5-Minute Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

from 547 votes

This will be the richest, creamiest, most delicious Chocolate Buttercream Frosting to ever cross your lips. It’s silky smooth, made with six simple ingredients and has a rich chocolate flavor. It’s perfect for frosting cakes, cupcakes, brownies and more!

Chocolate buttercream frosting on the paddle attachment of a stand mixer.

I have a confession to make. Chocolate buttercream frosting has always been an item on my grocery list rather than a recipe in my baking repertoire.

Who has the time to make buttercream frosting when it takes all of 2 seconds to toss it into your shopping cart and call it a day? But after a reader emailed me asking for a fool-proof chocolate buttercream frosting recipe (to follow up on my vanilla buttercream recipe), I knew it was time to wave goodbye to the store-bought stuff and finally go the DIY route.

Little did I know, 5 minutes into my recipe creation process I’d be licking a spatula slathered in the best chocolate buttercream frosting to ever cross my lips. I repeat, 5 minutes.

How Much Frosting Does This Make?

This recipe yields 2 cups of frosting or about enough to frost 1 ½ – 2 dozen cupcakes or a 9 x 13 sheet cake

If you’re frosting a 2 layer cake, I recommend doubling the recipe as I’d rather you have ample frosting than not enough.

A chocolate sheet cake with chocolate buttercream frosting and rainbow sprinkles.

Ingredients You’ll Need

No fancy preservatives. No seven-syllable ingredients. Just six simple ingredients:

Glass bowls containing ingredients to make chocolate buttercream frosting, including room temperature butter, salt, unsweetened cocoa powder, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and whole milk.
  • Unsalted butter: Be sure it’s softened to room temp before you start. It should feel cool and lightly indent with a fingertip. Avoid melting or over-softening for the best consistency.
  • Unsweetened cocoa powder: Either natural or Dutch-processed. Just be sure to avoid varieties with added sugar for better control over the sweetness.
  • Confectioners’ sugar: Also known as powdered sugar. 
  • Milk: Use whole milk for that perfectly creamy texture. Other milks work, but your frosting will be slightly less creamy.
  • Vanilla: Use pure vanilla extract for the best flavor.  
  • Salt: My secret ingredient! Just a pinch of salt helps balance out the sweetness and round out the flavors.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Kelly’s Note: Some people swear by sifting the cocoa powder and confectioners’ sugar for a silky frosting, but I find that just adds unnecessary time. Trust me, if you follow my recipe you’ll have velvety smooth frosting without the extra step!

How to Make Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

I make this in my stand mixer but a large bowl and a hand mixer works, too! Just note that your buttercream may not be as smooth.

  1. Beat the butter. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until it is smooth. This will take about 1 minute.
  2. Add the confectioners’ sugar and cocoa powder to the bowl and beat until combined. 
  3. With the stand mixer running on low speed, slowly stream in the milk and vanilla extract. Add the salt and continue beating until well combined. Be sure to scrape down the sides as needed so everything gets incorporated.
Milk being streamed into a stand mixer bowl that contains cocoa powder, powdered sugar and butter.
  1. Increase the speed to high and beat the frosting for an additional 2 minutes.

Kelly’s Note: The key to achieving a light and smooth buttercream is giving it a good beating. The longer you whip it, the more air gets incorporated, resulting in a lighter and smoother texture. By the end, your buttercream should be a lighter color than when you started.

Creamy chocolate buttercream covering a paddle attachment of a stand mixer with more buttercream in the bowl.

If your frosting is runny: Add additional powdered sugar, ¼ cup at a time, until the frosting reaches your desired consistency.
If your frosting is too thick: Slowly add more milk until the desired consistency is reached.

Tips for Homemade Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

  • Use good quality cocoa powder. The better the quality, the better the taste of your frosting. Natural cocoa powder has a brighter, more acidic flavor, while Dutch-processed cocoa is treated with an alkaline solution, resulting in a milder, smoother taste.
  • This recipe can be easily doubled for all my fellow chocoholics out there.
  • Use the beater blade with your stand mixer (rather than the whisk). It’ll result in creamy frosting that lightens in color the longer it’s mixed.
  • This buttercream frosting pipes like a breeze. So get your fancy pants on and check out my simple trick for piping two-tone swirled frosting.

Pro Decorating Tip: Grab a small spoon and use the back of it to make luscious, deep swirls and create the perfect peaks and valleys for a shower of sprinkles in every color.

Rich American chocolate buttercream frosting swirled atop a chocolate cake.

Storage Tips

Store the chocolate buttercream in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days. When ready to use, allow it to come to room temp and mix with a spoon or electric mixer.

Use this Chocolate Buttercream Frosting for:

This velvety chocolate buttercream frosting is perfect for cakes, cupcakes, brownies, cookies and beyond! These are just a few of my favorite desserts to pair with this frosting:

The Best Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Video

5-Minute Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

This will be the richest, creamiest, most delicious Chocolate Buttercream Frosting to ever cross your lips. It’s silky smooth, made with six simple ingredients and has a rich chocolate flavor. It’s perfect for frosting cakes, cupcakes, brownies and more! FULL RECIPE: https://www.justataste.com/5-minute-chocolate-buttercream-frosting-recipe/

Watch Kelly make this easy chocolate buttercream frosting, plus how to effortlessly add frosting to a piping bag and pipe it onto a cupcake. Get ready to elevate your desserts to a whole new level!

Common Questions

Should cake with buttercream frosting be refrigerated?

A decorated cake with buttercream frosting can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days. However, if it’s hot or humid where you live, store the cake in the fridge.

Can I use heavy whipping cream instead of whole milk?

Absolutely! But you might need to adjust the quantity since it’s a bit thicker.

Can I use salted butter instead of unsalted butter?

Yes, you can, but be mindful of the overall saltiness. Adjust the added salt accordingly or omit it if using salted butter.

Can I use non-dairy milk like almond or soy milk?

I haven’t tried this substitution but it should work. However, you might need to adjust the quantity since it’s a bit thinner.

Why is my frosting grainy?

The most common culprit is that the sugar didn’t dissolve into the butter properly, so really take your time to cream the ingredients together.

Can I freeze chocolate buttercream?

I go both ways when it comes to this question! Yes, you absolutely can freeze buttercream, but in order to maintain the silky smooth consistency, you need to know how to thaw it. Once your buttercream is frozen solid (in an airtight container), bring it to room temp in the refrigerator, then if necessary, re-whip it in a stand mixer to guarantee the best texture.

How can I make my frosting less sweet?

Balance sweetness by adding more cocoa powder or a pinch of salt. Adjust gradually, tasting as you go.

A chocolate sheet cake topped with silky chocolate buttercream and bright rainbow sprinkles with two pieces of cake on plates next to it.

Try These Frosting Recipes Next

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Dessert

5-Minute Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Skip the store-bought frosting in favor of this easy recipe for the best Chocolate Buttercream Frosting that takes just 5 minutes to make.
Author: Kelly Senyei
4.90 from 547 votes
Chocolate buttercream frosting on the paddle attachment of a stand mixer.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 2 cups

Ingredients 

  • 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 1/3 cups confectioners’ sugar
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/3 cup whole milk
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions 

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until it is smooth, about 1 minute.
  • Add the confectioners’ sugar and cocoa powder to the bowl and beat until combined. With the stand mixer running on low speed, slowly stream in the milk and vanilla extract then add the salt and continue beating until well combined, scraping down the sides as needed, about 2 minutes. 
  • Increase the speed to high and beat the frosting for an additional 2 minutes. Use the frosting immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge. (If you refrigerate the frosting, you may want to re-blend it for a few seconds in the stand mixer before using it.)

Kelly’s Notes

  • This recipe yields 2 cups of frosting or about enough to frost 1 ½ – 2 dozen cupcakes or a 9 x 13 sheet cake.
  • If you’re frosting a 2 layer cake, I recommend doubling the recipe as I’d rather you have ample frosting than not enough.
  • No stand mixer? No problem! You can make this using a large bowl and a hand mixer.
  • Use good quality cocoa powder. The better the quality, the better the taste of your frosting.
  • This recipe can be easily doubled.
  • Use the beater blade with your stand mixer (rather than the whisk). It’ll result in creamy frosting that lightens in color the longer it’s mixed.
  • If your frosting is runny: Add additional powdered sugar, ¼ cup at a time, until the frosting reaches your desired consistency.
  • If your frosting is too thick: Slowly add more milk until the desired consistency is reached.
  • Store the chocolate buttercream in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days. When ready to use, allow it to come to room temp and mix with a spoon or electric mixer.
  • ★ Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!

Nutrition

Calories: 955kcal, Carbohydrates: 160g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 39g, Saturated Fat: 24g, Cholesterol: 94mg, Sodium: 322mg, Potassium: 545mg, Fiber: 10g, Sugar: 140g, Vitamin A: 1115IU, Calcium: 97mg, Iron: 4.5mg

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Recipe by Kelly Senyei of Just a Taste. Please do not reprint this recipe without my permission. If you'd like to feature this recipe on your site, please rewrite the method of preparation and link to this post as the original source.


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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Kelly…

    Last week… I made your yummalicious chocolate buttercream frosting exactly as instructed in the recipe. It was sooo good! This week… I’ve doubled the recipe and found the same awesome results! My husband would find it difficult to forgive me if I decided to make an alternative! This is now… and will always continue to be… my go to frosting!.. It’s the best!

  2. Although I used Monk Fruit instead of cane/refined sugar, and Oat Milk instead of cow’s milk, it was super moist and delicious. Thank you!

  3. 5 stars
    ITS EXCELLENT CHOCHOLATE BUTTER CREAM FROSTING. MADE A CAKE FOR THE SUPERBOWL PARTY TOMORROW AND THE FROSTING IS DELICIOUS, TO DIE FOR- MY MOM SAID, AND I LOVE IT TOO. ITS AMAZING. IADDED A BIT MORE VANILLA TO IT AND A DASH OF ALMOND. OUTSTANDING!! ILOVE IT I LOVE IT I LOVE IT!!!THANKS SOO MUCH FOR THIS RECIPE!! I WAS WILL USE ALWAYS IN THE FUTURE AND WILL CERTAINLY PASS IT ON TO FRIENDS AND FAMILY!! THANK YOU KELLY AND GOD BLESS YOU!! YOUR AMAZING!! CHEERS!! AND HAPPY SUPER BOWL PARTY TO EVERYONE!! STAY SAFE HAVE FUN AND BE WELL!! CHEERS AGAIN!!

  4. 5 stars
    First time making this recipe. I needed something quick for my husband’s birthday cake. I used half and half instead of whole milk, didn’t have any in the house. I followed the recipe exactly except for the half and half. I did use my stand mixer, which does really make a difference in the smoothness of the frosting. So easy, and I couldn’t stop licking the spoon. This is my favorite birthday cake frosting. Thank you so much!

  5. 5 stars
    Very easy to make and so delicious. My entire family loved it. Also, I agree with another reviewer. I thought it wouldn’t turn out because I couldn’t get the butter and powders smooth like I thought it should look, but as soon as I added the milk it was perfection. Thank you for sharing this recipe.

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