Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Fluffy and smooth with a lovely chocolatey flavour, this is how to make Chocolate Buttercream Frosting! Follow along with the quick recipe video (below recipe). Use this buttercream to frost cakes and cupcakes – it can be piped, spread and used to sandwich cake layers!

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Fluffy and chocolatey, buttercream frosting is a classic favourite for smothering over cakes and cupcakes. This Chocolate Buttercream Frosting is:

✅ Perfect for piping – it holds its shape with swirls, roses etc

✅ Can be used for sandwiching between cake layers – it won’t ooze out everywhere like cream when you cut into the cake

✅ Fluffy, creamy, luscious and buttery. Totally indulgent and will rival any high end bakery!

How to make Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Buttercream frosting is not hard to make but it does take time – and an electric mixer or stand mixer. The key is beating, beating, beating – for at least 6 minutes, usually 7 to 8 minutes.

The longer you beat, the fluffier it is and the smoother it is.

Beat, beat, beat!

Other than beating, the only other tip I have for a beautiful classic buttercream frosting is to use the right butter to icing sugar (powdered sugar) ratio. Too much sugar to butter = gritty frosting. My rule of thumb is 1 1/2 cups of icing sugar for every 125g / 1 stick of butter.

Go forth and enjoy! – Nagi x

Use this Chocolate Buttercream Frosting for:

• Chocolate Cupcakes – no stand mixer required for these incredible cupcakes!
• Chocolate Cake – the BEST everyday chocolate cake, ever!
• Classic Vanilla Sponge Cake

Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Author: Nagi

Prep: 15 mins

5 from 14 votes

Servings12

Tap or hover to scale

Print

• 103
• 472
• 88

The key to ensuring your buttercream comes out fluffy and smooth (rather than dense and gritty) is to beat, beat, beat and to use the right ratio of butter to icing sugar. I like to make my chocolate buttercream with Dutch Processed cocoa powder, but you can use chocolate if you prefer, refer to the notes. Recipe video below.

Ingredients

• 200 g / 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 1/2 cups / 300g soft icing sugar / powdered sugar , sifted (Note 1)
• 1/2 cup / 35g cocoa powder , preferably Dutch Processed, sifted(Note 3)
• 1/4 cup / 65 ml milk (any)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

Instructions

• Place butter in the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attached. Beat for 3 minutes on speed 7 until it becomes pale.
• Add half the icing sugar and cocoa powder. Beat for 3 minutes - start slow, increase to speed 7.
• Add remaining icing sugar and cocoa powder. Beat again for 3 minutes.
• Add milk and vanilla if using. Beat again for 1 minute on speed 7.
• Spread onto cakes / cupcakes, or spoon into frosting bag and pipe.

Recipe Notes:

1. Icing Sugar - if you are in Australia, get the packets labelled as Soft icing sugar. Not Pure Icing sugar- that's for royal icing, the stuff that goes hard that's used for writing. 

2. Quantity - This makes enough to swirl frosting on 12 cupcakes (see photo in post) or frost one 22cm / 9" cake (top, sides and filling) a reasonable amount.

To frost cake more generously, like as depicted in this Chocolate Cake recipe (2 layer 22cm/9" cake), increase the recipe by 50%. Use the recipe scaler (hover /click on servings and slide) and increase until icing sugar becomes 450g.

3. Dutch Processed cocoa powder is a more intense flavour than normal cocoa powder. So you will get a better chocolate flavour.

4. To make this using chocolate instead of cocoa powder, use 75g / 3 oz 70%+ cocoa dark chocolate. Melt and cool, then whisk in at the end.

Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @RecipeTinEats.

WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting recipe video!

LIFE OF DOZER

BY POPULAR DEMAND…. Dozer photo added!! I didn’t have one in this recipe because it was an extra recipe for the Chocolate Cupcakes. Gasp shock horror! Better fix it! 🙂

SaveSave