Chocolate Whipped Buttercream Frosting that tastes like light chocolate whipped cream frosting. This whipped chocolate frosting is the best!
I’m not much of a frosting person. So many times frostings are heavy and overly sweet. Not this Chocolate Whipped Buttercream Frosting, though.
It’s super light and fluffy – like an ultralight chocolate mousse in frosting form. And since this frosting falls in the semisweet to bittersweet chocolate range, it isn’t too sweet either.
Tips to make chocolate whipped buttercream frosting
A couple notes about this frosting – first, the cooked milk/flour mixture needs to be completely cool before continuing on. If it’s still warm, it will melt the butter, and the frosting will be too loose.
Second, don’t cut the whipping steps short. The frosting needs to be whipped on high for several minutes in order to have its ultralight texture.
Also, a reader (thanks again!) left a comment saying that chilling the frosting helped it come together for her. So, please check out the comments below the recipe.
*Note – I had several comments saying that the frosting was separating. I worked on the recipe and changed it to make it whip up easier.
More chocolate frosting recipes!
- Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
- Chocolate Malted Milk Frosting
More whipped buttercream frosting recipes!
- Whipped Buttercream Frosting
- Whipped Brown Sugar Buttercream Frosting
- Vanilla Bean Whipped Buttercream Frosting
If you’ve tried this chocolate whipped buttercream frosting recipe, don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below. I love to hear from people who’ve made my recipes!
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Chocolate Whipped Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups salted butter at cool room temperature
- 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder I use Dutch-processed
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, whisk flour and milk together until well-combined.
- Heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens.
- Remove from heat, and let it cool to room temperature.*
- Stir in vanilla.
- While the mixture is cooling, cream the butter, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt together until light and fluffy on medium high, about 5 minutes.
- Add the completely cooled milk mixture.
- Beat it for about 5 minutes on high until it looks like whipped cream. It may look separated at first, so keep beating it until it comes together and looks like a whipped cream.
- If it looks separated after about 7 minutes of whipping, cover, and chill for about 30 minutes. Then, continue whipping for about 5 minutes, or until it looks like whipped cream.
Notes
**Nutrition facts are estimates.
Nutrition
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Published 8/23/13. Updated with new photos and tips 6/18/18.
Reader Interactions
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Comments & Reviews
Miha says
Delicious frosting!!! Me and my little brother made this for my older sister’s hs graduation cake. He couldn’t stop eating it right from the bowl. We followed the instructions exactly and it turned out perfect! 10/10 recommend! :)
Kate says
Thank you so much!
Rachel says
Hi, can I use unsalted butter for the recipe?
Kate says
You can, but I recommend adding in a pinch or two of salt so that the frosting doesn’t taste flat or overly sweet.
Heather Tolbert says
Trying this out since we don’t have enough powdered sugar! Will it need to be refrigerated after frosting cupcakes? Thanks!
Kate says
Hi! Yes, I recommend chilling it because of the high dairy content.
Reno says
I’m a bit accident-prone when it comes to following recipes– the textures of things like frosting often don’t turn out like they should. For this reason, I was a little scared to try this one for my husband’s birthday cake. But wow, did it work! I was worried the granulated sugar would make it grainy, but once everything was creamed together, it was a perfectly smooth texture. Easy to spread, not too sweet, and perfect for a cake!
Kate says
I’m so glad to hear that! Thanks for commenting! =)
Sharon says
This turned out to be easier and even yummier than I had hoped. It has a creamy texture, almost silky. Not grainy in the least. All the whipping makes a difference. The frosting had a light brown color. I tried the recipe because I didn’t have enough powdered sugar, but I will make this frosting again whether I have powdered sugar or not. Thanks for a recipe that was successful on my first try.
Kate says
Thank you so much!! I’m so glad that you liked the frosting and that it turned out well for you.
Terri Swanson says
This frosting is fantastic! I did have to whip the butter/sugar for a lot longer than 5 minutes (I have an old mixer), but in the end, the frosting has a wonderful texture and great taste! For those who had any trouble, I highly recommend taking the extra time to read the full post with the tips and look at the pictures and then refer back to them as you make the frosting. For example, when heating up the milk and flour, it does start to thicken as soon as the milk gets warm and I was initially thinking that I should pull it off the heat (which would have lead to soupy frosting), but then I referred back to the pictures and saw how thick it should be, and realized that I aways to go before pulling of off the heat.
Kate says
Thank you! And thanks for sharing your notes. =) I appreciate you saying that about using the step-by-step photos. I think a lot of people either skip over them or miss them, but I think it’s helpful to see what each step should look like.
Betsy says
Just made this. It is beautiful and delicious. Mahalo
Kate says
Thank you so much! I’m so glad that you liked it. =)
Catherine Asbury says
I made this when I realized I was out of powdered sugar, it was my son’s 15th birthday, and I didn’t want to run to the store since we’re all social distancing. It was DELICIOUS! My husband wants me to put it on top of a chocolate pudding pie for Easter dessert. He loves peanut butter cups, so I was wondering if you have a chocolate-peanut butter version?
Kate says
Thank you so much! I have a chocolate version, but I haven’t tried adding pb to it. Thanks for commenting! =)
Lori Troy says
Hi, I plan to make this frosting but wanted to know if the texture of the sugar will have a grainy (for lack of a better word) texture vs smooth once complete. I appreciate your feedback.
Thank you!
Lori
Kate says
Hi! It’s always turned out smooth for me except for the time that I used a natural sugar with larger crystals. I’ve never had any issues using regular granulated sugar. Also, you may find that the butter/sugar mixture is still slightly grainy, but once you add the milk/flour mixture, it smooths the frosting out. Hope that helps! =)
Dissapoineted Mum says
I never leave comments (nevermind a negative comment), but please do not waste your time making this soupy mess.
Kate says
I get that it’s disappointing when things don’t go the way you hoped with a recipe. However, numerous people have made this recipe and loved it. So, I’m confident that it’s not the recipe. With that said, I’m more than happy to help you figure out what went wrong.
Hillary says
You “never leave comments” but felt it was necessary to leave a vague comment a about a problem with a recipe that no one else had. Based on the other comments, it appears to be user error. I made this before and it’s amazing! It’s become my go-to frosting recipe.
Antonia Lay says
Your icing was probably “soupy” because you didn’t read recipe and didn’t wait for your flour milk mixture to cool to room temp. so your butter melted. #usererror
Honey says
can i freeze this? it made so much!!
Kate says
Hi! I’ve frozen cupcakes that were frosted with this frosting, and it froze/defrosted well.
Nichole says
Love it!!! Soo good I really was not expecting it lol I honestly did not have vanilla so I didn’t use it and it was still delicious . Thank you. Better then power sugar frosting my day!!
Kate says
Thank you! I’m so glad that you liked it. =)
Mikayla says
Is there anyway I can make a nutella butter cream without powdered sugar??
Kate says
Hi! You could try adding Nutella to the frosting once it has been whipped up. I haven’t tried it to say for certain how it will work.
Stephanie says
DIVINE. Just made this frosting and I love it!!! I’m not a frosting person, (and not a powdered sugar fan) and this is just so perfect to me. I used an artisanal powdered hot chocolate mix instead of the cocoa powder and I can’t stop eating it.
Kate says
Thank you! I’m so glad that you liked it! Thanks for commenting! =)
Mary Maguire says
I made this for the first time and it turned out amazing! Second time I make it today and it turns out all liquidy. I even left it in the fridge to see if it would thicken a bit after and nothing. I’m so confused because I made it the exact same as before. And the flour mixture was super cold and thick. ??
Kate says
Was the butter any warmer the second time?
Amanda says
I love the whipped buttercream frosting recipe. I have made the vanilla multiple times and tried the chocolate last time. Realizing that was out of cocoa powder, I substituted chocolate almond milk for the milk portion of ingredients. It turned out great with a nice mild chocolate flavor. I have also used a mocha flavored powder mix in substitution of cocoa powder which also tastes great. Thanks so much for sharing you recipes, this is the absolute best whipped frosting.
Kate says
Thank you! What a great substitution! That makes me wonder what other flavors might work. =) Thanks for commenting!
Narketta says
Love this
Kate says
Thank you! I’m so glad to hear that!
Kathleen H. says
I wonder how you can make this gluten free?
Kate says
Hi! I’ve heard from people who have used gf measure-for-measure flour in place of the ap flour. I’ve also heard from people who have used cornstarch, though I don’t think that was a simple 1:1 substitution. Hope that helps!
Lucy73 says
Both the brown sugar and the chocolate variation are outstanding! It’s a revelation to find your frosting that doesn’t use icing sugar – I dislike the cloying sweetness icing/confectioners sugar gives. A new day has dawned!
Kate says
Thank you so much! I have a few other flavors (like vanilla and cream cheese) if you’re interested. =)
christine says
Have you made this buttercream into a Peanut Butter buttercream? I’m trying to figure out the ration for peanut butter based on all your buttercreams you have listed.
Kate says
I haven’t tried a peanut butter version, but I have a regualar (powdered sugar) peanut butter frosting if that helps at all.