Easy Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Recipe

Easy Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Recipe

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 5

Total Time: 5

Servings: servings

Calories: 196kcal

Author: Becky Hardin - Easy Dessert Recipes

Top your sweet treats with the BEST Chocolate Buttercream Frosting! It's so smooth, full of chocolate flavor and pairs perfectly with any cake or cupcake you pipe it onto. The store-bought stuff simply can't compare!

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Equipment

Kitchen Scale (optional)
Hand Mixer (optional)
Stand Mixer (optional)
Fine-Mesh Sieve (optional)
Piping Tip Set (optional)

Ingredients

1 cup salted butter 226 grams, room temperature (2 sticks)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 4 grams
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 84 grams
4 cups powdered sugar 452 grams
1¼ cups heavy cream 284 grams

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer), beat the butter and vanilla until smooth and fluffy.
1 cup salted butter, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Add in the cocoa powder and mix on low until well-combined.
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
Gradually add in the powdered sugar, mixing on low speed to prevent too much powder being tossed out of the bowl.
4 cups powdered sugar
With the mixer on low, slowly pour in the heavy cream and beat until light, fluffy, and fully combined. You can adjust the amount of cream to change the consistency of the buttercream.
1¼ cups heavy cream
To frost cupcakes, fit a large piping bag with cake decorating tip #1M. Fill the piping bag with buttercream. Pipe buttercream onto cupcakes in a counter-clockwise direction, swirling up and toward the center.

Notes

This recipe will frost 24 cupcakes (18 cupcakes if frosting is piled high) or a 2 layer, 9-inch round cake
This buttercream recipe is decadent, chocolate-y, and very fluffy. It has quite a bit of heavy cream in it to provide that fluffy, creamy texture and flavor.
Sift cocoa powder and powdered sugar through a fine-mesh sieve to ensure you don’t have any lumps in the frosting (optional).
This is not “shelf-stable.” It needs to be refrigerated whether stored alone or frosted on baked goods.
This buttercream pipes fairly well, though I wouldn’t use it for intricate designs. But you can use it to make swirls and/or piped borders.
You need to use a hand mixer or a standing mixer to beat the buttercream into its smooth, fluffy texture. Adjust powdered sugar and cream amounts to change the consistency of the buttercream.
If buttercream becomes too soft while piping it, place in the refrigerator to firm up for 10-15 minutes.

Storage: Store chocolate buttercream frosting in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Nutrition