• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

The Toasty Kitchen

  • Home
  • Recipe Index
  • Subscribe
  • About
  • FAQ
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Subscribe
  • About
  • FAQ
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Home
    • Recipes
    • Subscribe
    • About
    • FAQ
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Cake & Frosting

    Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

    Published: Jul 29, 2018 · Modified: Aug 9, 2021 by Heather · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. · 651 words. · About 4 minutes to read this article.

    Jump to Recipe
    Chocolate Buttercream Frosting by The Toasty Kitchen
    Chocolate Buttercream Frosting by The Toasty Kitchen
    Chocolate Buttercream Frosting by The Toasty Kitchen

    Chocolate buttercream frosting is the perfect finishing touch for your next cake or cupcake recipe. Light and velvety, this sweet chocolate frosting comes together in minutes and can easily be doubled or tripled for your next cake.

    Chocolate frosting piped onto a cupcake.

    If you are a chocolate lover, you will agree that chocolate cake can only be topped with chocolate frosting. This chocolate frosting is velvety, sweet, and pairs perfectly with chocolate cupcakes.

    Buttercream frosting is a sweet, rich frosting made with butter and confectioner's sugar. There's no cooking involved, so you can make homemade chocolate frosting in just a few minutes, with five ingredients.

    American buttercream frosting

    This frosting is a standard American buttercream frosting. This means that the base of the recipe is butter and confectioner's sugar.

    American buttercream is generally very sweet, but also easy to prepare because there is no cooking involved.

    Once you combine your ingredients, it's ready to spread or pipe onto your cupcakes. Check out my recipe for Classic American Buttercream Frosting if you're looking for an easy vanilla frosting recipe.

    Close up of chocolate frosting in a bowl.

    Room temperature butter

    For this recipe, you'll need room temperature butter. To prepare, set out your butter an hour or two before you begin.

    If you forget to soften your butter beforehand, Try slicing each stick of butter into small pieces. This will help it warm up to room temperature quickly.

    Making chocolate frosting

    First, you'll whip your butter in a large mixing bowl. Then, you'll add your confectioner's sugar and cocoa powder.

    Starting slowly, mix the dry ingredients into the butter. It may look dry, but it will eventually come together. Whip until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.

    Mixing ingredients in a glass bowl to make frosting.Next, add the vanilla extract and heavy cream. Whip for another 1 or 2 minutes, until your frosting is light and fluffy. The color of your frosting will lighten slightly as it is whipped. 

    Now you can spread your frosting with a knife onto cupcakes or a prepared cake. Or, spoon into a piping bag and pipe onto cupcakes. 

    Chocolate buttercream frosting in a glass bowl. How much frosting do I need?

    This recipe makes enough frosting to frost the following cupcake quantities and cake sizes:

    • 6-inch three layer cake
    • 18 cupcakes with piped frosting
    • 24 cupcakes spread with a knife
    • 9x13 sheet cake
    • 13x18 sheet cake
    • 8-inch or 9-inch two layer cake (filling and top of cake, leaving the sides bare). To cover the sides of your layer cake, make an additional half batch of frosting.

    In the recipe card below, hover over the serving size. Use the sliding bar to change the serving size and measurements.

    Chocolate buttercream frosting in a glass bowl.
    Print Recipe
    5 from 7 reviews

    Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

    Chocolate buttercream frosting is the perfect finishing touch for your next cake or cupcake recipe. Light and fluffy, this sweet chocolate frosting comes together in minutes and can easily be doubled or tripled for your next cake.
    Prep Time5 minutes
    Total Time5 minutes
    Servings: 18 or more cupcakes
    Calories: 255kcal
    Author: Heather

    Ingredients

    • 1 ½ cups (339 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
    • 4 cups (456 g) confectioner's sugar
    • 6 tablespoons cocoa powder
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • ¼ cup (57 g) heavy cream, or milk

    Instructions

    • In a bowl, add confectioner's sugar and cocoa powder. Sift or whisk to remove lumps, then set aside.
    •  a separate bowl, add butter. Beat until creamy. Add confectioner's sugar and cocoa powder and starting slowly, mix until ingredients are fully combined. Then, whip at high speed for 2-3 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Add vanilla extract and heavy cream, then beat for another minute until fluffy.
    • Pipe or spread frosting with a knife onto cupcakes and serve.

    Equipment Recommendations

    • Cupcake Decorating Piping Kit
    • Pyrex Glass Mixing Bowls
    • Kitchenaid Hand Mixer
    • Measuring Spoons

    Notes

    • Recipe will make enough to frost up to 18 cupcakes with piped frosting, 24 cupcakes spread with a knife, a 9x13 sheet cake, a 13x18 sheet cake, or the top and middle of a round 8 or 9 inch 2-layer cake (leaving the sides bare). To frost the sides of a 2-layer cake, make an additional half batch of frosting.
    • This frosting will crust, so sprinkles or additional decorations will need to be added before your frosting dries.

    Nutrition Estimate

    Serving: 0g | Calories: 255kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 45mg | Sodium: 4mg | Potassium: 32mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 521IU | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 1mg
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American

    More recipes

    • Chocolate cupcake recipe.
      Homemade Chocolate Cupcakes
    • American buttercream frosting recipe.
      American Buttercream Frosting
    • Whipped buttercream frosting recipe.
      Whipped Buttercream Frosting
    • Homemade Whipped Cream

    More Cake & Frosting Recipes

    • Slice of vanilla layer cake.
      10 Tips For Baking Cake
    • A slice of Irish tea cake topped with whipped cream on a plate.
      Irish Tea Cake
    • Close up of mini red velvet cupcake topped with a red heart shaped sprinkle.
      Mini Red Velvet Cupcakes
    • Ermine Frosting

    Share this post:

    Subscribe

    Get our newest recipes delivered to your inbox for free!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. Kathy Robichaud

      March 10, 2021 at 9:06 am

      Made this YUMMY frosting for my nephew’s birthday cupcakes. My family are not big sweet eaters but, everyone raved about the frosting. It’s delicious, light & fluffy and pipes perfectly. I added white & chocolate jimmies to top it off. Beautiful & tasty too !

      Reply
    2. Karen

      April 14, 2019 at 3:36 pm

      Making this frosting for my birthday cake!

      Reply
      • Heather

        April 14, 2019 at 3:39 pm

        Great choice Karen! Let us know how you like it, and happy birthday!

        Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Heather of The Toasty Kitchen

    Hi, I'm Heather of The Toasty Kitchen. I love cooking with real, unfussy ingredients, and I want to help you make homemade meals with ease.

    More about me →

    Spring recipes

    • Close up of strawberries, walnuts, feta cheese, and onions on a bed of lettuce.
      Strawberry Walnut Salad
    • Roasted potatoes and asparagus on a metal sheet pan.
      Roasted Potatoes and Asparagus
    • White bowl filled with arugula, potatoes, tomato, and red onion.
      Roasted Potato Arugula Salad
    • White bowl filled with salad ingredients.
      Salmon Cobb Salad

    Reader Favorites

    • A spoon scooping raspberry sauce from a white bowl.
      Raspberry Sauce For Cheesecake
    • Cooked steak tips in a cast iron pan.
      Garlic Butter & Herb Sirloin Tips
    • Red spatula covered in white frosting.
      Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
    • Graham crackers dipped in a bowl of strawberry cheesecake dip.
      Strawberry Cheesecake Dip

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About
    • FAQ
    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • Contact

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    As seen in

    logos of publications The Toasty Kitchen has been published in.

    Copyright © 2023 The Toasty Kitchen®