Description
An easy chocolate buttercream frosting recipe! Made with chocolate chips & cocoa powder, this buttercream is perfect for piping onto cakes & cupcakes!
Ingredients
12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips*
1 1/4 cups (280g) unsalted butter, room temperature*
3 tbsp (22g) natural unsweetened cocoa powder*
5 cups (575g) powdered sugar
1/4 tsp salt
5–8 tbsp (75-120ml) heavy whipping cream
Instructions
1. Add the chocolate chips to a medium sized bowl. Heat in 10 second increments, stirring well between each increment, until the chocolate has melted. Set aside to cool.
2. Add the butter to a large mixer bowl and beat until smooth.
3. Add the cocoa powder and mix until well combined.
4. Add about half of the powdered sugar and mix until well combined and smooth.
5. Add the cooled melted chocolate and mix until well combined.
6. Add the salt and 4 tablespoons of the heavy whipping cream and mix until well combined.
7. Add the remaining powdered sugar and mix until well combined and smooth.
8. Add additional heavy whipping cream as needed to get the right consistency of frosting. If you’d like to use this frosting on cupcakes, check out my tutorial for frosting cupcakes. If you’d like to use it to frost a cake, check out my tutorial for frosting a perfectly smooth cake with buttercream.
Notes
1. You could also use something like a Ghirardelli chocolate baking bar. Both would work very well.
2. Salted butter would also work fine, just be sure to leave out the additional salt.
3. Feel free to use regular or dark cocoa powder, depending on your preference.
To make the frosting ahead: You can make this buttercream frosting 2-3 days ahead and store it in an airtight container in the fridge. Bring it to room temperature before using, as it’ll be very thick when cold. This can also be made and frozen for 2-3 months. Thaw in the fridge, then bring to room temperature and give it a good stir before using.
This recipe makes enough buttercream frosting to frost about 16 cupcakes. To frost a 2 or 3 layer 8 inch cake, you’ll want to double the recipe.
