This easy chocolate buttercream frosting recipe is creamy and delicious. With just a few simple ingredients this homemade chocolate frosting is WAY better than any canned stuff out there.
Here’s the deal. I am a child of the 80’s. Therefore I am a child of Betty Crocker, cake mixes, and tubs of frosting. But even as a child I apparently was bit of a frosting snob.
I was notorious for getting my slice of cake and tipping it over and eating the cake part only. No frosting, thanks. I’ll pass.
That can of frosting always tasted like nothing but chemicals to me. Ok, I probably didn’t use the word chemicals as a kid but I also knew it wasn’t good. So I thought I hate frosting. Boy was I wrong. I don’t hate frosting. I hate that canned stuff masquerading as frosting.
However, when I got older I realize I acutally LOVE buttercream. Real buttercream frosting however. Made with simple ingredients – it is completely another kind of frosting entirely. Homemade = 1000 % better every time.
And when you are making vanilla cupcakes then you need to do them justice and make your own chocolate buttercream frosting to swirl on top.
What Is American Icing?
This chocolate buttercream frosting is a typical ABC – American Buttercream frosting recipe.
American icing or american buttercream (ABC) is probably that buttercream you had at that last kid’s birthday party you went too. Or that kind you grew up on.
Sometimes it gets a bad rep for being too sweet. Or grainy. Ugh. But I promise you this recipe is not. American buttercream is one of the beaten butter types of buttercream. Flour buttercream (ermine buttercream) and German buttercream also fall into this category. This type of buttercream is made by first beating the butter and then adding in a sweet base. In this case, powdered sugar.
What Are The Main Types Of Buttercream Frosting?
There are 6 main types of buttercreams and they fall into two categories – creamed butter and cubed butter. In fact, if you want to learn how to make all 6 buttercreams, and master making frosting once and for all be sure to check out my Buttercream Basics Guide
American buttercream falls into the creamed butter category is by far the easiest of all the buttercreams to make. German buttercream or Flour buttercream (ermine frosting) are two more creamed butter buttercreams similar to American buttercream. A little more involved but less sweet.
Unlike the cubed butter method of buttercreams- like Swiss Meringue buttercram, Italian meringue buttercream and French buttercream.
You can read more here about the different types of frosting.
Ingredients Needed
- Unsalted butter – Make sure it’s softened to room temperature so it’s mixed easily and into a light, fluffy frosting.
- Powdered Sugar – I’ve made this chocolate buttercream frosting sifting and not sifting the powdered sugar and didn’t really see the difference. The frosting is mixed for so long, that it has no lumps. But if you want to mix it for less, you might want to sift the powdered sugar first.
- Cocoa powder – You can use natural or Dutch process cocoa powder. Dutch process will yield a darker, richer frosting.
- Vanilla – I recommend pure vanilla extract for the best flavor.
- Heavy cream – This will help thin out the frosting but also give it creamy and rich.
How Do You Make Chocolate Buttercream Frosting?
So simple, you ready? Ok here is a step by step photo tutorial of how to make this chocolate buttercream. I used the The Best Vanilla Buttercream Frosting Recipe for this frosting and added cocoa powder to it to make it perfectly chocolatey.
Step 1: Cream your butter
Make sure your butter is softened to room temperature first. I like to whip my butter first a little bit before I add the powdered sugar so I know it’s been beaten a little bit before adding the sugar.
Step 2: Add Your Powdered Sugar
I have made this plenty of times without sifting, and as long as your butter is softened and you cream it for long enough you will have zero lumps. But to ensure zero lumps, you may want to sift it!
You want to do this first before adding any powdered sugar. You can make this in your stand mixer, or use a hand mixer as shown below. It’ll just take a bit more elbow grease on your part!
I like to add my powdered sugar a 1/2 cup at a time, with the mixer on low speed. Once it’s all been added and incorporated then I’ll increase the speed to medium-high to mix for about 1-2 minutes until fully incorporated.
I also like to wrap a kitchen towel around the mixer to catch any sugar that is determined to fly out of the bowl.
Step 3: Add in your heavy cream and vanilla extract.
You can use milk, half-n-half, but I prefer the richness of heavy cream.
And I highly recommend using PURE vanilla extract, not the imitation. You can sometimes get away with it in a baked good but in a frosting it’s much more easily detected that you used fake.
Step 4: Add Your Cocoa Powder
I add in a 3/4 cup of cocoa powder to turn this into a chocolate buttercream frosting. If you want a darker, richer frosting you could try using a dark cocoa powder, such as Hershey’s Special Dark.
Step 5: Mix until light and fluffy! And then frost away…
You want to do this for 8 minutes. Yup 8! But it’s worth it. This adds a lot of air and makes for the lightest, fluffiest chocolate buttercream frosting ever. It’s like a chocolate cloud. So whip it, whip it good.
Heather’s Baking Tips
- Soften Your Butter: Make sure your butter is softened before you start. You can soften your butter quickly 3 different ways.
- Use Unsalted Butter: Be sure to use unsalted butter. Different brands have different amounts of salt. So it’s best to use unsalted butter then add a pinch of salt to your own tasting.
- Use A Towel: Wrap a towel around the top of your mixer so you don’t end up with powdered sugar blizzard everywhere. You can also use a damp paper towel.
- Rewhip If Necessary. If you don’t use the buttercream right away and store the buttercream you will need to rewhip it again to the same fluffy consistency before using it on a cake.
What can I use chocolate buttercream frosting on?
I used my easy vanilla cupcake recipe for these. But my Perfect Vanilla Cupcakes ,works great , or these easy one bowl chocolate cupcakes as well. But it would also be delicious on Peanut Butter Cupcakes,or Banana Cupcakes!
You could also use this frosting on a cake, like my Sourdough Chocolate Cake!
Here are a few more recipes:
Recipe FAQ’s
This recipe will frost a 9×13 cake, but for a layer cake I like to make double batch for a 2-layer cake. For a 3-layer cake or a cake with some piping detail, I’ll make a triple batch.
This buttercream frosting recipe will generously cover 12 cupcakes. I like a LOT of frosting. If you don’t use as much as I do then it will probably cover more like 20-24 cupcakes.
You can also store this in your fridge for up to 5 days. When ready to use, allow it to thaw then re-whip until it’s light and fluffy again! You can read this post on how to store leftover buttercream for more details.
This frosting freezes beautifully! You can store this in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to use, let it thaw overnight in the fridge. And then let it sit at room temperature for several minutes to soften. I then throw it back in my stand mixer to bring it back to the same consistency before I frost with it.
More Buttercream Recipes To Try
Tools Needed
- Kitchenaid Mixer– I use my Kitchenaid Mixer to make my frosting because it takes 8 minutes to mix.
- Mixing Bowls- (I have an assortment of mixing bowls but these bowls are my go to)
- Good quality whisk and spatula. These are a must and something you will use all the time!
- Angled spatula (if you do not want to use a piping bag for your frosting)
- Piping Bags- I like to use disposable 18-inch pastry bags
- Piping Tips- I use Atecco tips (for this cupcake I used the closed star tip)
If you love this recipe, then be sure to let me know by leaving a comment and star rating below!
Chocolate Buttercream
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks, 283 grams) unsalted butter softened
- 2 1/2 cups (283 grams) powdered sugar
- 3/4 cup (63 g) unsweetened cocoa powder (or Dutch Process)
- 2 Tablespoons heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter first until light and fluffy on medium-high speed, for about 1 minute.
- With the mixer on low speed, slowly add in the in the powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time. And then once incorporated, mix on medium-high sped for about 1 to 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
- With ther mixer on low, add the vanilla extract and heavy cream. Mix on low to combine.
- Add in the cocoa powder and mix on low speed at first until incorporated.
- Increase the speed to medium-high speed and mix for 8 minutes until light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
- Use right away, or store in the fridge, in a covered container for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Storage: You can also store this in your fridge for up to 5 days. When ready to use, allow it to thaw then re-whip until it’s light and fluffy again! You can read this post on how to store leftover buttercream for more details.
- Freezing: This frosting freezes beautifully! You can store this in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to use, let it thaw overnight in the fridge. And then let it sit at room temperature for several minutes to soften. I then throw it back in my stand mixer to bring it back to the same consistency before I frost with it.
- Cupcakes: This buttercream frosting recipe will generously cover 12 cupcakes. I like a LOT of frosting. If you don’t use as much as I do then it will probably cover more like 20-24 cupcakes.
- Cakes: This recipe will frost a 9×13 cake, but for a layer cake I like to make double batch for a 2-layer cake. For a 3-layer cake or a cake with some piping detail, I’ll make a triple batch.
- Powdered Sugar – I’ve made this chocolate buttercream frosting sifting and not sifting the powdered sugar and didn’t really see the difference. The frosting is mixed for so long, that it has no lumps. But if you want to mix it for less, you might want to sift the powdered sugar first.
- Cocoa powder – You can use natural or Dutch process cocoa powder. Dutch process will yield a darker, richer frosting.
Joyci Crow says
My 10 yr old twins have made your chocolate buttercream today and their exact words are “Amazing!”. I have to agree. This will be our go to for CBC from now on. Thanks for the share!
Heather says
aw that’s great Joyci!! I’m so glad they love it!!