This easy 5 minute Chocolate Buttercream Frosting recipe is a staple for cakes and cupcakes for every celebration! This homemade frosting has a 5 star rating, is fluffy and easy to work with for frosting cakes.

For years, I bought frosting. After I made homemade chocolate buttercream frosting for the first time, realized it was ridiculously easy to make your own and tastes so much better! If you are making a delicious cake, why not make some homemade chocolate frosting!

This easy 5 minute chocolate frosting recipe is a staple for cakes and cupcakes for every celebration: chocolate cupcakes, yellow cake, birthday cakes, vanilla cupcakes, homemade cupcakes and other delicious cakes!

This chocolate buttercream recipe is very easy to work with and the result is an amazing chocolate flavor.

It takes a whopping 5 minutes to put this simple recipe together. All of the ingredients you can read too, since it isn’t full of all of the preservatives that store bought frosting has.

Just 5 simple ingredients make up this bakery style chocolate buttercream frosting: heavy whipping cream, butter, vegetable shortening, powdered sugar, cocoa.

How to make the Perfect Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Recipe

Be sure to scroll down to where I have a full printable recipe for you with instructions and ingredients.

Equipment

• Hand or Stand Mixer
• Mixing bowl

Shopping List:

• 2 sticks unsalted butter
• vegetable shortening 
• powdered sugar (also known as confectioners sugar)
• unsweetened cocoa powder 
• vanilla extract 
• pint heavy cream 

Mix butter and shortening together until smooth with the hand mixer or electric mixer using the paddle attachment in a large bowl on medium speed.

Slowly add the powdered sugar and mix on low speed.

Sift cocoa powder into the bowl and mix.

Add cream and vanilla. At this time, you may want to scrape down sides of the bowl to make sure all of your dry ingredients are incorporated and not sitting on the bottom of the bowl.

Beat on high speed until frosting is thick and smooth. 

Some things to keep in mind when making this amazing Chocolate Buttercream Frosting:

• You can omit the shortening and use 1 cup butter, but adding shortening helps stabilize the icing so it doesn’t melt in warmer climates.
• Sifting the cocoa powder is a MUST so that the icing isn’t lumpy and will be smooth enough to spread. Sifting makes for a fluffier frosting!
• This is a piping consistency buttercream that holds its shape but is still easy to spread on a chilled cake and in between cake layers.
• Milk, half in half or coffee creamer may be used in place of cream but you will need to slowly add , a small amount at a time, since they are a much thinner consistency.

DONE! Use your frosting immediately on a cake or cupcakes or you could even make it ahead of time and store it in an airtight container in the freezer. If you store in the freezer, just be sure to let your frosting come to room temperature for about an hour before using.

Depending on the size of the cake or the amount of cupcakes (more than 2 dozen) you are making, you may want to double this recipe.

If you read the comments from my readers about using my chocolate frosting recipe, you will see: 

• It holds its shape
• It’s easy to work with 
• Perfect to use with a piping bag
• It’s a fluffy frosting
• It’s rich and decadent
• It’s a great recipe to use on your favorite chocolate cake recipe!

Also, when it comes to cocoa powder, quality matters. Since this is the best chocolate buttercream frosting afterall, you do want it to taste high quality and chocolatey! I’ve linked my favorite dutch process cocoa powder in the full recipe below!

What is the difference between a Classic Buttercream Frosting and Icing? 

There is a huge difference. Frosting is generally thick, fluffy and used for coating the outside and/or the inside of cakes and cupcakes. 

Icing on the other hand, is more for coating or decorating, such as sugar cookies. Icing has a shine and is usually a much thinner consistency. 

How do I Thicken My Chocolate Frosting?

If you find that your chocolate frosting is not thick enough, add 1-2 tablespoons of powdered sugar at a time until you reach your desired consistency. Chances are you added too much liquid initially and you need to offset that. Just don’t add too much sugar at a time because you will end up with frosting that is much too thick.

Cake Decorating Tips

you need to know!