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 there,
This recipe sounds delicious! I was just curious if the 5 cups of confectioners sugar makes the frosting too sweet? Would reducing the sugar change the consistency of the frosting!
Hi Ina,
I personally think the frosting is delicious – and changing the amount used will change the consistency of the frosting. I hope you enjoy it! xo
Can you make this icing using almond milk? Thanks!
The frosting is amazing! Best I have ever had!
Hi! Do you think there will be enough frosting if a halve this recipe for the 2-layer 9-inch chocolate cake? It seems like the full recipe makes a whole lot. Thanks!
Katie,I was wondering the same thing.robyn stone ,hope you reply!
I’ve not tried making the frosting with almond milk. I can’t speak to the results. Hope you enjoy it! Thanks!
Did you try it?? I’m wondering this right now!
Perfect recipe – Thank You very much xx
Just wanted to ask how to store it if I bake it over nigh??
Could you tell me if this cake is good to put fondant over it? I really want to make this cake for a family party and just wanted to know if the cake will hold up to having fondant covering it? I’m making the cake to look like a hockey puck since my uncle is a huge hockey fan. Thanks for any feedback you can provide me. It looks absolutely delicious!
Hi MK,
I’ve not covered it in fondant so I can’t personally say, but there may be others who have left comments who’ve used fondant. It is a really moist cake and so delicious! I hope you enjoy it! Thanks! xo
This cake is perfect for covering in fondant and I have made it (with personal tweaks) my go to recipe for wedding, birthday and other celebration cakes. Do a good crumb coat first and then carry on depending on how you wish to finish the cake. I always use dowels if I stack tiers. Hope this helps.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Perfect recipe ….thank you very much
Thanks so much!
I tried out your recipe together with the perfect chocolate cake and I loved it – so did everyone else! Thank you very much for sharing! I will be baking it again and again <3
Thanks so much Dolores! xo
Made this cake with Valhrona cocoa powder for an 80th birthday. I used the coconut oil and butter milk. The cake was so moist and deicious. Everyone raved about. This is a keeper.
So glad to hear it was a hit, Fiona! Thanks! xo
I am serving this tomorrow with your Best Chocolate cake recipe, wondering if i should frost today? Will the icing stay fresh in a sealed cake container? Or best to whip up tomorrow before the party?
Wondering this too!
You can go ahead and frost the cake if you wish the day before serving. Just make sure to keep covered under a cake dome and serve within a day or two. Enjoy!!! Thanks!