This will be the richest, creamiest, most delicious Chocolate Buttercream Frosting to ever cross your lips. It’s silky smooth, made with six simple ingredients and has a rich chocolate flavor. It’s perfect for frosting cakes, cupcakes, brownies and more!
Table of Contents
- How Much Frosting Does This Make?
- Ingredients You’ll Need
- How to Make Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- Tips for Homemade Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- Storage Tips
- Use this Chocolate Buttercream Frosting for:
- The Best Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Video
- Common Questions
- Try These Frosting Recipes Next
- 5-Minute Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Recipe
I have a confession to make. Chocolate buttercream frosting has always been an item on my grocery list rather than a recipe in my baking repertoire.
Who has the time to make buttercream frosting when it takes all of 2 seconds to toss it into your shopping cart and call it a day? But after a reader emailed me asking for a fool-proof chocolate buttercream frosting recipe (to follow up on my vanilla buttercream recipe), I knew it was time to wave goodbye to the store-bought stuff and finally go the DIY route.
Little did I know, 5 minutes into my recipe creation process I’d be licking a spatula slathered in the best chocolate buttercream frosting to ever cross my lips. I repeat, 5 minutes.
How Much Frosting Does This Make?
This recipe yields 2 cups of frosting or about enough to frost 1 ½ – 2 dozen cupcakes or a 9 x 13 sheet cake.
If you’re frosting a 2 layer cake, I recommend doubling the recipe as I’d rather you have ample frosting than not enough.
Ingredients You’ll Need
No fancy preservatives. No seven-syllable ingredients. Just six simple ingredients:
- Unsalted butter: Be sure it’s softened to room temp before you start. It should feel cool and lightly indent with a fingertip. Avoid melting or over-softening for the best consistency.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: Either natural or Dutch-processed. Just be sure to avoid varieties with added sugar for better control over the sweetness.
- Confectioners’ sugar: Also known as powdered sugar.
- Milk: Use whole milk for that perfectly creamy texture. Other milks work, but your frosting will be slightly less creamy.
- Vanilla: Use pure vanilla extract for the best flavor.
- Salt: My secret ingredient! Just a pinch of salt helps balance out the sweetness and round out the flavors.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Kelly’s Note: Some people swear by sifting the cocoa powder and confectioners’ sugar for a silky frosting, but I find that just adds unnecessary time. Trust me, if you follow my recipe you’ll have velvety smooth frosting without the extra step!
How to Make Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
I make this in my stand mixer but a large bowl and a hand mixer works, too! Just note that your buttercream may not be as smooth.
- Beat the butter. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until it is smooth. This will take about 1 minute.
- Add the confectioners’ sugar and cocoa powder to the bowl and beat until combined.
- With the stand mixer running on low speed, slowly stream in the milk and vanilla extract. Add the salt and continue beating until well combined. Be sure to scrape down the sides as needed so everything gets incorporated.
- Increase the speed to high and beat the frosting for an additional 2 minutes.
Kelly’s Note: The key to achieving a light and smooth buttercream is giving it a good beating. The longer you whip it, the more air gets incorporated, resulting in a lighter and smoother texture. By the end, your buttercream should be a lighter color than when you started.
If your frosting is runny: Add additional powdered sugar, ¼ cup at a time, until the frosting reaches your desired consistency.
If your frosting is too thick: Slowly add more milk until the desired consistency is reached.
Tips for Homemade Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- Use good quality cocoa powder. The better the quality, the better the taste of your frosting. Natural cocoa powder has a brighter, more acidic flavor, while Dutch-processed cocoa is treated with an alkaline solution, resulting in a milder, smoother taste.
- This recipe can be easily doubled for all my fellow chocoholics out there.
- Use the beater blade with your stand mixer (rather than the whisk). It’ll result in creamy frosting that lightens in color the longer it’s mixed.
- This buttercream frosting pipes like a breeze. So get your fancy pants on and check out my simple trick for piping two-tone swirled frosting.
Pro Decorating Tip: Grab a small spoon and use the back of it to make luscious, deep swirls and create the perfect peaks and valleys for a shower of sprinkles in every color.
Storage Tips
Store the chocolate buttercream in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days. When ready to use, allow it to come to room temp and mix with a spoon or electric mixer.
Use this Chocolate Buttercream Frosting for:
This velvety chocolate buttercream frosting is perfect for cakes, cupcakes, brownies, cookies and beyond! These are just a few of my favorite desserts to pair with this frosting:
- Giant Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
- Muffin Tin Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups
- The Best Cutout Sugar Cookies
- Vanilla Bean Cupcakes
The Best Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Video
5-Minute Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
This will be the richest, creamiest, most delicious Chocolate Buttercream Frosting to ever cross your lips. It’s silky smooth, made with six simple ingredients and has a rich chocolate flavor. It’s perfect for frosting cakes, cupcakes, brownies and more! FULL RECIPE: https://www.justataste.com/5-minute-chocolate-buttercream-frosting-recipe/
Common Questions
Should cake with buttercream frosting be refrigerated?
A decorated cake with buttercream frosting can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days. However, if it’s hot or humid where you live, store the cake in the fridge.
Can I use heavy whipping cream instead of whole milk?
Absolutely! But you might need to adjust the quantity since it’s a bit thicker.
Can I use salted butter instead of unsalted butter?
Yes, you can, but be mindful of the overall saltiness. Adjust the added salt accordingly or omit it if using salted butter.
Can I use non-dairy milk like almond or soy milk?
I haven’t tried this substitution but it should work. However, you might need to adjust the quantity since it’s a bit thinner.
Why is my frosting grainy?
The most common culprit is that the sugar didn’t dissolve into the butter properly, so really take your time to cream the ingredients together.
Can I freeze chocolate buttercream?
I go both ways when it comes to this question! Yes, you absolutely can freeze buttercream, but in order to maintain the silky smooth consistency, you need to know how to thaw it. Once your buttercream is frozen solid (in an airtight container), bring it to room temp in the refrigerator, then if necessary, re-whip it in a stand mixer to guarantee the best texture.
How can I make my frosting less sweet?
Balance sweetness by adding more cocoa powder or a pinch of salt. Adjust gradually, tasting as you go.
Try These Frosting Recipes Next
- The Best Sugar Cookie Icing
- Easy Buttercream Frosting
- 5-Minute Marshmallow Frosting
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Dessert
5-Minute Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
Skip the store-bought frosting in favor of this easy recipe for the best Chocolate Buttercream Frosting that takes just 5 minutes to make.
Author: Kelly Senyei
4.90 from 548 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Cook Time 0 minutes mins
Total Time 5 minutes mins
Servings 2 cups
Print Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 2 1/3 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/3 cup whole milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until it is smooth, about 1 minute.
Add the confectioners’ sugar and cocoa powder to the bowl and beat until combined. With the stand mixer running on low speed, slowly stream in the milk and vanilla extract then add the salt and continue beating until well combined, scraping down the sides as needed, about 2 minutes.
Increase the speed to high and beat the frosting for an additional 2 minutes. Use the frosting immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge. (If you refrigerate the frosting, you may want to re-blend it for a few seconds in the stand mixer before using it.)
Kelly’s Notes
- This recipe yields 2 cups of frosting or about enough to frost 1 ½ – 2 dozen cupcakes or a 9 x 13 sheet cake.
- If you’re frosting a 2 layer cake, I recommend doubling the recipe as I’d rather you have ample frosting than not enough.
- No stand mixer? No problem! You can make this usinga large bowl and a hand mixer.
- Use good quality cocoa powder. The better the quality, the better the taste of your frosting.
- This recipe can be easily doubled.
- Use the beater blade with your stand mixer (rather than the whisk). It’ll result in creamy frosting that lightens in color the longer it’s mixed.
- If your frosting is runny: Add additional powdered sugar, ¼ cup at a time, until the frosting reaches your desired consistency.
- If your frosting is too thick: Slowly add more milk until the desired consistency is reached.
- Store the chocolate buttercream in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days. When ready to use, allow it to come to room temp and mix with a spoon or electric mixer.
- ★Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Nutrition
Calories: 955kcal, Carbohydrates: 160g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 39g, Saturated Fat: 24g, Cholesterol: 94mg, Sodium: 322mg, Potassium: 545mg, Fiber: 10g, Sugar: 140g, Vitamin A: 1115IU, Calcium: 97mg, Iron: 4.5mg
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Recipe by Kelly Senyei of Just a Taste. Please do not reprint this recipe without my permission. If you'd like to feature this recipe on your site, please rewrite the method of preparation and link to this post as the original source.
