Chocolate American Buttercream
Everyone needs a good chocolate buttercream recipe, and this chocolate American buttercream is mine!!
It’s still super easy to make, and has a decadent, rich flavor that makes it irresistible.
The Easiest Chocolate Buttercream Recipe
This chocolate buttercream recipe has an American buttercream base, so it is super easy to make. I bet you already have all the ingredients in your pantry!!
It comes together in less than 10 minutes and tastes amazing on pretty much anything. I used this frosting on my Baileys Chocolate Cake, moist chocolate cupcakes, marbled cake recipe, and on my gluten free chocolate cake below. It never ceases to amaze me.
The Perfect Amount of Frosting
One batch of this recipe will fill and cover a small layer cake (six or seven inches). Or if you plan to decorate cupcakes, a batch of this chocolate buttercream will frost about 3 dozen cupcakes.
This can vary based on how much frosting you add between your cake layers, or how large of swirls you pipe onto your cupcakes.
But that is my general guidance around the yield of this recipe. It makes about 7 cups of frosting.
Make Your Chocolate Buttercream in Advance
This chocolate buttercream can be made in advance!! I highly recommend making it ahead of time. It makes the decoration of a cake or cupcakes less stressful and a lot more fun.
This frosting keeps in the fridge for several weeks if stored in an airtight container.
When you’re ready to use the chilled buttercream, remove it from the fridge a few hours in advance (or overnight) and allow it to come to room temperature.
Give it a good stir with a rubber spatula or a KitchenAid to get rid of any air bubbles that may have formed. Once the buttercream is smooth again, it’s ready to use.
Tips For Making the Best Chocolate American Buttercream:
- Use good-quality chocolate (milk or dark) to melt and add to the frosting! It really elevates the flavor of the frosting.
- Melt your chocolate before you start making the frosting, so it has time to cool before you add it to your frosting. Otherwise, it can melt the butter!
- Sift your cocoa powder before mixing it with your butter. A lot of times it has clumps which can be hard to mix in once the frosting is made.
- If you are making frosting for a cake, mix the buttercream on the lowest speed at the end of the process for a couple of minutes to get out any extra air that might have been incorporated during the mixing process.
- Make sure your buttercream is the right consistency! It will help give your cake proper structure and make it easier to decorate.
- I usually make 1 1/2 batches of frosting to stack and frost a seven- or eight-inch cake. I like to add big swirls on top of my cake, so I love having lots of frosting.
Making This Chocolate Frosting in Advance and Storage Tips
You can make this frosting ahead of time or save any leftover frosting! It can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Be sure to give it a good stir once it thaws to get the consistency nice and smooth again.
A frosted cake can last in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to a month. The buttercream locks in all the moisture, keeping the cake fresh and delicious!
If you cut into the cake and have leftovers, use any remaining frosting to cover the cut section to keep it moist and store in the fridge for up to a week.
Let Me Know What You Think
If you try my chocolate American buttercream recipe, please tag me @chelsweets, and use the #chelsweets, so I can see your beautiful creations!!
Chocolate Buttercream
Ingredients
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- 2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 454g
- 1 cup unsweetened baking cocoa, sifted 100g
- 1/2 tsp fine salt 3g
- 5 cups powdered sugar 625g
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature 120g
- 1 1/3 cups dark chocolate chips, melted and cooled 220g
Instructions
Chocolate Buttercream:
- Beat 2 cups of unsalted butter on a medium speed for 30 seconds with a paddle attachment until smooth.
- Add in 1 cup of cocoa powder and 1/2 tsp of salt. Mix on low until the cocoa is fully incorporated and no clumps remain.
- Slowly add in 5 cups of powdered sugar and mix in on a low speed. Halfway through mix in 1/2 cup of heavy cream to make the frosting easier to mix.
- Next, mix in 1 1/3 cups of dark chocolate chips that have been melted and cooled for about 10 minutes. The chocolate should still be in a fully liquid state, but not hot to the touch.
- Beat on low until the ingredients are fully incorporated. If the frosting is too thick, add an extra Tbsp of heavy cream. If it's too thin, add another 1/4 cup of powdered sugar.
- Stir by hand with a rubber spatula once the frosting is made to get the frosting SUPER smooth. Then use as desired! This frosting is amazing on layer cakes, cupcakes, cookies & more!
Video
Notes
Yield:
One batch of buttercream makes about 6 cups, which is enough to frost a 7-inch or 8-inch layer cake with 3 layers, or frost about 3 dozen cupcakes.Tips for Making the Best Chocolate Buttercream:
- Make sure your butter is at room temperature before making your frosting.
- If your powdered sugar contains cornstarch (most brands in the US do) there’s no need to sift the powdered sugar.
- Use heavy cream or heavy whipping cream and not normal milk! You need the higher fat percentage for the frosting to have the right consistency.
- If you are making frosting for a cake, mix the buttercream on the lowest speed at the end of the process for a couple of minutes to get out any extra air that might have been incorporated during the mixing process.
- I usually make 1 batch of frosting to fill and frost a seven- or eight-inch cake.
Making This Chocolate Buttercream in Advance:
Make your frosting ahead of time or save any leftover frosting! It can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Be sure to give it a good stir once it comes to room temperature to get the consistency nice and smooth again. A frosted cake can last in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to a month. The buttercream locks in all the moisture, keeping the cake fresh and delicious! If you cut into the cake and have leftovers, use any remaining frosting to cover the cut section to keep it moist and store it in the fridge for up to a week. If you are making this frosting for a cake, mix the buttercream on the lowest speed at the end of the process for a couple of minutes, to get out any extra air that might have been incorporated during the mixing process.Nutrition
Other Recipes You Might Like:
This buttercream looks delicious Chelsey! I note that your instructions say to use a paddle attachment to make buttercream yet your picture above shows the whisk attachment. Which attachment do you prefer? I have had issues in the past where my buttercream has developed too many air pockets making it difficult to get that smooth frosting finish. This has happened mostly when I have colored my frosting a vibrant color. I use Americolor but I guess in the quest to achieve the perfect color shade, I over mixed it. In any event, I am just trying to perfect my technique for smooth air pocket free buttercream and since your photo shows a whisk I wondered if I should use that rather than the paddle?
I was going to ask the same question about using the whisk attachment!
On her YT video she mentioned using the whisk if you’re using it for cupcake and using the paddle attachment if it for a cake!
haha taking the words right out of my mouth 😛 exactly, I use the paddle for cakes to reduce the amount of air I add into the frosting (makes it easier to smooth on cakes), but I use the whisk to whip it up for cupcakes 🙂
What brand or kind of dark chocolate and cocoa powder do you use??? I wanna make this tonight! ??
I usually use ghirardelli cocoa or hershey’s dark cocoa! But really any baking cocoa will work 🙂
This recipe is genius! I too am not a fan of fondant, and I am trying to up my buttercream game. This is going to be the new favorite, I think. ?
I love hearing that!!! It really is delicious! Team buttercream forever 🙂
Can you use milk chocolate instead of dark chocolate?
you definitely can! I’ve made it both ways, and either type of chocolate will work 🙂
Chelsea, what kind/brand of chocolate do you recommend for melting?
Can this frosting sit at room temperature overnight or does it need to be refrigerated?
it can definitely sit out at room temp overnight! just be sure to give it a good stir in the morning to make sure it’s nice and smooth (it usually forms air bubbles as it sits)
This is delicous- will the recipe work for white chocolate if the cocoa is omitted?
It would! But you may not need to add as much heavy cream, since you’ll be omitting the cocoa powder 🙂
What brand of chocolate do you recommend for melting? Thanks
I really love using Ghirardelli!!
This recipe sounds amazing! Would the Ghirardelli Dark Melting Wafers work for the melted chocolate?
definitely, that would work great Roxanne!
If I pre-frost cupcakes and leave them out room temp, will the buttercream harden/start to crust?
Yes! American buttercream crusts as it sits / is exposed to air. It’s totally normal though, and is caused by the high sugar content in the frosting <3
I must say, this is the BEST chocolate buttercream I’ve ever had. I’ve made it several times now and each time I make it I’m reminded of just how amazing it is. Thank goodness I usually have a bit leftover so I can eat some myself. It’s so delicious and super chocolatey! It also holds up really well for piping and is really smooth so very good for frosting cakes. All around just the perfect chocolate buttercream recipe. Amazing work, Chesley!
I’m so happy to hear you love my chocolate buttercream recipe Sabrina!! I love it too 🙂 It really is so chocolatey, and decorates so well!! Haha thank you for sharing!
This looks delicious! Because of the heavy cream in it, does it have to stay chilled? Or, can it sit out at room temperature for a bit?
Hi Caitlin! Because the amount of heavy cream is pretty small, this frosting can sit at room temp and be fine! I sometimes let it sit out overnight if I plan to make a cake in the morning, and I’ve never had any problems with it. However, if you don’t plan to use it within the next day, I recommend storing it in the fridge or freezer <3
I just made this!!!! It is SO good. I have it in the fridge now since I plan on trying to make you vanilla layer cake tomorrow and decorate with this frosting. I am so excited. Wish me luck!
So happy to hear that Sarah! I hope your cake turned out wonderfully!! 🙂
Hey, do you think this will be enough to fill and cover a 4 layer 7 inch round cake, or should I make maybe 1.5 batches? Thanks:)
I usually make 1.5 batches to be safe!! Also, if you want to pipe big swirls on top, you won’t run out 🙂
You can always save leftover frosting for another project in the future, too!
Hi Chelsey! I have a few questions for you. I am making your chocolate later cake with the 3 8-inch pans. Will 1 batch of this frosting be enough to fill and frost the cake? Also, with the melted dark chocolate is there a certain dark chocolate % you use? Finally, on a different note – my kids have requested a chocolate chip birthday cake. Would you recommend using your funfetti cake but replacing the sprinkles with mini chocolate chips? I used your funfetti recipe for my sisters birthday and it was a HUGE hit. I will post a picture soon and tag you in it. Thanks for all your help!
Hi Jody!
I usually make 1.5 batches of frosting, just to be safe! It’s also good to have a bit of extra frosting on hand in case you want to add big swirls of frosting on top of the cake. You can always save leftover buttercream in the fridge for another baking project <3 I've used both milk and dark chocolate, and both work well! With dark chocolate, you may need to add a touch more heavy cream.
Yes, I've done that before by swapping the sprinkles for mini chocolate chips, and they tasted great! Just be sure to toss the mini chocolate chips in some flour before folding them into the batter, to help prevent them from sinking to the bottom. Hope that helps, happy baking!!
This looks amazing, can you use gold lustre on this buttercream?
Hi Toni,
Thanks!! You can, as long as the buttercream is chilled 🙂
Hi
This looks amazing. Can you use gold lustre (mixed with vodka) on the buttercream with paint brush application?
Hi Toni,
It totally can!! It works great, just be sure the buttercream is chilled and firm to the touch 🙂
What if I want to make the frosting a darker brown? Would I use dark cocoa powder or just use food coloring?
Hi Rebecca,
I’m a big fan of using natural coloring if possible, so I’d definitely recommend using dark cocoa powder, or even black cocoa powder (i order mine on amazon: https://amzn.to/2RrnXAY)! You can also try adding in a touch more melted dark chocolate to deepen the color too. Hope that helps, happy baking!
Hi Chelsey! I was going to ask the same question but what if this frosting is already made how would darken it if I wanted to make the border darker?
Hi Angelica,
You can add in a touch more dark cocoa powder, or add in some black gel food coloring. I hope that helps, happy baking!
Can I use regular milk chocolate or does it need to be dark?
Hi Samantha,
You can totally use milk chocolate instead!! 🙂 Happy baking!
Hi there! Quick question- I see that this is a creamy chocolate BC, which looks delicious, but is it strong enough to hold shape if doing a basket weave technique around a 12″ or 14″ cake?
Thanks!
Hi Brianne,
It totally is! It pipes like a dream. I’ve used it to pipe on cupcakes and cakes!! Just be sure to take breaks when you’re piping, to prevent too much heat from your hands transfers into frosting. Hope that helps, happy baking!
hi Chelsey, could you share how you change from cups to grams for every ingredient?
Hi Samantha,
Sure! I have a master excel spreadsheet with every ingredient I use in my recipes, and I plug in the quantities a recipe calls for. The file then converts the imperial measurements into metric units. Hope that helps, happy baking!
I’ve followed you on Instagram for a while and today I finally tried one of your recipes! This chocolate buttercream recipe is out of this world!! Absolutely delicious.
That’s so awesome to hear Dana!! Thank you for trying this recipe, happy baking!!
Can I sub half and half for the heavy cream if I don’t have it and was ill prepared?
You totally can in this recipe!! Hope that helps, happy baking Libby <3
This was FABULOUS in flavor and texture, not grainy like a lot of buttercreams at all!! My new go-to chocolate buttercream!
Hi Angel,
So happy to hear that!! Thank you for sharing 🙂
Is there a way to make this icing a deeper brown?
Hi Janna,
The darker the chocolate you use, the deeper the frosting is in color. You can also add in black cocoa instead of baking cocoa to make the frosting darker. I get my black cocoa on amazon and use this kind: https://amzn.to/2x0Eh5l
I hope that helps, happy baking!
Hi there! You call for heavy cream…is that heavy whipping cream? I can’t find regular heavy cream.
Hi Daina,
Heavy cream has a slightly higher fat percentage than heavy whipping cream, but they can be used interchangeably in this recipe. Hope that helps, happy baking!
Hi Chelsey I am only 11 but I love to bake and I love all your recipes ???
That’s awesome! Thanks Inés <3 Happy baking!
Hello there! I have followed you for a long time and always look forward to your bakes! This is my first time trying the chocolate recipe for buttercream but I dont have any milk or dark chocolate to melt. Is it required for this recipe or does the unsweetened cocoa do the trick?
You’re too sweet Erika! The melted chocolate makes this frosting super delicious, but it will still turn out without it. It should be fine this time around, but next time you make it I highly recommend adding some melted chocolate 🙂 Hope that helps, happy baking!
Hi. I wanted to understand the ratio you use for the butter and powedered sugar. In your previous buttercream video I think you said 4 stucks of unsalted butter is equal to 8cups of powedered sugar? Do you mind explaining to me the ratio you use for this chocolate buttercream. Thank you.
#newtobaking
#understandingratio
Hi Queenie,
Chocolate frosting isn’t quite as formulaic as regular ABC! Some of the powdered sugar is swapped out with cocoa powder, but then when add in melted chocolate and extra heavy cream, the consistency changes a lot. It’s more about balancing out those ingredients to get the frosting thickness just right while making it taste as delicious as possible. Hope that makes sense <3
Hi Chelsey! Let me just say Oh. My. Goodness. Absolutely delicious and scrumptious and Oooh. My. I’ll never make a different chocolate buttercream frosting ever! Thank you for this amazing recipe!
aw so happy to hear that Nin!! This is one of my all time favorite frosting recipes too 🙂
Do I have to add the melted chocolate?
You don’t have to, but it really amps up the flavor of the frosting! If you omit the melted chocolate, be sure to add less heavy cream as well. Hope that helps, happy baking!
could i half this recipe to make the chocolate buttercream stripes on you s’mores cake? I was wondering if it would be enough. Thanks in advance
Hi Chelsey! I just baked a cake, and there were lots of small holes on the top when I leveled the cake. It wasn’t your recipe, but since you are a baker, I just wanted to know what could’ve happened. I also have a 3 layer cake to frost tomorrow, would this recipe be good for that cake?
Can you please clarify your melted chocolate measurements? I don’t follow….do you mean to start with 1 1/3 cups of chocolate and melt it to get 8 oz of melted chocolate? So far, I’ve melted 8 oz of chocolate and I get 6 oz of melted chocolate.
Will this be enough to do crumb coat and frost/fill 3 6 inch layers?
Hey!
Such a wonderful recipe! So yummy! Can I substitute butter for cream cheese? Or maybe half butter half cream cheese?
Thanks for you time and all your expertise!
I’ve made this recipe twice now and when I add in the melted chocolate, it doesn’t mix in smoothly and forms little bits of chocolate in the buttercream. Any thoughts? Maybe my chocolate was too warm still?
@Jamie, I also had this problem! I thought perhaps it was because my ingredients/mixing bowl was too cold so the chocolate solidified before mixing but I’ve tried it twice now and it happened both times!
My first buttercream from scratch! Hubby says it taste good! Yay! It was easy to make. I see it’s not as smooth because the powder sugar was lumpy. This batch will be great for the crumb coat. Thanks for sharing your recipes and tips. It helps alot for us newbies.
I am making a3 layer 6 inch cake to serve for hubby’s bday Wednesday… I want to do a crumb coat, fill and frost it. Should I double the recipe?
Hi, i made this today, was looking for an easy chocolate buttercream. Mine seems to be quite grainy? Not sure why?
I did add an extra spoonful of cocao as i didnt have enough chocolate?
Does this recipe have that texture?
Not a huge buttercream fan but this is delicious!!! I halved the recipe and it was plenty for 12 cupcakes ?. Will be using this chocolate buttercream from now on!
How would I do1/2 batch do I just half the ingredients?
To make this semi heat stable, can I sub half of the butter for shortening?
In all your photos of icing you show it on a whisk beater but the recipe says paddle. When do you switch attachments?
Hello Chelsey.
I only have a few ounces of chocolate at home. Should I add that even though it’s not the full 8 ounces? I assume any amount is better than none? I discovered your site recently and think it’s one of the best.
Many thanks!
Hey! ? I will try to make it tomorrow! I will be sure if is it correct that you put
1/2 cup heavy cream (120 grams) as you have wrote?
Your chocolate cake & chocolate buttercream recipes are my favorite & are delicious! Thank you for sharing!
I am a new Baker & I need your help& expertise!
Question:
each time I have melted the dark chocolate baking chips( Guittard Baking chips) & then cooled the melted smooth chocolate on the counter to a not “too warm “ temp, & then add it to the batter & stir, it clumps up in little chunks & makes the frosting batter lumpy & grainy. The chunks of chocolate also adhere to the stainless steel mixing bowl. Should the melted chocolate be added while it’s very warm; almost hot?
Thank you!
Hi Chelsey! Can you help me in problem solving? My dark melted chocolate ( room temperature) when
added to the smooth buttercream frosting batter at the end becomes chunky / hardened once I begin to incorporate the melted chocolate into the batter. Could this be because the melted chocolate was melted at too high a temperature?
This has happened each time I make the chocolate BC.
Thank you for your tutorials!
Hi I live in Malaysia, it is hot and humid too.. Can I opt butter with shortening?
Your thoughts on adding coffee. If so, when and how much?
Strong brewed or instant powder?
Thank you!
second time making this frosting. Why does the melted chocolate seize when I add it to the butter? The butter had been at room temp for hours. The chocolate had cooled to almost room temp (79-80). Using kitchen aid mixer with paddle attachment. Taste is on point, just not texture.
@Carly, mine did the same thing!! Was thinking it was just me ?. Would love to find out why this happens.
That’s the worst!! This usually happens if the butter is colder than the chocolate, if the heavy cream, was cold, or if the chocolate isn’t good quality. Sometimes even if the butter was at room temperature, the bowl can be cold (this happens with metal bowls in the winter sometimes) and that cause the chocolate to seize.
Is there a chance it’s one of those things? A great work around is to heat up the heavy cream (bring it to a simmer) and use it to melt the chocolate, then stir it together and add it into the frosting.
Hopefully we’ll be able to figure it out together!
Hi…just found out about your website and ding! Automatically in love! I would like to make this recipe for a cake but I am just wondering…if you use dark chocolate, does that make the buttercream have a dark chocolate flavor? Thank you!
Hi Julie,
Aw thank you!! Great question, yes! This recipe would taste great with dark chocolate. Hope that helps, happy baking!
This frosting was delicious! I had some trouble with chunks of chocolate forming in my frosting – almost like the melted chocolate started to solidify before it was fully incorporated. Any tips on how to prevent this?
Hi Issabelle,
Glad to hear the frosting was delicious, but bummer that there were chunks of chocolate! That can happen sometimes if your mixing bowl or kitchen are a bit cool, which is more common in the winter!! Using a metal mixing bowl can also make that more likely to happen. I’d recommend trying to pour the melted chocolate into the center of the bowl when mixing it in (immediate contact with the cool bowl can make it firm up). You also can try melting down the chocolate and heavy cream together, stirring them, then adding the mixture into the frosting. Hope that helps for next time, happy baking!
Hi Chelsey! Growing up my mom made a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. I would eat the cake from my (maybe 2″ thick) slice first and the chocolate frosting would remain just as it was. It looks like your chocolate buttercream frosting will be the frosting I’ve been searching for and it will stand on it’s own. I left the frosting for last because I loved it…my dad would stick his fork in it and grab it off my plate EVERY TIME! It was hilarious. Mom always made extra frosting for us to have between graham crackers. Can’t wait to try your recipe! Thanks for sharing.
Omg I hope it lives up to your expectations!!!! Let me know what you think of it 🙂