances the richness of the chocolate. It doesn’t taste like coffee but you can also omit it if you aren’t certain you want to use it. Enjoy! Thanks!
I was worried about the coffee flavor as well. My husband does not like coffee, but I always try the recipe exactly as is the first time. He ate plenty of cake, so he must not have detected the coffee flavor at all.
Made this today as an 8″ two layer cake and two large cupcakes. The cake layers didn’t rise as much as I’d hoped but I blame where I live, not the recipe. I’m a missionary and live in Kenya at 7,000′ so most things I bake require several tries and a bit of tweaking. I reduced the sugar by 1/2 cup and the b.p. a bit too. I will try this recipe again and keep making high altitude adjustments until I get the perfect cake. The taste is FANTASTICALLY yummy!
I’m so glad you liked it Cathy! Thanks!
Hi cathyinafrica,
I used to live at high altitude too. What I learned was to cut back on the leavening (b.p., b.s., etc.) by 1/4, add an extra egg, and don’t over beat the eggs. Hope this helps!
Kris
Just made this for a meeting tomorrow; 3rd time making it and it came out great! My family is waiting in line for scraps when I trim the cake and the frosting bowl…they’re so depressed I’m taking it with me! My frosting was very glossy and not thick enough after 4th cup of sugar, ended up adding quite a bit more sugar to get the right consistency- I think my butter was to soft…end result frosted up great though!
Getting to get the frosting spatula after the cake is decorated is a good part, right?! I’m so happy you enjoy it!
The flavor of this frosting is great! It turned out a little runny but I think I didnt beat it long enough after adding the milk and sugar. I thought It looked mixed well enough but I guess enough air didn’t get into the mix. Ah well! That’s my fault. I had No trouble licking the bowl clean though!
Thanks Kayla! You are right, it shouldn’t be at all runny, so I hope you give it another try – and I’m happy you enjoyed it enough to lick the bowl!!! xo
Hello.
I made this frosting couple of times and every time I can feel the sugar (if you know what I mean). Is it supposed to be like this or I’m just making it wrong?
Hi Yoanna,
I’m not sure why you are feeling the sugar in the frosting, but here are a couple of tips …Make sure your butter is softened/room temperature. Make sure that you are following the recipe instructions exactly as written. I hope this helps. Thanks so much!
Wow! I have tried many other recipes, most with more ingredients and a lot more work.
This recipe was so simple, easy, and delicious.
It was perfect for a simple cake that I made today with very limited time.
Thanks so much Sandi!
Can you use Hershey’s unsweetened cocoa?
Yes!
I made this wonderful cake last year for my husband’s birthday, and I just finished making it again this year for his birthday. This time around, for the buttercream frosting, I used only 1/2 cup of cocoa and no powdered espresso. I LOVE the cake and frosting with these ingredients–so rich–but my husband and daughter wanted a less rich frosting. Thank you for this excellent recipe!
Hi there, excuse my ignorance – what is a “stick” of butter? When you say 1.5 cups pdf butter, I gather this does not mean melted (as you said softened), or does it? Love the recipe and the website.
Hi Steve,
In the US, some butter is sold in sticks, which are traditionally equal to 1/2 cup each. So for the recipe I list it both ways, 1 1/2 cups, or 3 sticks, for ease of measure for some bakers. I have a Conversion Chart if that will help as well.
You are correct, the butter is not melted, but softened.
I am happy to hear you enjoy the website and recipes. Hope this helps! Thanks!