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Fluffy Chocolate Buttercream Frosting With Cocoa

Making your own frosting is easier than you think, and the results are well worth it. In this recipe, we’ll show you how to make fluffy chocolate buttercream frosting that’s perfect for topping cupcakes or icing cakes.

fluffy chocolate buttercream frosting

This chocolate buttercream frosting recipe is the classic icing for chocolate layer cakes and cupcakes.

People often think that making it is difficult, but it’s actually quite easy.

With just a few simple ingredients, you can have the perfect fluffy frosting to top your desserts.

And this version is made with cocoa powder so you don’t have to mess with melting chocolate.

Ingredients

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chocolate buttercream frosting ingredients

This recipe makes enough to frost a double-layer cake or 12 cupcakes. You can easily double or triple the recipe to meet your needs.

Here is your shopping list:

  • Dairy – 1 cup unsalted butter, 4 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream
  • Sugar – 3 cups confectioners sugar (also known as powdered sugar or icing sugar)
  • Flavoring – ½ cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • Seasoning – ¼ teaspoon salt

How to make chocolate buttercream frosting

chocolate buttercream frosting in a bowl

Prep work

Take the butter out of the refrigerator a couple of hours ahead of time so that it has time to soften.

Mix the frosting

chocolate buttercream frosting on a whisk beater

In a large bowl, beat the softened butter on medium speed until creamy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl as needed.

If you have a stand mixer, use the whisk attachment rather than the standard beater for fluffier frosting.

On low speed, slowly add the confectioners sugar and cocoa powder to the butter.

Add the heavy cream, vanilla and salt. Beat on low speed until sugar is incorporated.

Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the frosting is lighter in color and stiff enough to hold its shape, about 3 minutes.

chocolate buttercream frosting being piped onto a chocolate cupcake

Then you can put spread it over a cake or pipe it onto cupcakes (like our favorite chocolate cupcakes) as desired.

Storage

If you are not using the frosting right away, cover it in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

After taking it out of the fridge, mix in a little heavy cream or milk to thin the frosting out and make it fluffy again.

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chocolate buttercream frosting

Fluffy Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Wanda Simone
This fluffy chocolate buttercream frosting is a classic icing recipe for topping cakes and cupcakes. It's made with cocoa powder, tastes delicious, and is so easy to make you'll never use store-bought icing again.
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 1 double-layer cake or 12 cupcakes
Calories 1953 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 mixer with large mixing bowl
  • 1 Spatula

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 3 cups confections sugar
  • ½ cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 4 Tablespoon heavy whipping cream
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions
 

  • Using a mixer and a large bowl, beat the softened butter on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until creamy, scraping down the bowl as needed.
  • On low speed, slowly add the confectioners sugar and cocoa powder to the butter.
  • Add the heavy cream, vanilla and salt. Beat on low speed until sugar is incorporated.
  • Increase speed to medium-high and beat for 3 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed
  • Spread on a cake or pipe onto cupcakes as desired.

Notes

  • If you’re mixing with a stand mixer, use the whisk attachment instead of the beater for fluffy frosting.
  • The frosting can be covered in an airtight container and stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. After taking it out of the fridge, mix in a little heavy cream or milk to thin the frosting out again and make it fluffy.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 batch of frostingCalories: 1953 kcalCarbohydrates: 403 gProtein: 12 gFat: 212 gSaturated Fat: 134 gPolyunsaturated Fat: 8 gMonounsaturated Fat: 55 gTrans Fat: 7 gCholesterol: 556 mgSodium: 632 mgPotassium: 777 mgFiber: 16 gSugar: 4 gVitamin A: 6555 IUVitamin C: 0.4 mgCalcium: 150 mgIron: 6 mg

Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Have comments or questions about our chocolate buttercream frosting recipe? Tell us in the section below.

This post was originally published on August 26, 2022 but was updated with new content on February 20, 2023.


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