This American Chocolate Buttercream Frosting is silky, whipped, decadent, and chocolatey with just the right amount of sweetness. It has 6 simple ingredients and takes just 6 minutes to make.
This Chocolate Buttercream spreads and pipes beautifully over chocolate cakes and cupcakes so it’s perfect for all of your baking projects.
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We love homemade frosting recipes from Vanilla Buttercream to Cream Cheese Frosting and of course, this easy Chocolate Buttercream Frosting. In fact, we loved it so much that I even used it on my daughter’s Chocolate Birthday Cake in Natasha’s Kitchen Cookbook. Homemade frostings use higher-quality ingredients and taste way better than store-bought.
Chocolate Frosting Video Tutorial
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Chocolate Buttercream Recipe
This chocolate buttercream frosting is thick and fluffy. It holds its shape well, just like Swiss Meringue Buttercream so it’s great for decorating and piping. It also has a rich chocolate flavor.
How much frosting does this make?
Frosting Cupcakes? This recipe yields about 2 1/4 cups frosting and generously frosts 12 cupcakes or lightly frosts 24 cupcakes.
Frosting a Cakes? To frost a 9” 2-layer cake, increase the recipe by 50% (i.e. 1 1/2 cups butter, 4 1/2 cups sugar, etc).
The Key to Great Chocolate Buttercream
Soften Butter Correctly – For the best-textured buttercream, make sure the butter is at the correct temperature. Properly softened butter should be left at room temperature for about 1 1/2 hours, or watch our video on how to soften butter in 5 minutes.
Your butter should feel cool to the touch and you should be able to indent it with your fingertip. Never melt or over-soften butter for the frosting or it will become too thin and greasy.
Scrape down the bowl several times while mixing to ensure your chocolate and sugar are incorporated with the butter. If you don’t scrape down the bowl, your frosting will have streaks of cocoa and won’t be uniform in color. It will be especially obvious if you pipe the frosting.
Ingredients for Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- Unsalted butter – should be softened at room temperature. Use unsalted so you can control the salt in the recipe.
- Confectioners sugar – also known as powdered sugar. This is measured before sifting (sifting is not necessary).
- Cocoa powder – natural unsweetened cocoa powder or Dutch process.
- Heavy whipping cream – lightens up and thins the frosting.
- Vanilla extract – we use real vanilla extract for the best flavor.
- Salt – balances the sweetness of the buttercream. It’s the secret ingredient in buttercream that makes it taste not too sweet. We use fine sea salt.
How to Make Chocolate Buttercream
The best Chocolate Buttercream is easier and takes less time than you think!
- Beat butter in a mixing bowl with the whisk attachment on high speed for 3 minutes until creamy and lightened in color.
- Add remaining ingredients – powdered sugar, cocoa powder, heavy cream, vanilla extract, and salt.
- Beat together on low speed until powdered sugar is incorporated then on medium/high speed for another 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl several times. Add more cream at the end if needed to thin the frosting.
Pro Tip:
Use a silicone spatula to scrape down the bowl several times while mixing to ensure the frosting is evenly blended and even in color and texture.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can use unsweetened natural cocoa powder such as Hershey’s brand, or use Dutch process cocoa powder to make chocolate buttercream.
You can thin the frosting with milk instead of heavy cream, but you may need slightly less. Add it until you reach your desired texture.
You can easily double the recipe, increasing your mixing times slightly.
Funny story, I spent years sifting the dry ingredients for this recipe until I decided to skip the step one day and found it did not make a difference. The ingredients will be incorporated easily without sifting.
How to Serve Chocolate Buttercream
This frosting is delicious over cakes, cupcakes, sweet bread, cookies you name it! Here are some of our favorite ways to use Chocolate Buttercream frosting:
- Chocolate Cupcakes
- Sugar Cookies
- Vanilla Cupcakes
- Honey Cupcakes
- Greek Yogurt Cupcakes
- Chocolate Cake or Vanilla Cake – scale it up by 50% for a 2-layer cake.
Enjoy this easy 6-minute Chocolate Buttercream Frosting. It’s one I’ve been making for years and I will never stop loving this recipe.
Make-Ahead
- To Refrigerate: Store in an airtight container or ziploc bag for up to a week (do not store near fish or meat as it may absorb those fridge odors). Bring to room temperature and re-whip to make the frosting fluffy.
- Freezing: Package the same way as for refrigerating, then freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight then bring to room temperature before re-whipping to a fluffy consistency.
More Homemade Frosting Recipes
If you love to bake, here are the frosting recipes that you should have in your recipe box. They are my go-to’s for cakes and cupcakes:
- Vanilla Cupcake Frosting
- Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
- Chocolate Ganache
- Cinnamon Roll Icing
- Blackberry Frosting
- White Chocolate Frosting
- Homemade Whipped Cream
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting (6-Minute Recipe)
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3 cups confectioners sugar
- 1/2 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- 3 to 4 Tbsp heavy whipping cream, plus more to thin the frosting
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- With a handheld mixer or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat butter on high speed for about 3 minutes or until creamy and lightened in color, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- Add confectioners sugar, cocoa powder, 3 Tbsp heavy cream, 2 tsp vanilla extract, and 1/4 tsp salt.
- Beat on low speed until sugar is incorporated then increase to medium/high speed and beat for 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl several times to ensure everything is well blended. Add another Tablespoon of heavy cream if needed to thin the frosting.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
Yummm! Now that is the chocolate frosting I’ve been looking for. So good. Thanks for sharing!
You’re very welcome, Kim!
I was looking for frosting recipe until I found this, it was perfect for me, deliciuos , easy to make it, I recommended it. Thank you Natasha.
I’m so happy to hear that, Maria!
Hi. I plan on frosting your mini cupcakes recipe with both vanilla and chocolate frosting. Can I just make the basic vanilla frosting, take half of it out and add the cocoa powder?
Hi Ellen, that is the main difference between our two recipes. You can see my Vanilla Buttercream Frosting recipe here for reference. I hope this helps.
My husband who doesn’t like chocolate frosting stuck his finger in the bowl. And then asked for a cupcake heaped with the frosting. It’s the best buttercream frosting ever!!!
That’s wonderful, Keli! So glad to hear this frosting won him over.
Hi Natasha if I’m using 2 9” cakes do I double the recipe?
Hi Heather, please see the section titled: “How much frosting does this make?”
Omg this frosting is the best!So glad I made this for my double chocolate cake so 😋 yummy
Thanks for the recipe Natasha ❤️🇨🇦
Hi Natasha.Can I use salted butter would that be ok?
Yes, just don’t any add additional salt.
If I’m making this for a church bake sale, how long can it set out without refrigeration?
Hi Carolyn. This frosting is stable at room temperature for 1-2 days. If you’re in a warm climate and having that bake sale outside, keep it out of direct sunlight. If it’s too warm, it will start to melt so refrigerating it is wise.
I made this and it was almost perfect. I only had ten minutes to make the frosting along with making whip cream to go in to the center. It tasted great but I needed more time to decorate them. I will use this recipe again.
Great to hear that you enjoyed the frosting! I’m glad you found your new go-to recipe!
Best Chocolate frosting I’ve ever made!!
I don’t have heavy cream! Can I use Half and Half?
That would be fine, Kitty.
Making now for birthday cake. I’m little short on powder sugar can i add a touch of granulated sugar to butter whipped?
Hi Evelyn! It will remain grainy and gritty in the buttercream. If you have a high-speed blender, food processor, or coffee grinder you can make powdered sugar using granulated sugar.
Hi Natasha!
This frosting is the best! First time making my own frosting. I have a question, I only used 2 cups of powdered sugar, not 3 like the recipe, still came out delicious, but it felt softer and not thicker if that makes sense? It went on smoothly on your Chocolate cake recipe I made, but was to soft. Any tips?
Hi Rebb, the sugar is important for structure and stability. With using less, the frosting will be softer.
Perfect makes sense Natasha! I will use that extra cup of powdered sugar next time around. I absolutely love your recipes!
Thank you!
You’re very welcome!
Best frosting ever! My family loved it! I put the recipe in my recipe book. We will use this often.
Hi Natasha! I made your chocolate cupcakes (came out amazing) and this frosting, which also came out great, but a bit sweet for my taste buds. If I were to lessen the sugar to 2/3 or even half, would I need to adjust anything else in the recipe?
Thank you so much!!
Hi, The sugar helps to stabilize the frosting, so using less sugar would make it softer.
Can i leave out the cocoa powder and add vanilla to make this vanilla buttercream ? Love this recipe don’t want to go hunting for a new one for vanilla buttercream
Hi there! I recommend using my Vanilla Buttercream Frosting recipe which is very similar. Removing the cocoa powder from this recipe would likely also require adjusting the sugar as well (adding more).
I made this for my Hubby’s birthday cake today and it’s the perfect recipe, truly. I’ve been baking for a long time and I avoid buttercream at all costs, but this was a special request. What makes this the perfect recipe are the ratios, it’s not toothacheingly sweet, the consistency is pipe-able and it makes just the right amount. I used Dutch process cocoa and I forgot to buy heavy cream so I used about 4.5 T of milk which was just right. If I ever need to make Chocolate buttercream in the future, this will be my go-to recipe. Thank you Natasha😊
That’s wonderful! So glad it was a huge success!
Tasted wonderful and chocolatie! Delicious 😋
Hello Natasha, I don’t generally post, but I feel you deserve every kind word people have to say, including mine. I have never been able to get frosting right. I said that to say, OMG! This frosting is so good and it came out absolutely perfect and I cannot believe how easy it truly was to make. I haven’t looked back since my friend directed me to your frosting. Now, your recipes are the first I go to when I am looking for anything I want to try and I am never disappointed (neither is the family). I see the great reviews about your cookbook and once I can afford it, I will definitely be buying it. I will also be watching some facebook and you tube videos as I just joined both of those groups. Thank you for using your craft to share with the world!
Thank you for your kind words, it means a lot to me and it helps inspire me to share more recipes to everyone! I hope you love the recipes in my cookbook too!
Delicious frosting. Made for family and friends. They Loved it. I an asked for your recipe often. I forward your website so they can enjoy the video as well as the recipe. Thanks
Thank you so much, Mary! I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe and others too.
I thought that the ratio of butter to icing sugar was off. Too much butter
Hi Janet, this is a very common ratio for buttercream frosting. I’d be happy to help troubleshoot if you let me know what seemed off? Too much butter, too sweet, etc?
agreed texture was amazing but it came out with a strong butter flavor. looking at other recipes most have a higher ratio of cocoa powder to butter and slightly more powdered shoogs. my butter had been in the fridge for a while tho i wonder if fresh, high quality butter would have made flavors work w these ratios