The Best Chocolate Buttercream Recipe.
This is the best chocolate buttercream frosting recipe. It really is so delicious.
It has a great balance of flavors—not too rich or sugary. It pairs really well with a chocolate or vanilla cake.
I used it in my chocolate raspberry trifle cake and it was delicious.
My daughter and I are currently in the process of making her birthday cake and we’ve already made up a batch of this frosting for it. We are excited to make a chocolate chocolate cake with this buttercream inside and white chocolate buttercream on the outside.
Check back for how it turns out. I’ll likely post it within a few weeks.
This buttercream recipe keeps well in the fridge in piping bags for a few weeks. You can make it ahead to break up some of the time it takes to make a homemade cake.
When you are ready to use it, you can take it out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature on its own or you can microwave it for a short amount of time to soften it up so you can use it more quickly.
What I also love about this recipe is that there is no use of shortening or the need to melt chocolate. This recipe is also very simple and quick and only requires a few ingredients.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cup butter (3 sticks)
7 1/2 cups confectioners’/powdered sugar or a full 32 oz bag
1 Cup 100% unsweetened cocoa powder fine. If yours is more grainy you will want to blend it in a blender or food processor beforehand to make it fine. I used Brit Cocoa and found it too grainy I have also used Ghirardelli and that is fine enough to not need to blend it!
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I prefer Mexican vanilla)
1 Cup heavy whipping cream
Supplies to make The Best Chocolate Buttercream Recipe
piping bags (optional)
large glass (optional)
Directions on how to make The Best Chocolate Buttercream Recipe
To learn how to make this you can watch the video on this post, download the free recipe below, and/or continue reading.
- In a food processor or blender, blend the cocoa powder until it is very fine. This prevents the icing from forming a grainy texture. Some cocoa powders are less fine than others. If yours is super fine you can skip this step—Ghirardelli 100% unsweetened is super fine and doesn’t require this step.
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Combine the butter and vanilla and mix for 1 minute.
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On low speed add the cocoa powder about 1/4 C at a time, mixing slowly until well incorporated.
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On low speed slowly add the confectioners’ sugar a cup at a time and 1 Cup of heavy cream incrementally. Mix on low speed until well combined.
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Beat at high speed until the frosting is smooth and fluffy (about 4 minutes).
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Taste test and add more ingredients as needed to achieve a frosting where all flavors can be tasted without overpowering the others: sugar, butter, and chocolate. As the recipe is written it meets this balance for me.
The Best Chocolate Buttercream Recipe
Aan impossibly good chocolate buttercream without shortening... just the good stuff.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup butter (3 sticks)
- 7 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar or a full 32 oz bag
- 1 Cup 100% unsweetened cocoa powder fine. *See Notes
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I prefer Mexican vanilla)
- 1 Cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
If needed in a food processor or blender, blend the cocoa powder until it is very fine. This prevents the icing from forming a grainy texture. Some cocoa powders are less fine than others. If yours is super fine you can skip this step—Ghirardelli 100% unsweetened is super fine and doesn't require this step.
Combine the butter and vanilla and mix for 1 minute.
On low speed add the cocoa powder about 1/4 C at a time, mixing slowly until well incorporated.
On low speed slowly add the confectioners' sugar a cup at a time and 1 Cup of heavy cream incrementally. Mix on low speed until well combined.
Beat at high speed until the frosting is smooth and fluffy (about 4 minutes).
Taste test and add more ingredients as needed to achieve a frosting where all flavors can be tasted without overpowering the others: sugar, butter, and chocolate. As the recipe is written it meets this balance for me.
Notes
If yours is more grainy you will want to blend it in a blender or food processor beforehand to make it fine. I used Brit Cocoa and found it too grainy I have also used Ghirardelli and that is fine enough to not need to blend it!
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