I don’t think I’ve had a dessert look at me the way this cupcake looks at me. That swirly, twirly pile of silky smooth chocolate buttercream with colorful sprinkles on top knows that it can make all my dreams come true. If you’re wondering, the cupcake pictured is my eggless chocolate cupcake recipe. But today, we’re just talking about the frosting! I often want chocolate frosting for a various number of desserts, but the thought of chopping and melting fickle chocolate stops me every time. Enter this version, made with cocoa powder! You should absolutely buy the richest, darkest cocoa powder you can find. I like Valrhona brand, and I also like a Dutch processed cocoa powder, for its rich color. This recipe will frost one dozen cupcakes or one 8-inch two layer cake. Feel free to scale it up or down, as needed. That is why the recipe is listed in metric measurements and U.S. cups and spoons for you.
Ways to Use Chocolate Buttercream:
Instead of vanilla buttercream, use this recipe to make this small batch of vanilla cupcakes fudge-topped. You won’t regret it!My small chocolate cake recipe technically has a ganache frosting, but so many of you ask for a standard chocolate buttercream recipe like this.Hear me out: the combination of lemon and chocolate is a thing! Use this frosting recipe instead for my lemon cupcakes.An amazing birthday cake would be my small vanilla cake recipe topped with this rich chocolate buttercream. Try it!Browse all of my 6 inch Cake Recipes to find the perfect cake pairing.
How to Make Chocolate Buttercream Frosting:
The most important thing when making this recipe is to have the butter at room temperature. This means open the wrapper, and let the butter sit, exposed to the air, for about 30-60 minutes. Room temperature means you can press a finger into it and leave an indention, but not so soft that your fingers go all the way through the stick. You also need a hand mixer to make this recipe. Here is the one I’ve had for nearly a decade, and it never lets me down. You can make this entirely by hand and use a whisk, but it will be a lot of work.
The Ingredients
Unsalted Butter. One whole stick of unsalted butter, softened at room temperature for 30-60 minutes.Powdered Sugar. Also called confectioner’s sugar or 10x sugar.Vanilla. Yes, chocolate desserts still need vanilla extract to be well-balanced and delicious.Cocoa Powder. The richer, the better. Dutch-processed cocoa powder will give you the darkest color frosting.Milk or Cream. Technically, you can use any liquid here to smooth things out and bring everything together. Heavy cream makes the absolute fluffiest frosting, but regular milk or even a splash of coconut milk works here, too. I’m not shy to admit that chocolate milk is great here, too!
The Directions
- Beat this together with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
- Now, add the cocoa powder and a splash of milk or heavy cream (your choice), and begin to beat everything together. Keep the dairy product nearby, because you may need to add more to make everything smooth and creamy. However, don’t add too much, or the frosting won’t hold its shape when piped. Start with as little liquid as possible.
- Can we please just admire how rich and creamy this frosting looks? Scoop it into a piping bag, and get to work decorating cakes, cupcakes, cookies or even brownies. If you’re looking for a version without chocolate, try my vanilla buttercream recipe.
- Beat this together until light and fluffy.
- Add the cocoa powder, and beat again, adding small splashes of milk or cream to make it all come together. Don’t add too much or the frosting will be too wet and not hold its shape when piped.
Unsalted Butter: One whole stick (4 ounces/ 113 grams) of unsalted butter, softened at room temperature for 30-60 minutes.Powdered Sugar: Sift for best results; also called confectioner’s sugar or 10x sugar.Vanilla: Pure vanilla extract.Cocoa Powder: The richer, the darker and the more expnsive, the better. Dutch-processed cocoa powder will give you the darkest color frosting.Milk or Cream: You can use any liquid here to smooth things out and bring the frosting together. Heavy cream makes the absolute fluffiest frosting. Milk or even coconut milk work well, too.
