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 this frosting be piped and does it crust?
Hello. I tried this already but my buttercream was so grainy. Is there a way to make this buttercream silky and smooth because i really love the taste. Thanks you
Just make sure to thoroughly whip the ingredients as given in the recipe instructions. It should make a really creamy frosting. I hope this helps Jazzie! Thanks!
Omgosh,I just made this frosting and it’s absolutely amazing!!!Way better than any store bought or anything else I’ve tried!!!Thank you soooooo much for sharing!Family approved highly!!😁
Thank you from the bottom of my heart! You are right, this is truly a delicious cake. Everything about it is perfect. It was a special treat for a friends Birthday. I followed your recipe with a couple exceptions. For the milk portion for the cake I used a half cup of Zoi plain yogart and filled the measuring cup the rest of the way to the 1 cup line with whole milk. And I didn’t have espresso powder so I just used (Silverhook) freshly brewed coffee for the boiling water. And I took your advice and I didn’t use a mixer just a spoon and a whisk for mixing the cake batter. And for the frosting I did use a mixer, I didn’t use the espresso powder since I didn’t have any. Everybody was in awe, one guest said that he didn’t normally like chocolate cake but this was the exception and he ate seconds. =) Thanks for the awesome recipe. It’s such a good recipe that even with alterations it is still amazing! Next time, I will follow your recipe exactly and it will likely be even better!!
Wow, it really is the best choc cake recipe ever. So easy and it’s so light and moist. I thought I’d done something wrong when I finished mixing it because it was such a wet mix but to my surprise is was just perfect. So easy and tasted great. Thank you!!!
This is my favorite chocolate frosting recipe. I’ve used it many times on your chocolate cake (which has become my go to chocolate cake recipe) and on yellow cakes and it always comes out fantastic. Since I usually make two layer 9″ cakes, I cut this recipe by a third and still have plenty. The espresso powder gives a little oomph to the chocolate flavor without tasting like mocha. My friends and family thank you for sharing this. 😉
Thanks Linda! xo
This chocolate cake and frosting was perfect ! Cake was so moist and frosting goes so well !!
I only have one question , as the frosting has milk and to keep the cake nice and moist I prefer to keep it out of the fridge . How long can it sit outside ( out of fridge ) if it’s winter here in Australia ?
Does this frosting work well for piping on cupcakes?
I love this frosting on cupcakes, Carol! xo
Oh my GOD! I just made my first from scratch chocolate cake. I made it from this recipe, it came out PERFECT. The taste is AMAZING. Thank you so much! 💋 ( oh and I used instant coffee and ground it up like powder).
I’m so happy you liked it, Evelyn! Thanks so much! xo
I’ve made this cake and the frosting 3 times, now my family won’t let me make any other kind! It is the best ever!
It is kind of hard to resist, isn’t it Barb?! So glad your family likes it so much! Thanks so much! xo