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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
Hi Natasha
Love all your recipes! Is this a good frosting to be used under fondant?
Hi Rashmi, I have not tested this under fondant to advise. If you experiment please let me know how you like that.
Hi Natasha! Is it okay to make half portion of this recipe? Half portion for every ingredients? And just have the same texture and consistency? Planning to make 6 inches, 2 layer cake.
Thanks!
Hi Iza, if making half of the frosting recipe, I would cut everything in half across the board, but keep the mixing times the same.
Can whipping cream be added to this frosting recipe?
Hi Annie, I have not tested that but here is what one of our readers wrote: “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 hope that helps!
Hi my name is Effie. I love your recipes. My problem is I do not like to use eggs. Any recipes with out eggs,? Thank you
Hi Effie, have you tried our amazing eggless Chocolate Cake?
you are the best cook and the cutest , you are adorable, all your recipes are the best and they all turn out, please send me more on my email, thank you, liana
Thank you so much for your good words and feedback, Liana. You may subscribe to our newsletter here. I made these as individual cheesecakes in 3,5 inch ramekins, subbed with Swerve as I’m on the keto diet and covered in magic shell and berries.
For the person who asked about freezing this frosting: I made a ton of cupcakes for my daughters graduation party, I iced and decorated them in advance and then froze them. They were great, everyone loved them and my kids fought over the few that were left in the freezer. No problems.
Thank you so much for sharing that with us Laura! That’s so great!
Natasha, fantastic recipe. The frosting turned out really well and was easy to layer on the cake. It is very delicious, not overly sweet. I frosted a 3-layer 8” cake with it. There was enough to do the crumb layer, and then generously cover the cake. I had about 2/3 cup left.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
Perfect Easy & Yummy
Love it! Thank you for your feedback.
Excellent! Great flavor, fluffy texture that piped well.
That’s so great Jenny! Thank you for that wonderful review!
What kind of cream cheese do you use? And what percent fat? I tried a different recipe once and it was too runny and melting all over. What can I do differently? Thank you!
Hi Rahel, I used regular full fat cream cheese (not low fat). Make sure the cream cheese is not overly softened which can cause a cream cheese frosting to seem runny.
This has been my go-to choco frosting since I discovered it a couple of years ago. Love it. And my kids and partner go mad like cats on catnip. Thank you!
So happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing and for the great feedback.
Hi Natasha!
Love your sponge cake recipe! Been using yours only for few years now!
Do you think this chocolate cream cheese frosting will be good on it?
If not what do you recommend?
Thank you!
Natasha I love your food. I was wondering if I can freeze this chocolate frosting I don’t think I will be able to use all of it
Hi Mariya, I haven’t tested this in the freezer so I’m not sure if it is freezer friendly.
I’ve frozen cream cheese before and found it only good to cook with. I would not recommend freezing the frosting for that reason.
Was looling for a simple and delicious choc cream frosting. Tried this recipe and it was just yummm! Definately saving this recipe. Thanks Natasha!
Thank you so much for sharing that with me and for giving great feedback!
I don’t usually leave reviews but this chocolate frosting recipe is the bomb… Its good exactly the way it is, no need to tweak it at all 👍 thank you!
Thank you for this great review, Julie. I am so happy to know that you loved this recipe!
Hi Natasha, I also require the metric measurements for this recipe? Many thanks
Hi Maria, we are working on adding to our recipes, for now, this post on measuring should help.
I was planning on making cupcakes and using this icing, would it be okay to leave out over night or do they need to be refrigerated? Was planning on making it the day before the shower.
Hi Haley, once assembled you would want to cover and refrigerate them overnight and it will still be great the next day
Amazing. The frosting taste decedent yet it’s light and airy! So happy I found this recipe. I will most surely make this again. Note for others…use a star tip to frost chocolate cupcakes. I used a 2D tip (round) and they kinda look like poo emojis LOL! But OMG they taste delicious
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review & for the frosting tip suggestion!
I will never make regular cream cheese frosting again. 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing that with me! It sounds like you found a new favorite!
This looks so yummy! Should this cake be stored in the fridge due to the cream cheese in frosting? Thank you!
Hi Lisa, yes that is correct. Cover and refrigerate overnight and it will still be great the next day
Awesome recipe! It tastes like the way my mother used to make it. On another batch, I added 1/2 tsp of espresso powder to the dry mix and that was excellent too…
That’s so great, Dave! Thank you for sharing that with me!