Favorite Chocolate Frosting Recipe

Delicious, smooth, slightly sweet chocolate frosting that is perfect for icing cakes, cupcakes, cookies, macarons and more! This chocolate frosting recipe is easy to make and uses common ingredients you may already have in your pantry or you can find at a grocery store!

American Buttercream Base

We start with my easy American buttercream recipe as the base with slight adjustments and of course, cocoa powder. Because this is American buttercream, this frosting will crust over. This means you can pipe the same type of designs you would with American buttercream.

Ingredients and Substitutions

The ingredients for this chocolate frosting recipe are pretty easy to find in grocery store and you might even have these in your pantry and refrigerator right now!

• unsalted butter softened to room temperature
• pure vanilla extract
• powdered sugar (also called icing sugar or confectioners sugar)
• unsweetened natural cocoa powder
• fine sea salt
• whipping cream (or heavy cream)

Substitute dutch-processed cocoa powder for unsweetened natural cocoa powder. Note that depending on the brand and process of cocoa powder, your chocolate buttercream frosting may be lighter or darker in color after mixing.

Substitute milk for heavy whipping cream but note the final frosting will be slightly less creamy – still tastes yummy though!

Helpful Tools

To make buttercream frosting creamy and smooth, the best and most time saving way is to use an electric mixer. This could be a stand mixer or hand held mixer. The trick with a stand mixer is that after your ingredients have been incorporated, we whip chocolate frosting for an additional 5-8 minutes on low speed with a paddle attachment.

You might also want to push out air bubbles which is when a silicone spatula comes in handy!

Watch The Video!

Visual Guide

Make sure you have room temperature butter before beginning (super important!). Room temperature butter incorporates with other ingredients easier and less mixing at high speed means less air bubbles. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes.

Add powdered sugar about 1 cup at a time, mixing on low in-between additions. Then add cocoa powder and mix on low for about 30 more seconds.

Add vanilla extract, salt, and heavy whipping cream and mix on low speed for about 30 seconds. Then increase to high speed and beat for 1 full minute.

Taste your frosting! If too thick, add about 2 tsp of heavy whipping cream and mix. For frosting that’s too thin, add 1 tbsp powdered sugar and mix for an additional minute. It’s better to make small adjustments, but remember when you alter one ingredient, you may have to add another to keep flavors balanced.

Once the frosting is combined, whip for an additional 5-8 minutes on low speed. This will make creamy and smooth frosting.

Chocolate Frosting FAQ

How Much Cake Can This Frost?

This recipe can frost and fill up to a 6inch 3 layer cake or up to a 9inch 2 layer cake. Depending on the cake size you may have leftover which can be saved in the refrigerator or freezer (see how to store below).

Can I Double or Half The Recipe?

Yes to both! When doubling the chocolate frosting recipe make sure you are using a stand mixer that can fit 4.5 quarts or more.

How Do You Get Rid of Air Bubbles?

Air bubbles appear in your buttercream when too much air has been incorporated during the whipping process. To prevent air bubbles, make sure you always let your butter come to room temperature. The softer the butter the less whipping you have to do. Also, only beat the ingredients on high for 1 full minute.

To push out air bubbles, mix your frosting on low speed for an additional 5 minutes with the paddle attachment in a stand mixer. You can also use a spatula to manually “push” the air out. Push the frosting back and forth against the sides of a mixing bowl. It takes time and arm strength but it works.

My Chocolate Buttercream is Very Light in Color

This recipe calls for whipping the buttercream on low speed for 5-8 minutes to get rid of air bubbles and create a smooth and creamy texture. All this mixing can lighten the color of frosting. Note that this doesn’t change the flavor at all!

If you want darker icing there’s an easy trick. In a microwavable bowl, add 1/2 cup of chocolate buttercream and microwave for just 10 seconds. Heat darkens buttercream because the heat gets rid of some of the air we added from mixing. Add the melted buttercream back into your mixing bowl and mix on low speed only until incorporated.

Why is My Chocolate Frosting Grainy?

Make sure you are using powdered sugar, not granulated sugar. Also try sifting your powdered sugar. When you beat the butter and powdered sugar, make sure they are well combined and there are no powdered sugar lumps remaining before going onto the next step.

Does This Chocolate Frosting Crust Over?

Yes! The base is an American buttercream recipe and will crust over. You can pipe the same way you would using my American buttercream recipe.

Can This Frosting Be Used Under Fondant?

It can! You can ice cakes, use it as filling, and so much more.

How To Store Chocolate Frosting

Once you make frosting, use it immediately! If making in advance or you have leftover, store in an airtight container for up to 1 week in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer.

I like to take out buttercream from the freezer the night before I need it, and let it thaw in the refrigerator. Thawed buttercream needs to be rewhipped. In a stand mixer or with a handheld mixer, beat the frosting on low-medium speed for a minute or two to bring the texture back to creamy and smooth. If needed, add some whipping cream or milk to help it come together.

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