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. Too little, and it just tastes like 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

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Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Author: Nagi

Prep: 15

Baking

Western

4.96 from 64 votes

Servings

Recipe video above. 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.

Quantity – This makes enough to swirl frosting on 12 cupcakes (see photos in post), to smear on 18 cupcakes, or a single layer 20-22cm / 8-9" cake (like this Chocolate Fudge Cake).

For a 2 layer cake, 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 3.75 cups (ie 3 3/4 cups) / 450g.

Ingredients

▢ 200g / 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
▢ 2 1/2 cups soft icing sugar / powdered sugar , sifted (Note 1)
▢ 1/2 cup cocoa powder , unsweetened, preferably Dutch Processed, sifted(Note 3)
▢ 1/4 cup 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 / 3.75 cups.

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.

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 229cal (11%)Carbohydrates: 27g (9%)Protein: 1g (2%)Fat: 14g (22%)Saturated Fat: 9g (56%)Trans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 36mg (12%)Sodium: 123mg (5%)Potassium: 66mg (2%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 25g (28%)Vitamin A: 426IU (9%)Calcium: 15mg (2%)Iron: 1mg (6%)

Keywords: Buttercream frosting, chocolate buttercream, cookie frosting

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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! 🙂

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207 Comments

Kevin | Keviniscooking says

May 8, 2017 at 4:24 am

I’d seriously eat this alone with a spoon and be very happy.

- Nagi says
  
  May 8, 2017 at 2:29 pm
  
  ME TOO!
  
Gretchen Kennedy says

May 8, 2017 at 3:38 am

Recipes for your ( I Don’t Care) Cupcakes and Buttercream Icing are same one’s my family have used for years. We love them and so do those who eat them! Thank you for offering them to us. Shows we do not have to have fancy stuff to cook! thanks again!

Gretchen Kennedy says

May 8, 2017 at 3:32 am

Nagi, Your recipe for the cupcakes and the Buttercream Icing is same as one my Father used in his bakery. Mother and i made it all of the time. I should say it is timeless, Huh? I made it for my Daughters Wedding Cake and even though we thought there would be cake leftover, there wasn’t a drop! The cupcake recipe is like recipe I use one in while only we call it a “Dump Cake”. Wonderful all! Thank you

- Nagi says
  
  May 8, 2017 at 2:29 pm
  
  NO WAY!!!! I thought my cupcakes recipe was quite unique, I fumbled it together over many years of experimenting. I’m SO thrilled to know it’s the same!! N xx
  
Mary says

May 7, 2017 at 6:14 pm

WHERE’S DOZER? No photo of DOZER!

Lovely recipe Nagi which I will be using in the near future, but, no Dozer!

- Nagi says
  
  May 8, 2017 at 2:22 pm
  
  Because he’s in the MAIN recipe – the cupcakes!!!! OK OK you win, I will add one!!
  
  - Mary says
    
    May 8, 2017 at 3:57 pm
    
    Now things are back to normal. Lovely Dozer!
    
    - Nagi says
      
      May 9, 2017 at 8:28 am
      
      ❤️
      
Shalryn says

May 7, 2017 at 3:43 am

~sneaks in and swipes the milk; drops in an equal amount of whipping cream and two extra teaspoons of cocoa powder; steals away the vanilla — which is greatly overused nowadays — and substitutes half a teaspoon of Himalayan salt~

There. My tactic for making a truly rich buttercream. (Face it, it’s buttercream. If your arteries aren’t screaming for mercy, you’re not doing it right.)

- Nagi says
  
  May 8, 2017 at 2:17 pm
  
  Ooh! LOVE those tips – especially the SALT!
  
lee says

May 6, 2017 at 2:26 am

I love your recipes and can’t wait to try this one..I have to admit though I come to see Dozer first…:) I have had 5 golden and he looks exactlly like my first two males.. my last male was white with chocolate eyes…they are all gone now (plus two beautiful girls) so I get my dog fix with your beautiful Dozer..!

keep up the good work… I have a fishing lodge and about to start my season and will be trying all your recipes!

thank you from Vancouver Canada

- Nagi says
  
  May 8, 2017 at 7:32 am
  
  I LOVE that you see Dozer first!!! Sometimes I do his section first… 😉 N xx