This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
This chocolate cream cheese frosting is a chocolate lovers dream. This chocolate frosting is silky smooth, surprisingly easy to make, and pipes onto cupcakes or cakes beautifully.
It works really well over either of the chocolate cupcakes that I’ve posted: (1) Moist Chocolate Cupcakes – easy peasy or (2) super fluffy Dark Chocolate Cupcakes.
I’ve gotten loads of requests for a perfect chocolate cupcake frosting recipe and I know you’ll be impressed with this one. The cream cheese base gives it a lighter whipped texture. It’s not overly rich or overly sweet, but is super chocolatey and will win you over.
Yields: about 3 cups of frosting to generously frost 18 cupcakes or reasonably frost 24 cupcakes. It would also be enough to frost an 8 or 9-inch two layer round cake.
Ingredients for Chocolate Frosting Recipe:
8 oz package cream cheese, room temp
8 Tbsp (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, room temp
3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
How to Make Whipped Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting:
1. In the bowl of an electric mixer using paddle attachment (or using an electric hand mixer with a large bowl), beat together 8 oz cream cheese with 8 Tbsp butter on medium/high speed until creamy (3 min), scraping down the bowl as needed.
2. Sift in 3 cups powdered sugar with 1/2 cup cocoa powder to ensure there are no lumps then add 1/4 tsp salt. Mix on low speed until well combined, scrape down the bowl well then increase to medium/high speed and beat until smooth and whipped (1 min).
3. Add 1 tsp vanilla and beat on medium/high until smooth (1 min). Now it’s ready to be piped onto cooled cupcakes.
Note: it’s best to pipe the frosting on after it is made. If you refrigerate the frosting, it will need a little time at room temp to soften and become pipe-able.
Best Chocolate Frosting! Whipped Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 8 oz package cream cheese, room temp
- 8 Tbsp 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temp
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- In the bowl of an electric mixer using paddle attachment (or using an electric hand mixer with a large bowl), beat together 8 oz cream cheese with 8 Tbsp butter on medium/high speed until creamy (3 min), scraping down the bowl as needed.
- Sift in 3 cups powdered sugar with 1/2 cup cocoa powder to ensure there are no lumps then add 1/4 tsp salt. Mix on low speed until well combined, scrape down the bowl well then increase to medium/high speed and beat until smooth and whipped (1 min).
- Add 1 tsp vanilla and beat on medium/high until smooth (1 min). Now it's ready to be piped onto cooled cupcakes.
Notes
♥ FAVORITE THINGS ♥
Shown in this post: (nope, no one paid us to write this; just stuff we love):
*The OXO strainer/sifter is totally multi-purpose!
*I love my stacking measuring spoons – I just wash the ones I use.
*Red Stand Mixer from KitchenAid: 6 Qt. Pro 600 Series in Empire Red
Hi would this be suitable under fondant? Thinking it would be but not sure 🙂 ..
I haven’t tried this under fondant but I think it could work. If you try it, let me know how it goes! 🙂
Yes, it works great! I have made already a couple of cakes using this recipe as filling and frosting and I covered the cake with fondant and it is really wonderful!
Thanks Teresa! 🙂
Would this frosting work for cake?
Yes! It would be really yummy on a cake 🙂
This turned out so delicious! I almost want to toss my cake and just grab a bowl and a spoon. A keeper for sure! Thank you.
Ha ha, that’s awesome!! I definitely wouldn’t judge you 🙂
This is the greatestt most delicious frosting I have ever made! Thank you so much for the recipe! Will continue to make!
Thank you for such an awesome review Kristina and you are very welcome 😁.
Love this icing! It goes perfectly with your most chocolate cupcake recipe. Will definitely be making both again
Thank you for the nice review Tom 😀.
Delicious and so easy to make!! I can’t understand how someone thought it tasted too buttery? maybe using a margarine instead of butter? Anyhoo…very good!
Thank you Karen for the great review! 🙂 I’m so happy you liked it!
Frosting – or icing as we call it in New Zealand – was fantastic.
Light but rich it was the perfect topping for my sons kindergarten farewell.
Kids loved it, adults envied it! I topped with a quartered fresh strawberry. Yummo!!
Thank you for such a great review, I’m so glad everyone loved it 😁.
Too much butter. Didn’t care for it at all just tasted like chocolate butter.
Hi Denae, I wonder if maybe you didn’t beat the cream cheese and butter long enough? Also, did you add the same amount of cocoa and powdered sugar? I didn’t really sense butter in it when I made it. Cream cheese a little but not really the butter.
Aaaaand of course someone else already asked this. Never mind! Sorry. 😛
I’m glad you found the answer to your question. 🙂 Thanks Vicki!
Hey, I want to make rhis icing but I don’t want to use it all how can I save it?
You can refrigerate it and then bring it to room temperature again before using. Once it is at room temp, you can rewhip it slightly if needed to make it fluffier.
Thanks, just finished making it. It is so good!!!😊
I made this recipe to use as filling and for coating a cake that I covered with fondant. It worked out great and the taste was very good. I reduced the sugar to 2 cups instead of 3 and added 3/4 tbsp whipping cream.
I’m so glad you liked it! Thanks Teresa 🙂
The frosting goes so well with your dark chocolate cupcakes and it is always a hit! I have got so many requests to make these for kids birthday party. Thank you so much for sharing it. May I know the size of the cupcake liner you used as I can only make 12 cupcakes every time? Thanks
They are just standard cupcake liners that fit into a regular muffin tin. I’m not sure the size but they are standard as far as I know. Sorry that’s not very specific :). I’m so happy you like the recipe 🙂
Hi Natasha,
I made these cupcakes today with the frosting and they are delicious! I added 1/4 c of Nutella to the frosting and the taste was A-M-A-zing!!!! Thank you so much for the recipe! Blessings 😊
Alla thank you for the great review and the tip about Nutella. You are making me hungry :).
Dear natasha
thanks a million for your sharing. I’ve made this lovely frosting and we all loved it. Easy ,simple and tasty as well. Oo i forgot to mention it tasted sooo good.
Sam, thank you for such a great feedback, I’m glad you loved it :).
It’s amazing!!
Thanks Isabelle 🙂
This recepie did not work out for me. I followed the recepie measurements exactly as listed and the frosting was way too runny. I added a bag and a half of powdered super and tried to refrigerate and it was still too runny. I beat the heck out of it. I won’t use this recepie again and I don’t recommend it.
Hi Hannah, without being there with you, it’s difficult to say what could have gone wrong, but I’m happy to help trouble shoot. I’ve never had cream cheese and butter turn out runny unless they were melted. Did you make sure they were just softened at room temperature and not melted?
Hi, was going to make this frosting but I have no icing or powdered sugar! Any suggestions? X
Do you have a good blender or food processor to make your own? There are quite a few of tutorials online.
How does this recipe hold up for actually decorating? I am making a retirement cake and I want to put some fondant decorations on top of this…
I haven’t tried putting fondant on top of it but I think it would work with fondant. It pipes well and isn’t runny. It will become firmer in the fridge so refrigerate when you’re all done with adding your fondant so it sets stronger.
I’m going to make this chocolate frosting and use it on your vanilla cupcakes. I’ll let you know what the party thinks.
This was nice and firm, but I did cut the sugar to 2/3 cup. Why so much sugar? 🙂
Hi Marina, I like a little more when making a cream cheese frosting so it doesn’t taste too much like cream cheese. It also helps with the consistency of the frosting. You only used 2/3 cup powdered sugar?
Can we omitt the chicolat, if so will it make a difference in texture? Will I still be able to use it for piping? I need to make pink frosting for a cupcake cake I’m making and this recipe sounds so good, u want to try it
I think it would still work fine without the chocolate, but my favorite vanilla frosting for cupcakes is this one: https://natashaskitchen.com/2012/06/29/cupcake-frosting-recipe/
I made this frosting and it’s amazing! Perfect on chocolate cupcakes.
I have some leftover, how long can it be stored in the fridge?
I’m so happy to hear that. Thank you!