Rich and velvety chocolate buttercream frosting with heaps of chocolate flavor. Ideal to spread on cakes or to pipe onto cupcakes.
This chocolate buttercream frosting is wonderfully versatile. It spreads beautifully over cakes and holds its shape perfectly when piped onto cupcakes.
If you want to pipe decoration onto your cakes with this buttercream, it works perfectly for that too. It’s rich, decadent and exactly what you want on your baked goods!
Of course this frosting is divine on some chocolate cupcakes or spread on a chocolate cake.
How To Make Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
Full instructions and measurements can always be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is a summary of the process to go along with the process photos.
- It’s really simple to make this buttercream. Add softened butter (unsalted or lightly salted) to the bowl of your stand mixer. Start at slow speed and gradually increase the speed of your mixer. Let it whip until your butter is looking quite pale in color.
- Then add in powdered sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, milk and some (optional) instant espresso powder.
- Mix again, starting at slow speed and gradually increasing speed until you’re at full speed and let the mixer run for a few minutes until the frosting is very fluffy.
TOP TIP: The key to a really good chocolate buttercream is to whip it until it’s really fluffy. The optional instant espresso powder deepens the chocolate flavor and is really divine. However, if you don’t like to mix your coffee and frostings, then you can leave it out.
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting For Cake
This is perfect for spreading onto cakes. See it in action below!
And with added melted chocolate swirls…
Use this chocolate buttercream frosting recipe for:
Chocolate cakes. It’s enough to frost a two layer 9-inch chocolate cake, or a three layer 8-inch chocolate cake.
Chocolate cupcakes. This frosting makes enough to very generously pipe frosting onto 12 cupcakes (as pictured). If you’re piping on a smaller swirl then it makes enough for 18-24 cupcakes.
Storing and Freezing
Store it covered in the fridge for up to a week. Before using, bring it up to room temperature on the countertop and then beat it again until smooth.
You can freeze it for up to 3 months. If you freeze it then let it thaw in the fridge and then bring it up to room temperature on the countertop before beating it again until smooth.
More Frosting Recipes
- Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- Cream Cheese Frosting
- White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
- Espresso Buttercream Frosting
- Biscoff Buttercream Frosting
Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below.
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
- 1 cup Butter Lightly Salted, Softened*
- 3 and ½ cups Powdered Sugar
- ¾ cup Cocoa Powder Unsweetened
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 6 Tbsp Milk
- ½ tsp Instant Espresso Powder Optional
Instructions
- Add softened butter to the bowl of your stand mixer and starting at slow speed gradually increase speed and beat until smooth and pale in color.
- Add the powdered sugar and cocoa powder, vanilla extract, milk and instant espresso powder and starting at slow speed and gradually increasing speed beat for a few minutes until very fluffy and smooth.
- If it ends up too thin, then add ¼ cup more powdered sugar.
Video
Notes
- Butter can be either unsalted or lightly salted. I prefer lightly salted as it balances out the sweetness nicely. If you’re using unsalted butter though, then you can just add ¼ tsp salt.
- Powdered sugar is also called Icing Sugar.
- Instant espresso powder just deepens the chocolate flavor, you don’t taste coffee in your final result. However it is optional and you can leave it out if you prefer not to use it.
- It’s best to use the buttercream while it’s at room temperature for spreading or piping. If it’s been in the fridge, then let it come back to room temperature on the counter and then beat it again before using.
Quick, easy, light buttercream recipe. I usually don’t like to use buttercream because it’s too rich & heavy, but this recipe is perfect!
Awesome! Thanks so much Sarah!
Best frosting recipe!!!
Oooh so light and fluffy, this is perfect buttercream!
Thanks so much Megan. 🙂