Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

How to Make
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Chocolate American buttercream frosting is always a delicious choice! It's what I choose for my own birthday cakes every time! Two sources of chocolate ingredients really allow you to tailor it to your taste. Chocolate buttercream always has such a smooth, velvety look in pictures, too!
Make sure to read all important notes below.

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened
¼ teaspoon salt (plus more to taste as desired)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (plus more to taste as desired)
4 cups powdered sugar
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
4-5 Tablespoons heavy cream* please read notes on liquid ingredients below
2-3 Tablespoons semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (I prefer the paddle attachment with the flexible/spatula edge), beat the butter alone on medium speed for several minutes until the color lightens. A hand mixer with the beaters will work as well. Avoid using the whisk attachment when making buttercream, as this can whip in extra air.

Add the salt and vanilla, then mix until well combined.

If your mixer has a shield, add this on to prevent powdered sugar from escaping while mixing. Add the powdered sugar, then pulse the mixer (alternating turning it to the first/lowest speed, and then stopping) to prevent ingredients escaping. Pulse this just until the powdered sugar is combined with the butter mixture.

Add the sifted cocoa powder and pulse to combine.

Add the cream (or other liquid source – see below) and pulse again just until this is combined as well.

Mix on lowest speed (higher speeds can whip the cream and thus cause an increase in air bubbles) for a few minutes until the buttercream stars to look smooth.

Pour the chocolate chips into a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 20 second increments until melted and smooth. Allow these to cool slightly before adding into the buttercream mixture.

Stop the mixer and taste test using a clean spoon each time. If it tastes too sweet, add a pinch of salt and/or another drop of extract and mix again on low speed. If you'd like more chocolate flavor, you can also add small amounts of the sifted cocoa powder and/or the melted and cooled chocolate chips as well. Repeat this until you find a taste you prefer.

Yield

This recipe makes 5 ¼ to 5 ¾ cups of buttercream, which is approximately enough to:

Frost 2 dozen cupcakes in a flat/short design
- OR -
Frost 1.5 dozen cupcakes in a tall/swirl design
- OR -
Frost a 3-layer 6-inch cake
- OR -
Frost a 2-layer 8-inch cake

Make more buttercream to pipe borders, flowers, and further decorations to cakes and cupcakes. I frequently make double and even triple batches of this for various cake sizes and quantities of cupcakes. Follow the directions in the same way for larger batches as well.

Important Notes

Consistency
This ratio of ingredients is for a medium consistency buttercream frosting. If you wish to thin the consistency slightly in order to frost and cover a cake, add a dash of the cream or other liquid ingredient. If you wish to pipe cupcakes, borders, flowers, and other decorations that need to hold their shape, add more powdered sugar and/or cocoa powder and mix on lowest speed until desired consistency is reached.

*A Note About Liquid Ingredients
This recipe is intended for home use and consumption. If intending to sell baked goods, be sure to verify approved recipes and ingredients with your state’s cottage foods governing entity. The cottage food laws where I live do not allow for cream or other dairy as the liquid ingredient in buttercream frosting, so if intending to sell, water and/or a bit more of the flavoring/extract may be substituted for the cream. Add these in very small increments while mixing on low, as water thins the buttercream recipe more so than cream does.

Storage
Store American buttercream frosting in an airtight container at room temperature for a day, in the refrigerator for 2 weeks, or in the freezer for 2 months. Climate/humidity/temperature may affect this.

After buttercream has been sitting, whether this is on the counter, in the fridge, or in the freezer, air bubbles will begin to develop. Allow the buttercream to come to room temperature, and then gently stir back and forth with a rubber spatula to gently press these out.

Ingredients Temp
I’ve found that the ingredients mix and emulsify together better if they are all at room temperature (or near room temperature). Ingredients of similar temperatures will mix more easily than ingredients of differing temperatures from one another.

Coloring
Want black buttercream? Replace the regular/unsweetened cocoa powder in this recipe for black cocoa powder to help darken the color before adding black gel coloring. Black buttercream will require time to develop the color in the fridge.

As with any recipe, results may vary by brand/types of ingredients and humidity/temperature/climate.

Supplies, Materials, and Ingredients Links

Stand mixer, hand mixer, and attachments: KitchenAid: Amazon Storefront
Mixing bowls and spatulas: KitchenAid and various brands: Amazon Storefront
Vanilla extract: Watkins: Amazon Storefront
Gel coloring: Chefmaster liqua-gels and Americolor gel-pastes: Amazon storefront
Black cocoa powder: Wincrest: Amazon Storefront
Heavy Cream: Kemps: Retailer Locator

I would love to see what you make with your chocolate buttercream frosting!
Tag me @erin.cakesandcupcakes on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook!