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
Best chocolate frosting ever!!! Agree with many others – expresso powder is a powerful secret ingredient!! Can’t wait for my family’s reaction (provided I don’t eat it all before I frost the cake!!)
Karen, isn’t it amazing how that little bit of espresso powder can make such a difference to chocolate? Hope your family loves the cake!
Can we use regular caster sugar, in place of icing sugar? It’s becoming really hard to find the right baking ingredients 🤷🏽♀️
The caster sugar is not as finely ground as the confectioner’s sugar in this recipe, Nala. You can grind the caster sugar a little more until it is more like a powder and use it a substitute for the confectioner’s sugar.
Amazingly delicious!
This IS the best chocolate cake ever. Made for my niece’s birthday cake. My dad said “I’ve never particularly liked chocolate cake – but this is the best chocolate cake I’ve ever had!”. It does make a lot of frosting. Not a bad thing. I used unsalted butter and almond milk for the frosting (all I had) and it turned out just fine. Thank you!
Thank you, Nicole. Happy late birthday to your niece. So glad everyone loved the cake!
Perfection! So yummy and goes so perfectly with the best chocolate cake recipe! I’ve always come back to this recipe because it is just simply the best!
Can I pour chocolate ganache over the buttercream cake ? Would you recommend it ?
You will need to cool the frosted cake in the refrigerator until the buttercream is cold, at least 30 minutes. Make sure your ganache has cooled and thickened before pouring over the ganache.
How much cake will this one batch cover?
It makes plenty to frost a three layer cake or three dozen cupcakes beautifully, Brittany.
Hi! My daughter is allergic to dairy – what could I use in place of the butter & milk?
Deb, you can use a vegan butter and a dairy-free milk such as almond milk to make this recipe.
Thanks Robyn!
Hi Robyn – I used earths balance vegan butter and it seems a bit salty. I know you use salted butter – but I’m wondering if the vegan butter is saltier. What would you recommend doing to sweeten it up without drying it out?
I haven’t used vegan butter, Amanda, so I’m not sure how salty it is but you could add a small amount of powdered sugar to sweeten it more.
she said you can use almond milk
What kind of milk? Can I substitute with heavy whipping cream or buttermilk??
I use whole milk, Nicole. I haven’t used buttermilk so I’m not sure about the taste but you can use heavy cream.
Perfect frosting! Easy to make!
Thank you, Missy.