Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Recipe

Rich and fudgy Chocolate Buttercream Frosting recipe for cakes and cupcakes! Plus an easy tutorial on how to frost a cupcake!

Decadent and creamy frosting is perfect to spread on our favorite Fudgy Brownies! Or choose a tangy chocolate frosting like our chocolate sour cream frosting recipe!

Why this Recipe is Best

Have you tried my popular chocolate cake recipe yet? It’s a delicious homemade chocolate cake that is topped with my chocolate buttercream frosting recipe.

The combination of the rich chocolate cake and the creamy chocolate cake frosting is sooo good!

You guys might know by now that I’m not exaggerating when I say I love frosting. I like it more than I like the cake, (but clearly not as much as I love rice krispie treats, haha).

• Buttercream frostings have a rich, creamy, taste.
• And this buttercream frosting is a quick and easy chocolate flavor frosting that tastes great topped on my chocolate cupcakes.
• The almond extract takes it to the next level!

You can also fill chocolate chip cookies with buttercream. Try this easy Chocolate Chip Sandwich Cookies!

Ingredient Notes

Just five ingredients for easy chocolate buttercream frosting.

1. Unsalted Butter- controlling the salt in your baked goods and frostings is important. All brands of butter have various amounts of salt added to their salted butter. Using unsalted allows YOU to control the flavor.
2. Powdered Sugar- also know as confectioner’s sugar.
3. Unsweetened Cocoa Powder- because there is no leavener in the frosting, you can use dutch process if you prefer. Dark chocolate unsweeted cocoa will also work here. I usually use Ghirardelli unsweetened cocoa powder, found at most grocery stores.
4. Heavy Whipping Cream- this is important for that thick and creamy texture. You could use whole milk, but anything with less fat will result in a thinner, less rich frosting.
5. Almond Extract- a little goes a long way here! It really enhances the flavor of the chocolate, but you could also use vanilla extract if you prefer.

How Much Frosting Do You Need?

It can be tricky to know how much frosting you need. Here are some tips for how to figure out how much frosting you need, whether you’re making a cake or cupcakes.

For cakes: You want your layered cake to have an even amount of frosting on each layer and plenty of frosting leftover for the exterior. This recipe makes about 4 cups of frosting, which should be the perfect amount to frost a two-layer cake.

Here’s a little guide for getting enough frosting on all parts of the cake:

• Use 1 cup frosting for middle layer
• Use 1 ½ cups for the top of the cake
• Use the rest of the frosting for the side of the cake

For cupcakes: When I frost chocolate cupcakes I like to have an equal amount of frosting to cupcake ratio. My ideal ratio is 1:1.

I use a piping bag to swirl a big amount of frosting on each cupcake. If you want a big frosting swirl like me, this recipe will frost about 24 cupcakes.

For Rice Krispie Treats: yes, I had to go there! Pipe a swirl inside these adorable Easter Rice Krispie Treat Nests and top with some chocolate eggs!

For 13×9 Cake: when making our easy chocolate cake I usually only make HALF a batch of this fudgy frosting!

Tips and Tricks

• There are several cocoa powder options. When choosing a cocoa powder, make sure to use a baking cocoa powder. Baking cocoa powder doesn’t have added sugar and is unsweetened. Hersheys and Ghirardelli unsweetened cocoa powders are great options because they are sold in most stores and are very affordable.
• Beat, beat, beat. I cannot stress this enough. You want to beat your butter very well, then add the rest of your ingredients and beat again.
• Make sure you add my secret ingredient to this frosting. It’s the almond extract. This extract adds depth to this frosting. If you can’t find almond extract or don’t like the taste, you can swap it out for vanilla extract.

Can Frosting be Made Ahead of Time?

Chocolate buttercream frosting always tastes better and has the best consistency when it’s fresh and used the same day that it’s made. If you’re frosting an entire cake, it’s best to use fresh buttercream frosting because it will spread better.

That being said you can make buttercream frosting ahead of time if needed and store it at room temperature, in the refrigerator, or in the freezer. Here are some tips if you’re making it in advance.

To Store At Room Temperature:

• Need to make your frosting in the morning and eat your cake that evening? You can whip up your frosting, cover it with tight plastic wrap, and leave it out at cool room temperature.
• You can store it this way for several hours. When you’re ready to frost your cake, stir it well first.

To Store In The Refrigerator:

• I recommend only refrigerating leftover frosting that will be used for filling in or adding details. To do this, cover well with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for up to one week.
• When you’re ready to use it, thaw it out at room temperature and mix up with a spoon or mixer. Add a little extra cream if it needs more liquid.

Can you freeze Chocolate Frosting?

To Store in The Freezer:

• You can freeze buttercream frosting for up to two months. Again, this is not recommended if you need to frost an entire cake, but you can freeze any excess for filling in or adding to a fresh batch later.
• When you’re ready to use, thaw it gradually, first in the refrigerator overnight and then at room temperature. Be sure to beat it again before using.

You can also use leftover CHILLED frosting to make these delicious buttercream truffles. SO GOOD.

How to Pipe Frosting onto a cake or cupcake

Piping Bag.

• First choose your piping bag. I purchase disposable bags on amazon for easy clean up. Insert the tip of your choice (with the ring attachment) into one bag, snipping off the end so it fits. Then fill a second bag with the frosting and slide it into the bag with the tip. 
• This is great because when it comes to clean up, you remove the inner bag with frosting and when you reach in to take out the tip and ring you don’t have to work your way through the frosting!
• I have found that the best and easiest way to fill a frosting piping bag is to place the bag in a large cup and fold the edges of the bag over the sides of the cup. Fill the bag with your frosting and lift it out of the cup. Grab the folded edges and twist the top of the bag and use a chip clip or tie to keep it from coming out of the top when you squeeze the frosting.

Decorator Tips.

• Depending on what you want to put ON the cupcake or cake, will determine which tip you choose.
• I am definitely NOT a cake decorator by any means, but these are the three tips I tend to choose for my cupcakes and cakes.
• There are options to choose a large tip or a smaller tip. I tend to go with the bigger ones for everything.
• 1M tip: this is perfect for making those beautiful roses you see on cakes. It’s how I frosted my Red Velvet Cheesecake Cake – if you want to see an example!

Apply Pressure.

• As you pipe your details onto your cake or yellow cupcake, it’s important to remember to have a constant pressure on the bag at all times. This takes practice. Don’t get frustrated! After all, the end result is dessert with delicious chocolate frosting that tastes amazing. 

More Frosting Recipes

• Lemon Whipped Cream Frosting
• Chocolate Vanilla Swirl Frosting
• Cream Cheese Frosting
• Ermine Frosting – for DING DONG Cake!
• Nutella Frosting
• Sugar Cookie Frosting
• Butterfinger Frosting
• Lemon Frosting

The Best Chocolate Buttercream Frosting you’ll need for cakes, cupcakes, and more!