The Best Chocolate Buttercream (video)
A simple recipe for simply the best chocolate buttercream frosting! This easy frosting recipe yields a silky smooth, ultra chocolate-y, luscious and fluffy buttercream! It’s made with cocoa powder and melted chocolate for an intense chocolate flavor! This amazing chocolate frosting is perfect for cakes, cupcakes and any dessert your heart desires! This recipe makes enough frosting for a three layer, 8-inch cake; two-layer, 9-inch cake; or 24 cupcakes. Make sure to check out the rest of my ‘Back to Cake Basics’ episodes for more cake and frosting recipes!
My Chocolate Buttercream Video Tutorial
Watch my YouTube video recipe for step-by-step instructions for making the best chocolate frosting! Want to receive new recipe emails in your inbox? Make sure to subscribe to my website emailing list and my YouTube channel and turn on notifications!
Ingredients for Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make this rich and fluffy buttercream frosting:
- Unsalted Butter: use only unsalted butter for this recipe! Soften it at room temperature for about 30 minutes prior to using. It needs to be slightly softened, not melted!
- Cocoa Powder: To give this frosting the best flavor, I use a combination of melted chocolate and cocoa powder. The melted chocolate adds creaminess to the frosting and the cocoa powder adds all the chocolate flavor.
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips: melt the chocolate in the microwave, or over a double boiler, and let it cool until it’s just lukewarm.
- Confectioner’s Sugar
- Salt: adding a little bit of salt helps balance out the flavors!
- Vanilla Extract
Softening the Butter Properly
The most important step to making any buttercream is softening the butter properly! If you’ve ever had a flat and greasy frosting, that means the butter was too soft or melted.
- The butter should be just barely soft to touch! Not melted or too soft!
- Soften the butter at room temperature for best results.
- If you forgot to soften the butter, use this microwave trick to quickly soften butter. Place the butter sticks right side up and microwave in 10 second intervals, rotating and turning the butter each time. Make sure you don’t overheat the butter!
How To Make Chocolate Buttercream
Here’s how to make this easy and creamy chocolate buttercream frosting.
- Start with the butter! Before adding anything else to the mixer, whisk the softened butter for 7 to 8 minutes, until it’s super fluffy and pale white in color and don’t forget to scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl often. Only then start adding the chocolate and sugar.
- Next, add in the melted chocolate and whisk again for about a minute, until the chocolate is well incorporated.
- Next, add in the confectioner’s sugar, cocoa powder, salt and vanilla extract. Mix on slow speed first, then turn the mixer to high and mix for 3 to 4 minutes, until the frosting is fluffy.
How to Store Buttercream
If you don’t plan to use this buttercream frosting right away, you can store it for later. You can store it in the refrigerator for 1 week. Simply place it into an airtight container and into the fridge. Soften at room temperature for 1 hour, then mix again and use. You can also store it in the freezer. Transfer the buttercream into a freezer friendly container and store it for up to 1 month. Defrost the frosting in the refrigerator overnight.
Recipe Pairings
Use this chocolate frosting for just about anything: cakes, cupcakes, cookies and macarons! You can use it with my ‘Chocolate Cake’, ‘Vanilla Cake’, or whichever cake your heart desires! I also love this frosting with coffee flavored cakes!
- Try it with my ‘Chocolate Checkered Cake’
- I love to use it for my ‘German Chocolate Cake’ recipe, too! It pairs so well with the coconut cake!
- And, use it for my ‘Chocolate Zucchini Cake’ to make the ultimate chocolate on chocolate pairing!
More Recipes!
My chocolate buttercream recipe is part of my ‘Back To Cake Basics’ series! In this series, I’m sharing basic cake, frosting and filling recipes that you can use for all your baking needs. I’m so glad I got the opportunity to create this series because sometimes, you just need a basic recipe that simple and straightforward. If you need a cake, frosting or filling recipe, I’ve got you cover with several options!
- Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting – rich, creamy and extra chocolatey frosting with butter, cream cheese, dark chocolate and cocoa powder!
- French Buttercream – silky smooth and so delicious! Made with egg yolks and sugar syrup.
- Italian Meringue Buttercream – fluffy and creamy, made with egg whites and sugar syrup.
- Cream Cheese Frosting – a favorite classic that’s creamy and delicious!
- Pistachio Buttercream Frosting – creamy, fluffy and nutty frosting made with salted pistachios and vanilla! Perfect for cakes, cupcakes, macarons and more!
Enjoyed this recipe? Save it to Pinterest for later!
Supplies & Tools
Need some supplies to make this recipe? You can get them here (Amazon affiliate links):
- I love this set of jumbo cake decorating tips! It includes all my favorite tips for frosting cakes and cupcakes.
- I always use disposable pastry bags for my cakes – no cleaning and less mess!
- And these cake spatulas are a must for any cake decorator!
The Best Chocolate Buttercream Recipe (video)
Ingredients
- 2 cups unsalted butter
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
- 3 cups confectioner’s sugar
Instructions
- Start with the butter! Before adding anything else to the mixer, whisk the softened butter for 7 to 8 minutes, until it's super fluffy and pale white in color and don't forget to scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl often. Only then start adding the chocolate and sugar.
- Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave or over a double boiler until smooth. Allow the chocolate to cool until it's just lukewarm. Next, add in the melted chocolate to the butter and whisk again for about a minute, until the chocolate is well incorporated.
- Next, add in the confectioner's sugar, cocoa powder, salt and vanilla extract. Mix on slow speed first, then turn the mixer to high and mix for 3 to 4 minutes, until the frosting is fluffy. Scrap down the sides of the mixing bowl to ensure everything gets incorporated.
Hi Tatyana,
I love all of your recipes.
I want to know about that in your vanilla cake recipe you usually add 1 1/2 cups of sugar recently why you reduced the sugar amount by 1/2 cup? Is it too sweet. Please reply
Hi! I like the less sweet version 🙂 Add 1 1/2 cups sugar will still be okay, the cake will just be sweeter 🙂
Thank you very much for your reply Tatyana. ☺
I’m waiting for trying all of your cake recipes.
When I see all of your cake recipes start to end I saw you tried different versions of cake recipes. Finally you followed a recipe. I hope that work for me too.☺
You’re doing a great job. I’m looking forward for more cake flavors?
Hi Tatyana, is that that recipe enough for a cake or i’ll need more?
This recipe is perfect for a 6 or 8 inch cake 🙂
Thank u❤ Your recipes are so amazing . Like u ofcource!
This recipe is my go-to. Always comes out perfectly. I find the written amounts are enough for a three layer cake so for just a single or even double cake i usually half the recipe and it’s still a generous amount. Thanks!
Wonderful! So glad this recipe works well for you! 🙂
this was the best frosting could you make a video how to make marshmallow battercream
So glad you enjoyed this recipe! I’ll have to put that on my to-do list! 🙂
Hi, I am planning on baking a cake using your checkerboard cake recipe (either white chocolate or semisweet chocolate). Will this frosting go with the cake? Also, is this frosting sweet like ABC or like SMBC?
Hi! Yes, this is the frosting to use for the cake! This is just a slightly different and updated version. This is a classic American buttercream. If you want a less sweet version, try my French buttercream – it’s my favorite! 🙂
It’s the second time I try to make my own frosting and both times, the taste was on point but the consistency was off. It would hold its shape when piping, but doesn’t have any volume and I don’t know what I’m doing wrong.
Could you help me out? I used all the right measurements.
Hi Alyssa! Thanks for reaching out to me! Are you whisking the butter first? I usually do 6 to 8 minutes on high speed until the butter is super fluffy and white in color, then I add the rest of the ingredients. Also, the powdered sugar does give it volume. Once you add the sugar, whisk again. It could also be that your butter is too soft, which will cause the buttercream to fall flat. If that’s the case, just place it into the refrigerator for 30 minutes, then whisk again. Works every time! 🙂
Just made this frosting last night and it was amazing!! The fam loved it!! Thank you!
So glad you enjoyed the recipe! 🙂
can I omit chocolate chips?
I do recommend adding them because they add lots of flavor and it improves the texture of the frosting. If you want to omit them, you’ll need to increase the amount of cocoa powder from 1/4 cup to at least 1/3 cup or even 1/2 cup, depending on which brand you’re using. Enjoy! 🙂