I finally nailed the Best Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Ever and every cake I show up with disappears in minutes.
I adore this chocolate buttercream because I use it on everything and people lose their minds. It’s the Best Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Ever for cupcakes and cakes when I need something reliably rich and smooth.
I love the way unsalted butter, softened and unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted come together into a creamy, intense chocolate hit. But it’s not fussy.
It’s the Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Easy recipe I grab when I want that glossy, pipeable finish that actually tastes like chocolate. And it travels well to parties.
I pipe, smear, and obsess. No pretence.
Just chocolate that works. Every single time.
Ingredients
- Butter: basically the creamy base that makes frosting rich and silky on cake.
- Powdered sugar: adds sweetness and body so frosting holds shape when you spread it.
- Cocoa powder: gives that deep chocolate punch and slightly dry, intense flavor.
- Heavy cream or milk: it’s what loosens things up and makes frosting smoother.
- Vanilla extract: adds warm, sweet background notes so chocolate tastes rounder.
- Fine salt: balances the sweetness and makes chocolate flavor pop, trust me.
- Melted semisweet chocolate: plus it makes frosting denser and extra chocolatey, luxurious.
- Corn syrup or honey: basically glossy finish so your frosting looks bakery-ready and shiny.
Ingredient Quantities
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 3 to 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
- 2 to 3 tablespoons heavy cream or whole milk, more if needed
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt, or to taste
- 2 ounces melted semi sweet chocolate, cooled (optional for extra richness)
- 1 to 2 tablespoons light corn syrup or honey for shine (optional)
How to Make this
1. Beat 1 cup (2 sticks) softened unsalted butter in a large bowl with a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium speed until it’s light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Add 3/4 cup sifted unsweetened cocoa powder and mix on low until incorporated, scraping the bowl so there’s no dry cocoa stuck to the sides.
3. Gradually add 3 cups sifted powdered sugar, one cup at a time, mixing on low so the sugar doesn’t puff everywhere; stop and scrape the bowl between additions. If you want it sweeter or stiffer add the 4th cup a little at a time.
4. Pour in 2 to 3 tablespoons heavy cream or whole milk and 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, then increase mixer to medium and beat until smooth. Add more cream or milk a teaspoon at a time if it seems too thick.
5. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon fine salt, tasting as you go. Salt pulls out the chocolate flavor so don’t skip it.
6. If you want extra richness, fold in 2 ounces melted semi sweet chocolate that’s been cooled. Make sure it’s not warm or it will soften the buttercream too much.
7. For a glossy finish and smoother piping, mix in 1 to 2 tablespoons light corn syrup or honey. This also helps the frosting hold a nice sheen on cupcakes.
8. Adjust texture as needed: more powdered sugar to thicken, more cream/milk to thin. If it gets too thin chill it 10 to 15 minutes then re-whip for firmness.
9. Use immediately to frost cakes or pipe onto cupcakes. If storing, keep in an airtight container in the fridge up to 5 days; bring to room temperature and re-whip before using.
Equipment Needed
1. Large mixing bowl — preferably glass or metal so you can scrape the sides easily
2. Hand mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment — a hand whisk will work but it takes longer
3. Rubber or silicone spatula for scraping the bowl and folding in melted chocolate
4. Sifter or fine mesh sieve for cocoa powder and powdered sugar
5. Measuring cups and spoons (dry and liquid) for accuracy
6. Small saucepan or microwave-safe bowl to melt chocolate, plus a heatproof bowl if using a double boiler
7. Piping bag and tips or an offset spatula for spreading and piping the frosting
FAQ
Easy Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- Unsalted butter: swap for solid coconut oil at a 1:1 volume ratio. Frosting will be softer and a bit coconutty, so chill briefly to firm it up if you need sharp edges.
- Powdered sugar: make your own by blitzing 1 cup granulated sugar with 1 tablespoon cornstarch until super fine. Works great in a pinch but may be a tad less silky.
- Heavy cream or whole milk: use evaporated milk or half-and-half 1:1. If you only have skim, add 1 teaspoon melted butter per 1/4 cup to mimic the fat.
- Light corn syrup or honey: replace with equal parts golden syrup, agave, or simple syrup. These keep the shine and stop the frosting from crusting, though flavor changes slightly.
Pro Tips
1. Make sure the melted chocolate is fully cooled before you fold it in, or it will melt the butter and make the frosting runny. If that happens chill it 10 to 15 minutes then whip it back up, but try to avoid it in the first place.
2. Sift the powdered sugar and cocoa, seriously. It keeps the frosting from getting lumpy and makes piping smooth. If you’re in a rush you can whisk them real good, but sifting gives the best texture.
3. Don’t skip the salt, and add it gradually while tasting. A little goes a long way to bring out the chocolate, but too much will make it metallic. Add like half the salt, taste, then add more if needed.
4. For glossy shine and easier piping use 1 tablespoon of light corn syrup or honey. If you want a substitute, a tiny bit of glucose or a tsp of golden syrup works too. And if the buttercream gets too soft, pop it in the fridge for 10 minutes then re-whip; don’t keep adding powdered sugar or it’ll get grainy.
Easy Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Recipe
I finally nailed the Best Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Ever and every cake I show up with disappears in minutes.
24
servings
163
kcal
Equipment: 1. Large mixing bowl — preferably glass or metal so you can scrape the sides easily
2. Hand mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment — a hand whisk will work but it takes longer
3. Rubber or silicone spatula for scraping the bowl and folding in melted chocolate
4. Sifter or fine mesh sieve for cocoa powder and powdered sugar
5. Measuring cups and spoons (dry and liquid) for accuracy
6. Small saucepan or microwave-safe bowl to melt chocolate, plus a heatproof bowl if using a double boiler
7. Piping bag and tips or an offset spatula for spreading and piping the frosting
Ingredients
-
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
-
3 to 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
-
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
-
2 to 3 tablespoons heavy cream or whole milk, more if needed
-
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
-
1/4 teaspoon fine salt, or to taste
-
2 ounces melted semi sweet chocolate, cooled (optional for extra richness)
-
1 to 2 tablespoons light corn syrup or honey for shine (optional)
Directions
- Beat 1 cup (2 sticks) softened unsalted butter in a large bowl with a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium speed until it’s light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add 3/4 cup sifted unsweetened cocoa powder and mix on low until incorporated, scraping the bowl so there’s no dry cocoa stuck to the sides.
- Gradually add 3 cups sifted powdered sugar, one cup at a time, mixing on low so the sugar doesn’t puff everywhere; stop and scrape the bowl between additions. If you want it sweeter or stiffer add the 4th cup a little at a time.
- Pour in 2 to 3 tablespoons heavy cream or whole milk and 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, then increase mixer to medium and beat until smooth. Add more cream or milk a teaspoon at a time if it seems too thick.
- Stir in 1/4 teaspoon fine salt, tasting as you go. Salt pulls out the chocolate flavor so don’t skip it.
- If you want extra richness, fold in 2 ounces melted semi sweet chocolate that’s been cooled. Make sure it’s not warm or it will soften the buttercream too much.
- For a glossy finish and smoother piping, mix in 1 to 2 tablespoons light corn syrup or honey. This also helps the frosting hold a nice sheen on cupcakes.
- Adjust texture as needed: more powdered sugar to thicken, more cream/milk to thin. If it gets too thin chill it 10 to 15 minutes then re-whip for firmness.
- Use immediately to frost cakes or pipe onto cupcakes. If storing, keep in an airtight container in the fridge up to 5 days; bring to room temperature and re-whip before using.
Notes
- Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size: 34.4g
- Total number of serves: 24
- Calories: 163kcal
- Fat: 9.5g
- Saturated Fat: 5.9g
- Trans Fat: 0.1g
- Polyunsaturated: 0.41g
- Monounsaturated: 2.4g
- Cholesterol: 22mg
- Sodium: 36mg
- Potassium: 49mg
- Carbohydrates: 21g
- Fiber: 1.1g
- Sugar: 19.1g
- Protein: 0.8g
- Vitamin A: 67IU
- Vitamin C: 0mg
- Calcium: 5.2mg
- Iron: 0.4mg
