Perfect Chocolate Frosting recipe

Chocolate buttercream frosting is a rich, soft and creamy icing. It spreads smoothly to pipe or decorate your favorite cakes, cupcakes and brownies. It uses simple ingredients and can be made in just five minutes.

This chocolate frosting recipe was originally posted on November 5th, 2017. It has been updated with new images and helpful tips.

By creaming softened butter, unsweetened cocoa, milk, confectioner’s sugar, and vanilla extract, you will achieve a beautiful, classic, smooth, creamy, and silky chocolate frosting. Its classic, versatile nature holds well when using a piping tip like a Wilton 1M for styles like rosettes, swirls, and ice cream swirls. You can also use a spatula or spoon to top your favorite cupcake or cake.

This chocolate frosting recipe beautifully lends itself to the perfect pairing with some of your classic and even creative sweet treats.

What pairs well with chocolate frosting?

This decadent and spoon-eating-worthy chocolate frosting pairs well with all types of cakes, cupcakes and brownies.

1. chocolate cupcakes (or cakes)
2. vanilla cupcakes
3. death by chocolate cupcakes
4. chocolate brownies

Dips and Snacks

This chocolate frosting recipe can also be used in other creative ways, such as dips, spreads and snacks.

• Fruit Dip: Use at room temperature to dip fresh strawberries, pineapple, bananas, and other fruit favorites.
• Spread: Use as a spread with various crackers such as saltines and graham crackers.
• Pretzel Dip: Slightly warm up the frosting (or serve at room temperature) as a dip for fresh, homemade pretzels and pretzel bites
• S’mores: After you melt a marshmallow onto the bottom of a graham cracker, spread the top graham cracker with a generous amount of chocolate frosting and sandwich together.
• Warm Drizzle: Melt chocolate frosting and drizzle on top of ice cream, popcorn, or other sweet and savory treats.

Chocolate Frosting Ingredients

Grab these simple ingredients to make this fan-favorite chocolate frosting recipe.

• softened butter: unsalted, softened butter should be at room temperature. (See tips below.)
• unsweetened cocoa powder: natural, unsweetened cocoa powder to achieve that rich chocolate flavor
• confectioner’s sugar: (also known as powdered sugar) Hello sweets!
• milk or heavy cream: to lighten up and combine everything in the smoothest, silkiest way
• vanilla extract: professional flavor enhancer for all sweets
• Espresso powder (optional): You can add 1/4 teaspoon of espresso powder to the recipe to deepen the chocolate flavor with slightly infused notes of coffee.

Pro Tip: I have found through testing this recipe numerous times that those who do not like coffee pick up on the notes of espresso flavor quickly. Similarly, those who love coffee have noted that they liked the chocolate frosting better with the espresso infused into the recipe. Just food for thought when deciding on adding espresso or not.

How to make chocolate buttercream frosting

1. Sift confectioner’s sugar and cocoa powder into a medium-sized bowl.
2. With a handheld mixer or stand mixer with a whisk or paddle attachment, beat butter on high speed for 3 minutes or until creamy and smooth. The butter will lighten in color. Scrape down the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula.
3. Add the remaining ingredients of confectioner’s sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla extract and milk. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds until all the confectioner’s sugar and cocoa powder are incorporated, then increase to medium speed for 2-3 minutes until well blended. Scrape down the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula. Add another tablespoon of milk if the frosting is too thick or 1/4 cup more confectioner’s sugar if frosting is too thin.

Pro Tip: Use a whisk or a spoon to break up clumps of the cocoa powder and powdered sugar. It doesn’t make a mess like sifting does. It also makes cleanup easier and quicker.

How to tell when the chocolate frosting consistency is right?

Scoop some frosting onto a spoon (or with your finger) and hold it in an upward position. If it is light, creamy, fluffy, smooth, and holds its shape well, it’s done. If it slips off the spoon (or your finger), or feels wet or greasy, it needs more confectioner’s sugar. Add another tablespoon of milk if the frosting is too thick, or 1/4 cup more confectioner’s sugar if the frosting is too thin. Repeat as necessary.

Tips for Success

Start with softened butter. For a smooth and creamy frosting consistency, make sure the butter is softened by placing it on the counter for one hour before you make the recipe. When you press your finger into the butter, it should make an indent. Softened butter is between 65° degrees and 68° degrees.

Use a whisk or a spoon to break up clumps of the cocoa powder and powdered sugar instead of sifting the powders. It doesn’t make a mess like sifting does. It also makes cleanup easier and quicker.

Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl. A spoon or wooden spoon works as well. But a rubber spatula really helps to flawlessly scrape down the sides of the bowl to help incorporate any bits of creamed butter or powdered sugar off the sides of the bowl.

How many cups does this make?

This recipe makes about 2 and 1/4 cups of chocolate frosting.

How many cupcakes will this frost?

This chocolate frosting recipe frosts 12 cupcakes generously or 24 cupcakes with light frosting.

How much frosting to decorate a cake?

To frost an 8″ or 9″ two-layer cake, double the recipe to make 4 1/2 cups of frosting.

Storage Tips

Refrigerator: This chocolate frosting recipe can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. When ready to use, use a hand-held mixer to re-whip the frosting to a light, creamy texture.

Freezer: Store any leftover frosting for up to three months in the freezer. Pull the container and let thaw to a chilled temperature. You can use a hand-held mixer to rewhip the frosting to a light, creamy texture.

More Favorite Frostings

• vanilla buttercream frosting
• strawberry buttercream frosting
• cream cheese frosting

As I update posts from their original, true-form blogging style of 10-15 years ago, I am saving some snippets from each blog post for cherished memories. These will be located at the end of each post. Feel free to read them and enjoy, or simply bypass them. Thanks! ~ Heather

Timecapsule – Excerpt from original blog post on November 5, 2017.

Whenever I make chocolate frosting (or any frosting, really), my children look at me with widened, hopeful eyes and the cutest smile, and ask to lick one of the whisks or to have the wooden spoon I use to scrape the bowl.

How could I say ‘no’ to those sweet little faces?