Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Recipe
This simple chocolate buttercream frosting is rich, buttery, smooth, and creamy. It’s everything you want in a simple homemade buttercream!
The taste of a frosting made from scratch is incomparable and it’s just way too easy to make to even think about buying it!
You might find yourself wanting to eat right off the spoon and for that no one would blame you. But make sure to save some for your cupcakes, birthday cakes, pies, and even your cookies! It’s completely irresistible and slightly addicting and does exactly what it’s meant to do. Scrumptiously elevates all your baked goods with a thick delicious chocolate frosting.
You can get fancy and pipe it beautifully like I did with this chocolate chip cookie pie or slather it around a layered cake without a care in the world. It can be as low fuss or as stunning as you desire. Once you have this chocolate buttercream recipe down, you can switch up the flavors. You will never run out of reasons to use buttercream frosting, so knowing how to make it from scratch comes in very handy!
Table of Contents
Recipe Ingredients
- Powdered Sugar
- Butter
- Cocoa – unsweetened dutch processed
- Cream – heavy/whole or whole milk or half and half
- Salt
- Vanilla
How to Make It
Beat the butter on medium speed in a large bowl until creamy.
Sift the powdered sugar and cocoa in while on low speed then increase it back to medium for about 1 minute.
Add in the cream/milk, salt, and vanilla extract and beat on low before increasing it to medium-high speed.
If you’re a chocolate lover or a frosting lover, this recipe is for you! Let me know how you end up using it.
How to Soften Butter Quickly
There’s nothing worse than realizing you forgot to take your butter out of the fridge on time. It happens to the best of us, so keep this trick in mind. Place your butter on a plate and set it aside. Fill a mason jar with water and microwave it for a couple of minutes.
Carefully remove the jar from the microwave, empty the water and turn the jar over onto the butter on the plate and transfer it back into the microwave. Don’t turn it on, just allow the residual heat to warm your butter. In about 10 minutes you should have soft butter!
Tips
- If using unsalted butter then add ¼ teaspoon of salt
- Remember to bring your butter to room temperature ahead of time. You need softened butter for easy mixing.
- If the frosting is too thin then add 3-4 tablespoons of sifted powdered sugar.
- If you find it too thick then add a tablespoon or more of cream/milk.
- Use either cream, whole milk, or half and half to keep the frosting thick and creamy.
- Add a bit of espresso powder for an even richer flavour with a subtle hint of coffee.
FAQs
Keep it stored for up to 1 week in the fridge in an airtight container.
You can! Because it keeps in the fridge for up to a week, you can technically make it up to a week ahead of time. It is recommended that you use it within the first few days.
Buttercream can be kept frozen for up to 3 months which is great. Once you thaw it overnight in the fridge, you may find you need to whip it up again before using it.
So whatever you use this Chocolate Buttercream Frosting for I hope you like it and let me know what you think of it! Enjoy!
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Recipe
Ingredients
- 2â…” cups powdered/icing sugar (sifted)
- ⅔ cup + 1 ½ tablespoons butter softened
- â…“ cup unsweetened cocoa
- 1½-2 tablespoons cream (whole or half & half) or whole milk
- 1 pinch salt*
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
*If using unsalted butter then add ¼ teaspoon of salt.
Instructions
- In a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, approximately 2 minutes. Add the sifted powdered sugar and cocoa powder mix on low speed then increase to medium speed for about 1 minutes. Add the cream/milk, salt, and vanilla extract. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to medium/high speed and beat for 1 minute.
Hi Rosemary, my wife has a dairy allergy and was curious if you have ever done or have a dairy free version of your recipe? We use alot of oat milk alternatives including oat milk butter in other baking recipes and curious if you think it would work here too?
Hi Brian, to tell the truth I have never made anything with oat milk, but I have heard that it does cream really well, you could try it and if you do let me know how it goes. Take care!
Soy seguidora de tus recetas y he hecho muchas y siempre han salido súper bien. Me gusta este frosting y quisiera hacerlo para decorar cupcakes, pero me gustarÃa saber si se mantiene en un clima moderadamente cálido. Gracias.
Hola Marta, muchas gracias. RefrigerarÃa las magdalenas hasta que se sirvan y deberÃan aguantar si no está demasiado caliente. El glaseado comenzará a derretirse a los 30 °C. Espero que esto tenga sentido. CuÃdate.