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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
This frosting recipe is delicious!! Not too sweet! I used it as frosting on a cheesecake I made for my blog. It paired perfectly as the cheesecake is decadent already I didn’t want an overly sweet frosting. Thank you!! I sourced you for the original frosting recipe!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that! Thank you for that great review!
Hi Natasha,
My dad is a chef and he ran a small café when I was in high school in the late ‘90’s. The café had the most amazing brownies with the best chocolate frosting I’ve ever had. Lately I’ve been wanting to replicate it but my dad wasn’t the one who made the brownies (one of the women who worked for him and one of them was the resident brownie expert) and since it’s been 20 years my dad doesn’t remember the recipe. I suspected the frosting had sour cream or cream cheese in it, so when I saw your recipe I was very excited. And guess what? The frosting is exactly how I remember it from 1995! Thank you so much for this recipe, and suffice to say this frosting is excellent on brownies!
Thanks again,
Rebecca
That is seriously fantastic!! I’d love to try your brownie recipe if you re-create it! Thank you for the amazing review! 🙂
I’ve recently discovered you, and am so happy seeing all the recipies. I was saved today by this chocolate cream cheese frosting. I had made an extreme abundance of regular cream cheese frosting and found myself needing chocolate. Look who came to my rescue! Thank you, it turned out great!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that, Jana! Thank you for the great review!
have you ever tried using mascarpone cheese?
Hi Pye, I haven’t tried that substitution so I’m not 100% sure how it would affect the consistency of the frosting, but if I were to try it, I would probably switch them out equally; 1 for 1. Let me know how you like it – I’m curious how it is with mascarpone!
No one in our family likes frosting–but I make a mascarpone version of this MINUS the butter. I add sugar and cacao to taste as we don’t like it overly sweet. I taste as I go. Not very scientific but 🙂 It doesn’t keep well if left out too long; butter might give it a little more structure.
Thank you for sharing that with me, Kasia!
Would this icing work to stack a 6 tiered rainbow cake? Ie between all 6 layers, on top and round the sides- obviously in larger quantity! Many thanks for your help
Hi Hannah! I have used it as a frosting between cake layers and it worked well. I haven’t tried it with 6 but it worked great with 4! I hope you love it!
I made this frosting for the first time yesterday, and I will make it every time that I need chocolate frosting. It tastes amazing and is so easy to make! Thank you so much for sharing it! 💖💖💖
You’re so welcome Allison! I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for the great review!
Looks so good! It is hard to find unsweetened cocoa powder where I live, could I use sweetened coco powder instead? Thank you 😊
Hi Katrin, I honestly haven’t tried that – is it like a cocoa powder mix that you would mix with hot water to create a drink? I just haven’t tested that to say for sure but I don’t think it would have the same color if you use a 1:1 substitution if it is part sugar. I wish I could be more help with your question.
Thank you. Yes, the one you would use to make drink with. It is impossible to find unsweetened cocoa powder in Scotland ☺️
Are you close to a Tesco or Asda? Both list a variety of unsweetened cocoa powders including house brands, Cadbury and Green & Black’s on their websites. Hope that helps.
I made this a couple weeks ago, while visiting my sister, for my birthday! It was amazing! I decided to try again for my moms birthday and it is just as delicious–but very difficult to make without a mixer! HAHA!
I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe and it all worked out for you. Thank you for sharing that with us!
This frosting turned out great! It covered my chocolate layer cake beautifully!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review, Julie!
Thank you so much Natasha. I have been searching for the perfect chocolate frosting that agrees with all my family and friends. Yay! I have found it. This is by far the best I have ever tasted. No more searching for me.
Awww that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Judy. It sounds like you found a new family favorite :). I’m all smiles!
Would this recipe and the other for regular cream cheese frosting (the one for your pumpkin cupcakes) still turn out tasting good if it was cut in half? I want to frost a small batch of cupcakes using both. (Picture the image of vanilla and chocolate ice cream swirled together)
HI Kristi, I think that would work but you would need to use an electric hand mixer or it may be too small of a batch to beat adequately unless you have a smaller stand mixer 🙂
Yummy!!! More than enough for a 9 X 13 inch white cake. I think I will frost some brownies, too. Thanks!!!
You’re welcome Paula! I’m glad you love this recipe. Thanks for sharing your fantastic review!
OMG this is the best chocolate frosting I’ve ever made. It is so creamy and smooth and pipes like a dream. Thank you for posting it :):)
My pleasure Alicia! I’m happy to hear the recipe is your absolute favorite. Thanks for sharing your amazing review!
This frosting looked and sounded so yummy, I used it for a chocolate cross cake for our church linger longer. I added Expresso powder, Wow! I love it, and so easy. I’M sure everyone else will too. Thanks so much. I look forward to trying more of your recipes.
You’re welcome Lois! I’m glad you enjoy the recipe as much as I do. I’ll have to try espresso powder, that sounds amazing! Thanks for following and sharing your great review!
Hi Natasha,
I will try your recipe this weekend for my son’s 2nd Bday party, am planning to make a 9×13 inch sheet cake (2 layers) and was wondering if this recipe would be enough to frost this size of a cake?
Also, I am thinking to add heavy whipped cream to this recipe and maybe use cooled melted chocolate instead of cocoa powder. What would be your suggestions of this combination? 🙂 Million thanks for your advise!
Hi Monika, for a cake that size, depending on how much frosting you wanted to use, I would do 1 1/2 to 2 times the recipe. I haven’t tried substituting with melted chocolate in this recipe so I can’t say for sure. The only one I have like that is our white chocolate frosting.
Hi Natasha, just wondering how do you measure 8 tablespoon of butter? Is it equal to 1 stick of butter?
Thank u
Hi Sema, yes it is 1 stick of butter or 113 grams or 1/2 cup of butter. 🙂
Okay I am going to try this frosting on a cake Sunday!! And am making your ‘easy sponge cake’ tonight! I can’t wait!
Please let me know what you think of the recipes Brenda!
Very easy and quite tasty. Thank you.
You’re welcome Carol! I’m glad you enjoy the recipe. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Natasha,
Do you think this frosting will work in the cake recipe -‘chocolate cake with swiss meringue bu’ttercream’?
YES!! I do think it will work well. You might make 1 1/2 times the recipe if you want a really chocolatey, decadent cake with generous amounts of frosting 🙂
Thank you for your prompt reply. I am so happy that I found your blog…your recipes are fool proof….keep on doing the amazing job that you are doing!
My pleasure Lucrecia! I’m happy to hear how much you’re enjoying the recipes! Thanks for following!
Hi,
I ave tried this recipe with great reviews , so smooth and workable and sooo delicious . My qs is whether I can make plain cream cheese frosting , what if I don’t add cocoa will it affect the consistency
Hi Amy, if not using cocoa, I would follow instructions from our Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese.
Thank you, your response is appreciated much
You’re welcome Amy!