Easy Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Recipe

This is my best chocolate buttercream frosting recipe! It tastes rich, intensely chocolatey, and not too sweet, perfect for cakes, cupcakes, or brownies.

I’m picky about chocolate frosting, and so many are just too sugary. This one has the ideal balance of cocoa and sugar, creating a perfectly whipped, absolutely delicious frosting that’s perfect for swooping onto your favorite cakes or piping onto cupcakes.

Once you try it, you’ll want to use this chocolate buttercream for everything. To get you started, I use it for my easy chocolate cake! For more frostings, I love the cream cheese frosting on our banana cake!

Key Ingredients

Butter: Make sure it’s at room temperature. The secret to great buttercream is great butter, so use a brand you love! I prefer high-fat European butters like Kerrygold or Plugra for a special treat, but familiar brands like Land O’Lakes or Tillamook are fantastic for this recipe.

Cocoa Powder: You want unsweetened natural cocoa powder like Ghirardelli or Guittard as these give you the most rich pure chocolate flavor. Dutch-process cocoa powder is fine, but will have a slightly different flavor.

Powdered Sugar: Sometimes called confectioners’ sugar, its fine, powdery texture whips perfectly into the butter for a smooth finish.

Salt and Vanilla: Don’t skip these! They help bring out the rich, deep flavor of the chocolate.

Buttermilk or Cream: You’ll use this at the very end to get that perfect, light, and fluffy texture. Buttermilk adds a lovely tang, while cream makes the frosting extra rich. Whole milk works too, but I highly recommend one of the first two options.

Find the full recipe with measurements below.

Tips for Making the Best Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Tip 1: Use room temperature butter. This is really important for the best buttercream. You want your butter to be soft to the touch. If you press a finger into it, the butter should smoosh really easily. I leave my butter on the counter for 2 hours, or if I’m short on time, I use the proof setting of my oven and place the butter in there.

Tip 2: Whisk or sift your cocoa and sugar. To prevent a lumpy buttercream, whisk your cocoa and powdered sugar really well. Better yet, if you have a fine mesh strainer or sifter, use it to sift the two ingredients together. This makes the cocoa and sugar airier and removes any lumps.

Tip 3: You can make chocolate buttercream in advance. One of my favorite things about American buttercream is that you can store it for a week or more in the fridge and for months in the freezer! Thaw overnight (if frozen), then leave on your counter for 1 to 2 hours to come back to room temperature. Grab your electric mixer or stand mixer, then beat it for a minute or two to bring it back to its original fluffy texture, and you are ready to frost cakes, chocolate cupcakes, brownies, cookies, and more!