This Easy Chocolate Frosting Recipe, made with cocoa powder, is silky smooth and full of chocolate flavor. It's thick enough to hold up whether it is spread over a cake or piped on top of cupcakes.
If you're looking for even more frosting recipes, you can also try this Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting, White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting, or our Classic Buttercream Frosting.
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Easy Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
This simple chocolate buttercream is everything that you want your chocolate frosting to be. It’s rich and creamy, silky smooth, super chocolatey, easy to work with, and couldn’t be simpler to make.
Basically fudge perfection in frosting form, this melt-in-your mouth buttercream is perfect for piping fancy design and intricate patterns. I regularly use it for cupcakes, birthday cakes, layered cakes, and even cookies.
Ways to Use Chocolate Buttercream
There are a million ways to use this easy Chocolate Buttercream Frosting, but here are a few of our favorite recipes to eat it with:
- Chocolate Bundt Cake
- Coconut Filled Chocolate Bundt Cake
- Brownie Bites
- Zucchini Cupcakes
- Pumpkin Cake
- Pumpkin Cupcakes
- Raspberry Sweet Rolls
Ingredients You Will Need
- Butter - you need the butter to be room temperature and soft so that it will whip up well. Either pull out a couple hours ahead of time, or put into a microwave-safe container and heat for about 10 seconds at a time until soft.
- Vanilla Extract - pure vanilla extract tastes best.
- Milk - use whole milk, 2% milk or even heavy cream.
- Powdered Sugar - it’s always a good idea to sift your powdered or confectioners sugar through a fine mesh strainer.
- Cocoa Powder - the better the quality cocoa powder, the better your chocolate frosting will taste. I recommend using a high-quality cocoa powder, such as Ghirardelli or Guittard.
Variations to Try
- Espresso Powder- Add a teaspoon or two of this to give your chocolate frosting even more intensity.
- Mini Chocolate Chips- You can make it a Double Chocolate Chip Recipe by simply adding some mini chocolate chips.
- Mint Extract- You can add a half teaspoon of mint extract for a fun mint chocolate version. Try adding this to your favorite brownie recipe.
How to Make Chocolate Buttercream
- Whip the butter. Place soft room temperature butter into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and whip until light and fluffy, or about 2 minutes.
- Add ingredients. With the mixer off, add the cocoa powder, vanilla extract, half of the powdered sugar and half of the milk. Turn the mixer on low to combine, then increase to medium high speed and whip until light and fluffy - about 2 more minutes.
- Add the rest of the sugar and milk. Add the rest of the powdered sugar, then add the milk a half tablespoon at a time, whisking until you reach the desired consistency.
- Use immediately or store for later. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes—after about 4 hours you should refrigerate both your buttercream and anything that you have used buttercream on, such as cupcakes.
Absolutely! If will hold for up to 1 week in the fridge or up to 2 months in the freezer. In order to use it again, just remove from the fridge and let the frosting warm up to room temperature. Using a hand-held mixer, mix again until soft and fluffy, adding a splash of milk or cream as needed.
If you have added all of the ingredients, including the full amount of powdered sugar and milk, and your frosting is too thin, try adding in more powdered sugar 1 tablespoon at a time until it has thickened back up.
Royal icing is less about the taste and texture. It's super sweet an hardens quickly. It's a kind of edible glue to hold decorations together. If you're wanting a rich and decadent, the best tasting frosting, you're looking for a buttercream frosting recipe. It's easy to use, you can pipe it on to cakes and cupcakes and has the best flavor.
Storing Instructions
- Refrigerator: store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- Freezer: store in an airtight container, or freezer bags, in the freezer for up to 2 months. To thaw, transfer to the fridge overnight.
- To use: once you are ready to use the frosting again, remove it from the fridge and let it warm up to room temperature. Then, using a hand-held mixer or a stand mixer, whip it up until it is nice and fluffy chocolate frosting.
Easy Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup Butter room temperature
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 2-3 Tablespoons Milk
- 3 ½ cups Powdered Sugar
- ½ cup Cocoa Powder
Instructions
- Place soft room temperature butter into the bowl of a stand mixer and whip with the whisk attachment until light and fluffy, or about 2 minutes.
- With the mixer off, add the cocoa powder, vanilla extract, half of the powdered sugar and half of the milk. Turn the mixer on low to combine, then increase to medium high speed and whip until light and fluffy - about 2 more minutes.
- Add the rest of the powdered sugar, then add the milk a half tablespoon at a time, whisking until you reach the desired consistency.
- Use immediately, or store for later. Enjoy!
Nutrition
More of the Best Frosting Recipes
- Cinnamon Buttercream
- Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
- Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
- White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cream Cheese Frosting
- Classic Buttercream Frosting
- Eggnog Buttercream Frosting
- Blood Orange Cream Cheese Frosting
- More Desserts
- More Frosting Recipes
This Chocolate Buttercream Frosting is rich and creamy, silky smooth, super chocolatey and couldn't be simpler to make. Use it on birthday cakes, chocolate cupcakes, layered cakes and more.
Gina
So easy and tasty! This has become my go-to recipe for frosting cakes and cupcakes!
Jill Baird
So glad you love it!
Nellie Tracy
Great recipe for chocolate buttercream. Perfect balance of bitter and sweet for my taste!
Jill Baird
Yes, it works on just about everything. so versitale!