Why I love this black frosting recipe
I remember the first time I made black chocolate frosting for a Halloween cake, it looked more gray than black.
So I set about to find a way to make it really look dark without having to add a whole bottle of food coloring.
And finally found a few tricks that work:
- The first is to use a dark chocolate buttercream icing as the base. It gives you a deep, intense chocolate flavor as well as a dark color to start with. (It’s a lot easier to get brown icing to look black than it is for white icing).
- The second is a very cool microwave hack that makes black icing so much dark. A game changer! (I first saw it in this video).
- And the third is to make the icing a couple of days ahead of time. Leaving the black frosting in the refrigerator for a couple of days allows the color to set and makes it darker.
The result is this easy black chocolate buttercream icing recipe that not only looks black but also tastes delicious.
More chocolate frosting recipes
Ingredients
Here is your shopping list (for enough icing for 1 cake or 24 cupcakes):
- Chocolate – ¾ cup dark or black cocoa powder. I used Hershey’s Dark Select Cocoa Powder.
- Sugar – 4 cups icing sugar
- Flavoring – 1 Tablespoon vanilla
- Dairy – 1 cup butter, ¼ cup heavy cream
- Seasoning – ¼ teaspoon salt
- Coloring – 1 teaspoon black gel food coloring. After testing a few different brands, I found that Americolor Super Black (which you can find here*) results in the best color with the least amount of food coloring.
Substitutions & Additions
- If you don’t have icing sugar (also known as powdered sugar or confectioners’ sugar), you can make your own by using a food processor or blender to process granulated sugar until it is fine.
- You can use regular cocoa powder instead of the black version if that’s what you have. However, you will need to use more black food coloring to get a dark color.
How to make black chocolate buttercream frosting
1 | Before you start
Before you start, take the butter out of the refrigerator a couple of hours ahead of time so it can warm up to room temperature.
This step is crucial because room temperature butter will blend more smoothly and create a better texture in your frosting.
2 | Mix the dry ingredients
In a bowl that is large enough to hold 5 cups of dry ingredients, combine the cocoa powder, salt, and icing sugar, whisking them together thoroughly.
This ensures that the cocoa powder is evenly distributed with the sugar.
Set aside.
3 | Make the frosting
Using a stand mixer or a hand mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until it becomes light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. This incorporates air into the butter, contributing to a lighter texture.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl periodically to make sure all the butter is evenly whipped.
Add the vanilla extract to the whipped butter and continue to beat on medium speed until fully combined.
Add half of the icing sugar and cocoa mixture to the butter and vanilla.
Start mixing on low speed to prevent the dry ingredients from puffing out of the bowl. Once incorporated, increase the speed to medium until the mixture is smooth.
Pour in the cream and mix on medium speed until fully combined.
Add the remaining icing sugar and cocoa mixture. Again, start on low speed and then increase to medium until everything is well combined.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed to ensure everything is mixed evenly.4 | Add the black color
Now we’re ready to add the food coloring.
Stir the black gel food coloring into the chocolate frosting until it is evenly distributed.
It should be a dark brown-black color.
You may need to add more food coloring, but be cautious as too much can give it a bitter taste. And it will get darker with the next step.
Spoon one cup of the frosting into a microwave-safe bowl.
Heat it in the microwave on low power for 10 to 20 seconds until it reaches a soupy consistency.
This helps the color integrate better with the butter, resulting in a darker shade.
Allow the melted frosting to cool for a few minutes.
Once cooled, return it to the main bowl of frosting.
Beat on medium speed to recombine.
If the mixture appears to curdle, keep beating; it will eventually smooth out.
To make the frosting even darker, cover it with plastic wrap pushed down so it touches the surface. Then store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The longer it stands, the darker it will get. Let it warm to room temperature and beat it with the mixer to restore its fluffiness before piping the icing onto your cake or cupcakes.
Serving suggestions
This frosting works really well for icing a layer cake or frosting cupcakes. (I like to use it for these Skull Cupcakes).
But you can also use it to create a decadent cookie sandwich by spreading the frosting between two cookies.
Or top brownies with a generous layer to make a spooky Halloween treat.
Storage
To store black chocolate buttercream frosting:
1. Transfer the frosting to an airtight container.
2. Smooth the top with a spatula to eliminate air pockets.
3. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the frosting.
4. Seal the container with its lid.
For short-term storage, refrigerate for up to one week.
For long-term storage, freeze for up to three months. When ready to use, thaw in the refrigerator overnight and re-whip to restore its texture.
Frequently asked questions
What should I do if my frosting is too thick or too thin?
If the frosting is too thick, add one tablespoon of cream at a time until you reach the desired consistency. If it’s too thin, gradually add more powdered sugar until it thickens up.
Black Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
- 4 cups icing sugar
- ¾ cup dark or black cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup butter softened to room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon black gel food coloring
Equipment
- measuring cups and spoons
- Mixing bowl that is large enough to hold 5 cups of dry ingredients
- Whisk
- electric mixer and mixing bowl
- mixing spoon
- small microwaveable bowl
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the icing sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Set aside.4 cups icing sugar, ¾ cup dark or black cocoa powder, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Beat the butter on medium speed until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.1 cup butter
- Add vanilla to the butter and beat on medium speed until combined.1 Tablespoon vanilla
- Add half of the icing sugar and cocoa mixture to the butter and vanilla mixture. Beat on low-speed beat until combined.
- Add the cream to the mixture and on medium speed, mix to combine¼ cup heavy cream
- Add the remaining icing sugar and cocoa mix. Beat on low speed until combined.
- Add the black food coloring, and stir until the color is evenly distributed throughout.1 teaspoon black gel food coloring
- Spoon one cup of the frosting from the stand mixer bowl into a small microwave-proof bowl.
- Place in microwave and heat on low power for 10 to 20 seconds until the icing has a soupy consistency.
- Let the melted frosting sit for a few minutes until it cools.
- Return this dyed portion back to the rest of the icing and beat on medium speed to recombine.
Notes
- To make the frosting even darker, cover it with plastic wrap pushed down so it touches the surface and store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The longer it stands, the darker it will get. Let it warm to room temperature and beat it with the mixer to restore its fluffiness before piping the icing onto your cake or cupcakes.
Nutrition
Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.
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