This is my best chocolate buttercream frosting recipe! It has a rich flavor, rich chocolate, not too sweet, and is perfect for cakes, cupcakes or brownies.
I’m very picky about chocolate frosting, so many are too sugary. This ideal balance of cocoa and sugar produces the perfect frosting, absolutely delicious frosting, perfect for pounce on your favorite cake or blowing the cake onto the cupcakes.
After trying it, you will need to use this chocolate cream for everything. To get you started, I used it for my simple chocolate cake! For more frosting, I love the cream cheese frosting on our banana cake!
Key Ingredients
- butter: Make sure it is at room temperature. The secret to Great Buttercream is great butter, so use your favorite brand! I prefer high-fat European butter like Kerrygold or Plugra for a special treatment, but familiar brands like Land O’Lakes or Tillamook are great for this recipe.
- Cocoa powder: You want natural cocoa powders that are not sugar-free, such as Ghirardelli or Guittard, as these powders give you the richest pure chocolate flavor. The cocoa powder in Dutch is good, but the flavor is slightly different.
- Powdered sugar: Sometimes called confectioner sugar, its fine powdery texture will perfectly whip into the butter to smooth it out.
- Salt and vanilla: Don’t skip these! They help bring the rich and deep flavor of chocolate.
- Buttermilk or cream: You will use it at the end to get a perfect, lightweight and fluffy texture. Buttermilk adds a lovely flavor, while the cream makes the frosting rich. Whole milk will work too, but I highly recommend one of the first two options.
Find the complete recipe in the measurements below.
Tips for making the best chocolate buttercream frosting
Tip 1: Use room temperature butter. This is very important for the best buttercream. You want the butter to be soft. If you press your fingers into it, the butter should taste very easily. I put the butter on the counter for 2 hours or if there is insufficient time, I will use the oven’s proof setting and then place the butter there.
Tip 2: Stir or sift the cocoa and sugar. To prevent the chunky butter, stir the cocoa and powdered sugar well. Better yet, if you have a fine mesh filter or sieve, use it to sift the two ingredients together. This makes the cocoa and sugar-added more airy and removes any clumps.
Tip 3: You can make chocolate cream ahead of time. One of my favorite things about American cream is that you can store it in the refrigerator for a week or more and last in the freezer for several months! Melt overnight (if frozen) and then leave on the counter for 1 to 2 hours to return to room temperature. Grab your electric mixer or stand mixer and beat it for a minute or two and bring it back to its original fluffy texture, you can prepare to freeze cakes, chocolate cupcakes, brownies, cookies, and more!
Easy Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
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My favorite homemade chocolate buttercream frosting recipe is not too sweet, with a strong chocolate flavor and bright fluffy, which is easy! I like to use buttermilk at the end to help turn this cream into a fluffy texture, but cream or milk is also a good choice. I used it to add our favorite chocolate cake!
Made 4 1/2 cups
You will need
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (62 grams)
3½ cups powdered sugar (420g)
1¼ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature (283 g)
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons buttermilk, heavy cream or milk
direction
1Prepare the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, stir together the cocoa powder and powdered sugar. Set aside.
2Beat butter: Use a stand mixer with blade attachment or electric manual mixer to beat room temperature butter at medium speed for 2 minutes. The color and creaminess of the butter should be significantly lighter. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure it is evenly mixed.
3Combined ingredients: Using a blender at low speed, add the powdered sugar and cocoa mixture to butter and stack tablespoons at a time until well combined.
4Seasons and Whip: The blender is still running low, add salt, vanilla extract and 2 tablespoons buttermilk. Mix medium-high speed for about 30 seconds and check consistency. The frosting should be thick and can be spread, but don’t have a runny nose. If you want a softer, more whipped frosting, add the remaining 2 tablespoons buttermilk, at a time, until you reach the desired consistency. To do extra fluffy frosting, scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and beat again at medium to high speed for 10 to 15 seconds.
Adam and Joanne’s Tips
- storage: Keep the chocolate cream in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or up to 3 months. Thaw the frozen cream in the refrigerator overnight. When you are ready to use it, let it sit at room temperature for about an hour or two to soften it. Then, re-tie it for a minute or two with a manual blender or stand mixer until it returns to its smooth, fluffy consistency.
- Dark frosting: When this frosting sits, the cocoa powder absorbs moisture and turns darker chocolate brown shades into darker colors. After an hour or two, it tastes better and richer.
- The nutrition facts provided are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
Service size
About 3 tablespoons
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Calories
160
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Total fat
10g
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Saturated fat
6.2g
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cholesterol
25.5mg
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sodium
31.2mg
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carbohydrate
19.1g
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Dietary fiber
0.8 g
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Total sugar
17.3g
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protein
0.7 g
We are Adam and Joanne, a couple who are passionate about cooking and sharing delicious, reliable recipes since 2009. Our goal? Inspire you to enter the kitchen and cook fresh and delicious meals confidently.
