Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
Posted Aug 02, 2020, Updated Mar 28, 2024
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The best chocolate buttercream frosting recipe! It’s smooth and creamy with a rich chocolate flavor, and easy to make in 5 minutes with 6 simple ingredients! Ditch store-bought and make this easy homemade chocolate frosting.
Buttery, creamy, rich, with a hint of sea salt and deep chocolate flavor, this is truly the best chocolate frosting recipe.
I cannot remember the last time I bought frosting because homemade is so much more delicious (like this vanilla frosting), and it’s easy to make in 5 minutes with minimal ingredients.
This chocolate buttercream is perfect for decorating cakes and cupcakes (like our favorite chocolate cake from scratch, chocolate cupcakes and this chocolate chip cookie cake) or simply slathering frosting onto your favorite baked goods like sheet cakes (this chocolate zucchini cake or banana cake), homemade brownies, cookies, etc. you name it you can’t go wrong with adding some of this chocolate frosting on top, in the middle etc.
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting: Ingredients
Let’s chat about the ingredients in this chocolate buttercream frosting, as well as possible substitutions.
Room Temperature
Ingredients must be room temperature for easy beating/mixing.
- Salted butter. Unsalted butter or vegan butter are good substitutes.
- Powdered Sugar. There is no substitution for powdered sugar. You can make your own by blending 1 cup granulated sugar plus 1 Tablespoon corn starch for every 1 cup powdered sugar called for in the recipe, in a high-powered blender (Vitamix) for 10 seconds.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder. If you want an extra-dark chocolate frosting then use dark cocoa powder.
- Sea Salt. This can be omitted, but I don’t recommend it. If using regular iodized salt, cut the amount in half.
- Vanilla Extract. Use pure vanilla extract for the best flavor. You can also use a different extract like peppermint, almond, orange, etc. to impart different flavors.
- Whole Milk. Half and half or heavy whipping cream can be used in place of whole milk, but nothing else with a lesser fat content.
How to Make Chocolate Frosting
Let’s walk through how to make this chocolate buttercream frosting recipe step-by-step! Also, don’t forget to watch the video.
Begin by combining the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and sea salt, then set it aside to use later on in the recipe.
Mixing the dry ingredients thoroughly before adding them to the butter ensure that they are evenly distributed.
Then, in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand-held mixer, cream butter until it’s light and fluffy, about 60 seconds.
Once the butter is creamed, add half of the powdered sugar mixer and slowly beat into the butter until it’s incorporated, then turn the speed to high and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy (about 30 seconds).
Finally, add the milk, vanilla, and the rest of the powdered sugar mixture. Beat, starting on low speed (or “stir”). Once all the ingredients are incorporated, turn the speed slowly to high and beat until the mixture is smooth.
Pause, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, and beat again until the frosting is smooth and homogenous (uniform throughout). Then, use in your favorite recipes.
Use in Your Favorite Dessert Recipes
This chocolate frosting is perfect to use in just about any and every way frosting can be used. Use to frost your favorite cakes (chocolate cake recipe coming Sunday), etc. Here are some of our favorite ways to enjoy it:
- Cake: Frost your favorite chocolate cake for an extra special birthday treat. My son prefers this chocolate buttercream over our usual vanilla frosting that we use for birthday cakes – because more chocolate is always a good idea. Also try it on this homemade yellow cake, or chocolate chip cookie cake.
- Cupcakes: homemade chocolate cupcakes or vanilla cupcakes are great choices.
- Sheet cakes. This chocolate frosting is perfect on any flavor of cake – like this chocolate zucchini cake, banana cake, etc.
- Brownies. Why not add an extra layer of chocolate to your favorite brownie recipes? I am obsessed with brownies, here are some of my favorites: the best homemade brownies ever, flourless brownies, and greek yogurt brownies.
- Cookies. Either use them to frost these cut-out sugar cookies, or use them to frost or make cookie-sandwiches with the best chocolate chip cookies, chocolate cookies, oatmeal cookies, peanut butter cookies, etc.
- Or, frost these chocolate chip cookie bars, YUM!
Store
Store the frosting in two ways if you plan on using it within a day or two:
- To use the same day: Store it in an airtight container at room temperature until you are ready to use. Do not chill.
- Refrigerate. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. To use: remove from the refrigerator and let the frosting come to room temperature before spreading or piping.
Freeze
Freeze chocolate frosting in a piping bag used to decorate or transfer it to a freezer-friendly zip log bag, press it flat and freeze it that way.
To thaw the chocolate buttercream frosting remove it from the freezer and let it come to room temperature. Do not microwave or it will ruin the frosting.
How to Pipe Chocolate Frosting
This chocolate buttercream pipes like a dream and hardens beautifully, making it perfect for cake decorating. I used it to make a Chewbacca cake (ok – Ritch did), for Gabe this year and he loved it. Here are some of my piping must-haves for those of you just starting out your journey to cake decorating:
- Piping bags – I have both reusable and disposable piping bags and use them all the time.
- Piping tips and couplers – I recommend a great starter tip and coupler set. However I always make this rosette style cake with a Wilton 1M tip and large coupler.
- Pastry Scraper. I use this pastry scraper to make a smooth crumb coat. I love it so much!
Chocolate Buttercream FrostingRecipe FAQs
Icing is usually made with just powdered sugar and water or milk. Frosting is made with butter or shortening.
If you find yourself with frosting that is too thin it could be a result of two things: 1) The ingredients were too warm (e.g. you melted the butter). If this is the case, chill the frosting and it should thicken as it cools.
2) You added too much milk or not enough powdered sugar. This is remedied by adding more powdered sugar until you reach a thicker consistency.
No, this chocolate buttercream should not be chilled before piping or it will get hard and will not flow smoothly. This frosting needs to be room temperature to pipe well, then chill it after the decorating is finished to set the design.
Yes, since this frosting’s base is butter which is solid at cold temperatures, the buttercream will harden in the fridge.
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Homemade Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter softened
- 4 ½ cups powdered sugar (confectioner's sugar)
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup whole milk
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and sea salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand-held mixer, cream butter until light and fluffy.
- Add half of the powdered sugar mixer and slowly beat into the butter until it’s incorporated, then turn the speed to high and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy (about 30 seconds).
- Add milk, vanilla, and the rest of the powdered sugar mixture. Beat, starting on low speed (or “stir”). Once all the ingredients are incorporated, turn the speed slowly to high and beat until the mixture is smooth.
- Pause, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, and beat again until the frosting is smooth and homogenous (uniform throughout).
- Use to frost your favorite cake, brownies, etc.
Video
Notes
- Salted butter. Unsalted butter & vegan butter are good substitutes.
- Powdered Sugar. There is no substitution for powdered sugar. You can make your own by blending 1 cup granulated sugar plus 1 Tablespoon corn starch for every 1 cup powdered sugar called for in the recipe, in a high-powered blender (Vitamix) for 10 seconds.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder. If you want an extra-dark chocolate frosting then use dark cocoa powder.
- Sea Salt. This can be omitted, but I don’t recommend it. If using regular iodized salt, cut the amount in half.
- Vanilla Extract. Use pure vanilla extract for the best flavor. You can also use a different extract like peppermint, almond, orange, etc. to impart different flavors.
- Whole Milk. Half and half or heavy whipping cream can be used in place of whole milk, but nothing else with a lesser fat content.
- To use the same day: Store it in an airtight container at room temperature until you are ready to use. Do not chill.
- Refrigerate. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. To use: remove from the refrigerator and let the frosting come to room temperature before spreading or piping.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This buttercream is delicious!! I decided to try it based off of the other reviews and couldn’t be more pleased. It came together so seamlessly and is absolutely delicious. I made it this afternoon and already wrote it down in my recipe book because I never want to lose this recipe!!
This really is the best chocolate frosting recipe!! I’ve tried a lot of them and this one is the perfect balance of sweet and salty, light but still chocolatey. It came out perfectly. I did a crumb coat and middle layer with a really decadent dark chocolate ganache and wanted something to balance that out… this really delivered! I can’t stop eating it lol
Oh my goodness! Not only is this frosting delicious, it works great with decorating tips. I used heavy cream in place of whole milk, so I increased the amount a little. With many thanks to you, it’s my new keeper! Cakes for 43 years and counting!
I am such a buttercream snob and this recipe is perfection (chef’s kiss)
What could I add to this recipe to make a coffee flavored frosting?
I would add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of espresso powder.
Love them I’m goner try them .tnx a lot Laura u are the best
I agree, this IS the Best Chocolate Buttercream frosting!
So much better than any other chocolate frosting I have tried and far better than frosting on a commercial bakery cake.
It comes together quickly and the ingredients are readily available in the grocery store.
Thank you sharing – it will be my go-to chocolate frosting forever!
Laura, you are truly amazing. This is the first time I have made homemade frosting. Instructions were very easy to follow, I did not have full fat milk, so I used half-n-half. It came out fantastic!!