Whipped Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Recipe

chocolate buttercream piped on top of chocolate cupcakes in a cupcake tin.

Whipped Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Recipe

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 5

Total Time: 5

Servings: servings

Calories: 196kcal

Author: Becky Hardin

Forget grainy, overly sweet frostings. This whipped chocolate buttercream recipe uses a high ratio of heavy cream to create a velvet-smooth, ganache-like finish that melts in your mouth. It’s stable enough for piping high swirls but light enough to taste like a chilled chocolate truffle.

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Equipment

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

Ingredients

1 cup salted butter room temperature (2 sticks)*
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder **
4 cups powdered sugar
1¼ cups heavy cream

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer), beat the butter, cocoa powder, and vanilla until smooth and fluffy.
1 cup salted butter, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 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

Yield: This recipe will frost 24 cupcakes (18 cupcakes if frosting is piled high) or a 2-layer, 9-inch round cake.

*I use salted butter to cut through the richness of the heavy cream and enhance the chocolate flavor. If using unsalted butter, add a pinch of kosher salt.

**You can use any cocoa powder you prefer, as long as it is unsweetened. Use natural cocoa powder for a more natural taste, and use Dutch-process cocoa powder for a smoother taste.

Frosting Tips:

The butter should be cool to the touch and hold an indentation from your finger without being greasy or shiny. If the butter is too warm, the frosting will be soup; if it's too cold, it will be lumpy.
Optionally sift the cocoa powder and sugar to avoid lumps.
Add the cream one tablespoon at a time after the first half-cup. Stop as soon as you hit the texture you like. You can always add more, but you can't take it out!
If your buttercream is noticeably gritty in texture, add just a little bit more cream and continue mixing until you have a smoother consistency.
Once your frosting is fully mixed and fluffy, optionally switch to the paddle attachment and run it on the lowest possible speed for 3-5 minutes for a super-smooth texture.

Piping Tips:

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.
If buttercream becomes too soft while piping it, place in the refrigerator to firm up for 10-15 minutes.
This is not “shelf-stable.” It needs to be refrigerated whether stored alone or frosted on baked goods.

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

Nutrition