This easy chocolate buttercream frosting is silky chocolate perfection! Made with cocoa powder, this not-too-sweet frosting is perfect for any cake or cupcake!
This chocolate buttercream frosting is simple but tasty. The most common chocolate buttercream frostings are a mixture of butter, powdered sugar, and either cocoa powder or melted chocolate.
This easy version uses cocoa powder rather than melted chocolate. It takes just 5 basic ingredients and about 5 minutes to make the frosting.
And, most importantly, it tastes great! The frosting is rich and creamy without being too sweet. It pipes well, and the frosting pairs beautifully with yellow, chocolate, or white cake.
If you haven’t tried making homemade frosting, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at just how easy it is.
Ingredient tips and substitutions
Butter: I prefer the flavor of salted butter to unsalted butter + salt in this recipe. However, you can use unsalted butter along with a couple pinches of salt.
Be sure to have your butter at the right temperature. Room temperature means the butter should be about 72 F. The butter should give a little when pressed but should hold its shape overall. The butter shouldn’t be soft and melty.
Dry ingredients: if your powdered sugar and/or cocoa powder are lumpy, sift them before adding them into the butter. It will help them incorporate more easily into the butter.
Cocoa powder: I’ve used unsweetened cocoa powder and Dutch-processed cocoa powder. Both have worked well.
Heavy cream: Using heavy cream will give you a slightly lighter, fluffier frosting. However, milk or half-and-half will also work. However, the more fat your dairy has, the richer your frosting will be.
How to make chocolate buttercream frosting
Step 1: Begin by beating the butter in a large mixing bowl on medium until the butter is pale, about 3-4 minutes. This helps the butter to be nice and soft without getting melty.
Step 2: Add the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, and milk or cream. Beat on low until the cocoa powder and sugar are incorporated. If you start mixing on medium or high, the dry ingredients can fly out of your mixing bowl.
Step 3: Adjust the consistency of your frosting by adding additional powdered sugar to make the frosting thicker or more milk/cream to make the frosting thinner (picture on right).
Top tips
Temperature matters! Be sure to have your butter at the right temperature. Room temperature means the butter should be about 72 F. The butter should give a little when pressed but should hold its shape overall. The butter shouldn’t be soft and melty.
Beat the butter! Beating the butter before adding in the powdered sugar helps the dry ingredients to better incorporate into the butter.
Sift! If your powdered sugar and/or cocoa powder are lumpy, sift them before adding them into the butter. It will help them incorporate more easily into the butter.
Cream = fluffier frosting! Using heavy cream will give you a fluffier frosting that is slightly lighter both in color and texture (like the photo directly below). However, milk or half-and-half will also work.
How much frosting does this recipe make?
Cupcakes: This recipe yields enough frosting to lightly frost 24 cupcakes or to generously frost 12 cupcakes.
Cake: This recipe will yield enough frosting to lightly frost a 9” 2-layer cake. To have enough frosting to pipe, increase the recipe and make 1.5 times the recipe. To generously frost the cake and pipe, double the recipe.
Do I need to refrigerate this frosting?
I recommend storing any unused frosting in an airtight container in the refrigerator. I also recommend storing items frosted with this buttercream in the refrigerator.
How long does buttercream keep?
This frosting will keep for up to 4 days. I recommend storing the frosting, covered, in the fridge.
More frosting recipes!
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Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
Equipment
- Mixer
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter at room temperature
- 3 ½-4 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2-3 tablespoons whole milk, half-and-half, or cream
Instructions
- With an electric mixer (either hand or stand), beat butter until pale, about 3-4 minutes on medium.
- Scrape down the bowl.
- Add 3½ cups powdered sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, and 2 tablespoons of milk.
- Mix on low until powdered sugar and cocoa powder are incorporated.
- If the frosting is too dry, add another tablespoon of milk. If the frosting is too wet, add powdered sugar 2 tablespoons at a time until it reaches a spreadable consistency.
Video
Notes
- Butter: You can use unsalted butter along with a couple pinches of salt.
Also, be sure to have your butter at the right temperature. Room temperature means the butter should be about 72 F. The butter should give a little when pressed but should hold its shape overall. The butter shouldn’t be soft and melty. - Dry ingredients: if your powdered sugar and/or cocoa powder are lumpy, sift them before adding them into the butter. It will help them incorporate more easily into the butter.
- Cocoa powder: I’ve used unsweetened cocoa powder and Dutch-processed cocoa powder. Both have worked well.
- Heavy cream: Using heavy cream will give you a slightly lighter, fluffier frosting. However, milk or half-and-half will also work.
- Nutrition facts have been estimated.
Nutrition
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Recipe originally published 9/23/13. Updated with additional photos and tips 5/8/21.
Reader Interactions
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Comments & Reviews
Nan says
good recipe. likely will frost all sides of the cake
Kate Dean says
Thanks!
Maria Acevedo says
Delicious chocolate buttercream frosting, will definitely be making this again.
Kate says
Thank you!
J says
Left email in exchange for frosting recipe without powdered sugar. No recipes?
Kate says
Hi! You should have received an email asking your to confirm your subscription. Did you receive that email?
Lacey says
This frosting and your chocolate cake recipe was perfect for my son’s 4th birthday pirate ship cake. He loved it! Thank you!
Kate says
I’m so glad that it worked out well for you, and happy birthday to your son!
Heather M Dacus says
Super easy and delicious! Loved the consistency of the spread and not too sweet.
Kate says
Thank you!