This homemade chocolate buttercream frosting recipe is very creamy, light, and super easy to make. A good quality cocoa powder, pasteurized egg whites, powdered sugar, and butter create a fluffy buttercream that pairs well with chocolate cupcakes, vanilla cake, or classic yellow cake. It's also the base I use for the black frosting on my black velvet cake. If you've never made an egg-based frosting before, your life is about to change for the better.
This frosting is like a mock-Swiss meringue buttercream. Instead of cooking egg whites and granulated sugar, we're skipping that step and using powdered sugar and pasteurized egg whites. It's super creamy and fluffy, is perfect for frosting cakes and cupcakes, and can be left at room temperature for up to 24 hours.
Table of contents
Chocolate Buttercream Ingredients
This delicious frosting comes together with just 6 simple ingredients. No surprise here, there is a lot of butter in this "butter" cream recipe, so it's best to use high-quality butter. Unsalted butter is best for baking so that you can control the amount of salt in the recipe. Just a pinch of salt will go a long way.
Many meringue-based frostings use eggs as a key ingredient. Pasteurized egg whites are heat treated and are safe to eat without cooking and normally come in a carton. If you only have fresh eggs, I suggest making my chocolate Swiss meringue recipe.
Making Chocolate Buttercream
- Place the pasteurized egg whites, powdered sugar, and cocoa powder into the bowl of your stand mixer. You MUST use pasteurized egg whites for this recipe, not raw. Pasteurized egg whites are heat-treated (like milk) so they are safe to eat.
- Attach the whisk attachment and mix on high for 1 to 2 minutes to dissolve the sugar.
- Add the vanilla, salt, and softened butter in small chunks. Whip on high until light and fluffy, about 8-10 minutes. Once it tastes like ice cream and not butter, it's done. You can also use a large bowl and mix with an electric mixer by hand, just mix for longer to get the right consistency.
- To avoid curdled and separated buttercream, remove about 1 cup of buttercream and melt it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds. Pour it back into the whipping buttercream to bring it all together and make extra creamy frosting.
- Switch to the paddle attachment and mix on low speed for about 10 minutes to remove the air bubbles and create very smooth buttercream. This is optional but will make it extra creamy. This buttercream is stable at room temperature for 24 hours, will last refrigerated for up to two weeks, or frozen for up to 6 months.
Using Chocolate Buttercream
- This recipe is great for frosting cupcakes. 2F and 1M piping tips are my favorite.
- This makes about 6 cups of frosting and is enough frosting to frost and fill two 8" x 2" cakes or three 6" x 2" cakes.
- This chocolate buttercream isn't very stable in high temperatures. I like to replace some of the butter with shortening to make it more stable, or use this recipe as a filling for my cakes, and frost the outside with chocolate ganache.
Tips For Success
- Is this your first time decorating a cake? Watch my free video tutorial on how to decorate a cake for the first time.
- Use a kitchen scale to weigh your ingredients for the best results. Baking is a science!
- A stand mixer works best, but you can also use a hand-held electric mixer. If you use a hand-mixer then you may need to mix for longer to achieve the same consistency.
- Room temperature ingredients are important so that your ingredients mix together properly.
FAQ
With any homemade frosting, it's important to have all of your ingredients at room temperature or a little warm to create an emulsion. When some of the ingredients are cold, your ingredients won't emulsify together and will cause your buttercream to break. Fix this by melting about 1 cup in the microwave until it's barely melted and pouring it back into your whipping buttercream. This will heat up the rest of the ingredients enough to bring them all together to make the buttercream smooth and glossy.
Yes, instead of using cocoa powder, you can melt down about 4 ounces of chocolate, cool it to about 80°F, and add it to your finished buttercream. Be careful to not add your chocolate when it's too hot or it'll melt the butter in the frosting. The better the chocolate the better tasting the buttercream will be. I personally love Valhrona or Cacao Barry chocolate.
Oxidation causes chocolate buttercream to sometimes get darker overnight. If you want your buttercream to be even darker, combine your cocoa powder with a little of your butter and melt it in the microwave. Let it cool to 80°F and add it to your buttercream. This will make your buttercream much darker. You can also up the amount of cocoa powder in your buttercream and use a special dark or dutched cocoa powder.
This frosting is not a crusting buttercream, but it will get pretty hard in the fridge when the butter sets up. If you want a crusting buttercream, American buttercream with melted chocolate or cocoa powder will be your best bet. The heavy cream and lots of butter will lead to crusting and create a sweeter buttercream that is great in hot or humid areas.
Yes, this chocolate buttercream is great under fondant as long as you chill your cakes. It will go on super smooth on your cake and is delicious paired with my homemade marshmallow fondant recipe (LMF).
This buttercream will last in an airtight container frozen for up to 6 months or refrigerated for 2 weeks. When you're ready to use it, mix it on medium speed with the paddle attachment, microwave about 1 cup until it's just barely melted, and pour it back into the buttercream to make it smooth.
Related Recipes
Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Recipe
Equipment
- 1 stand mixer with the whisk and paddle attachments
Ingredients
- 6 ounces pasteurized egg whites (¾ cup)
- 24 ounces powdered sugar (about 6 cups)
- 3 ounces cocoa powder (about 1 cup)
- 24 ounces unsalted butter (3 cups) softened
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Place the pasteurized egg whites, powdered sugar, and cocoa powder into the bowl of your stand mixer with the whisk attachment and mix on high for 1 to 2 minutes to dissolve the sugar.
- Add the vanilla, salt, and softened butter in small chunks and whip on high until light and fluffy, about 8-10 minutes. Once it no longer tastes like butter, it's done.
- If your buttercream looks curdled, remove about 1 cup of buttercream and melt it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds until it is barely melted. Pour it back into the whipping buttercream to bring it all together and make extra creamy frosting.
- Switch to the paddle attachment and mix on low speed for about 10 minutes to remove the air bubbles and create very smooth buttercream. This is optional but will make it extra creamy. This buttercream can be left at room temperature for 24 hours, refrigerated for up to two weeks, or frozen up to 6 months.
Video
Notes
- You MUST use pasteurized egg whites for this recipe, if you don't have pasteurized egg whites then you can use my chocolate Swiss-meringue recipe instead. Pasteurized egg whites are heat-treated (like milk) so they are safe to eat, raw egg whites are not. You can also pasteurize your own egg whites.
- You can also use a large bowl and mix with an electric mixer by hand, just mix for longer to get the right consistency.
- After refrigerating or freezing, always re-whip your buttercream before use. I melt one cup of the buttercream and mix it back in while whipping on high to make it creamy again.
- Instead of using cocoa powder, you can melt down about 4 ounces of real chocolate, cool it to about 80°F, and add it to your finished buttercream.
- If you want a more rich chocolate flavor, you can add more cocoa powder! You can also increase the powdered sugar for a sweeter frosting, but I wouldn't recommend adding less sugar.
Becki says
Hey Liz quick question. Should the egg whites be cold or room temp?
Elizabeth Marek says
they do not have to be room temp
Suzi says
Hi Liz.
I'm using 3 x 8" chocolate sponges. How do I increase the recipe to fill and frost them? Is it just 1.5 x you're recipe?
Liz Marek says
One batch fills and frosts two 8-inch layers, so a 1 1/2 batch is a good amount for three. If you have more questions, come ask me in the Sugar Geeks community: https://community.raptive.com/sugargeeks
Mary C says
Hi Liz - I have made this several times and it’s worked wonderfully. Need help though today. I doubled it and it is way too loose. How can I thicken it up? Refrigerating isn’t helping it much.
Elizabeth Marek says
You can add in a little more butter if it's not thick enough
Harriet McCarter says
Mine also came out like thick soup. I realized that it's because the sugar measurement is WAY off. 24oz is NOT 2 1/2 cups. It's roughly double that, so add double (about) of the butter to make up for it. Really disappointing!
Liz Marek says
I'm sorry it turned out soupy! The cup equivalents were wrong and have been fixed now: about 6 cups of powdered sugar, 3 cups of butter, and about 1 cup of cocoa.
Rupal Hurd says
Hi, could I omit the Cocoa if I wanted just a vanilla buttercream? Thank you
Sugar Geek Show says
Yes, here's the recipe! https://sugargeekshow.com/easy-buttercream-frosting/
Botho says
Today I wanted to use this buttercream recipe ,so can I use vanilla icing sugar ,salted butter and use normal unpressurized eggs please. Thanks
Liz Marek says
Salted butter works if you leave out the added salt. You do need pasteurized egg whites though. With regular eggs, make my chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream instead. If you have more questions, come ask me in the Sugar Geeks community: https://community.raptive.com/sugargeeks
Heather says
Can I just say this is the best chocolate butter cream ever. This is the second time I’ve used your recipe and every time I can’t believe how good it is! Today I made devils foods cupcakes and used this buttercream for the frosting. They were so good I wanted to do a dance!
Marlene Raymond says
Hi love your recipes, My question is can I use regular egg whites.thanks
Sugar Geek Show says
We use pasteurized egg whites in this because they're safe to eat without cooking. But try my chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream if you want to use fresh eggs! https://sugargeekshow.com/chocolate-swiss-meringue-buttercream/
Brandi Pettus says
Does the cake need to be refrigerated after you icing it!
Liz Marek says
No, you don't need to refrigerate it. It's fine at room temperature for up to 24 hours. If you have more questions, come ask me in the Sugar Geeks community: https://community.raptive.com/sugargeeks
Anne & David says
Will already pasteurized egg whites from a carton work in this recipe?
Liz Marek says
Yes, carton pasteurized egg whites are exactly what you want. If you have more questions, come ask me in the Sugar Geeks community: https://community.raptive.com/sugargeeks
Anna says
Excellent recipe! This buttercream is very smooth and workable and tastes great. Best of all, the recipe makes plenty, and was easily able to fill and cover two three-tier, six inch cakes.
Tina says
Will Dutch processed cocoa powder work in this?
Elizabeth Marek says
Yes, thats what I use
Monica Valentin says
Liz! This is absolutely incredible. I’ve always been intimidated to make chocolate frosting and this was quite effortless. Your vanilla cake paired with this is quite show stopping. Thank you thank you thank you!
Suzanne says
Hi Liz. I am loving this chocolate easy buttercream frosting. It is light and tastes delicious. I do have a question, how long after frosting a cake with it, would you leave it in the fridge before covering the cake with fondant? Putting it in the freezer is not an option as my freezer is too small 🙁
Elizabeth Marek says
Until the buttercream feels firm to the touch
Norma Nieto says
Hi Liz, I’m so glad I found you! I’m beginning in baking and decorations. I am leaving in Boise, Idaho. We are State neighbors:). So far the recipes looks easy and easy to found the ingredients. Thanks so much!
Rhi-Ennen Dewey says
Is this okay to put under fondant?
Sugar Geek Show says
Yes it works great under fondant!
Stephanie says
Could I make a white chocolate version of this? If so, how much melted white chocolate do you suggest I add?
Sugar Geek Show says
Check out my white chocolate buttercream recipe: https://sugargeekshow.com/white-chocolate-buttercream-recipe/
Lori Glass says
Exceptional! Does the finish cake need to be stored in refrigerator after cutting?
Elizabeth Marek says
No you do not need to refrigerate it
AA says
Hi there. Came across this easy chocolate buttercream recipe and the regular vanilla one on your site. You list 24 oz of butter, but both your videos you use only 16 oz. Just wanted to verify the ratios. Thanks.
Elizabeth Marek says
I have increased the amount of buttercream it makes so that it covers and 8" round cake
Brent Testerman says
My chocolate buttercream won't siffen up! What can I do? What are the reasons for this? I followed your instruction to the tee! Thank
Elizabeth Marek says
This is not a stiff buttercream, it's firm enough to pipe but is not like an american style buttercream. You can try placing the buttercream in the fridge for 20 minutes to firm it up a bit.