Watch me make this Whipped Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Recipe from start to finish!
Chocolate buttercream frosting is one of my FAVORITE kinds of frosting, especially when it’s whipped! Although I’m usually not crazy over frostings like some people, I’m a sucker for that buttery, creamy, fluffy, chocolatey buttercream!
I mean just look at the ingredients of this recipe: Real Butter. Cream. Powdered Sugar. Unsweetened Cocoa Powder. Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips. Real Vanilla Extract. Sweet mother of all things Holy! This stuff is good!
If you’re looking for an easy, chocolatey and downright delicious old fashioned chocolate buttercream frosting them let me introduce you to this recipe right HURRR! It’s my go-to recipe for crowd-pleasing chocolate buttercream frosting and it’s…well…amazing!!
This Whipped Chocolate Buttercream Frosting pairs up GREAT with my homemade yellow cake recipe! Check it out!
(I used a slightly different chocolate buttercream frosting recipe on this cake but after making it again with this whipped frosting OMG! I prefer whipped)
To make the frosting that I had in the yellow cake video, (pictured above) just omit the heavy cream and follow this mixing method otherwise all other measurements are the same. In a large bowl cream the butter, add powdered sugar and mix until creamy. Mix in cocoa powder. Add in melted chocolate and vanilla extract. Mix until creamy. Stir in a pinch of salt. Done!
This whipped chocolate buttercream frosting packs in two kinds of chocolate for that true chocolatey flavor; unsweetened cocoa powder and semi-sweet chocolate chips! The texture of this easy chocolate buttercream frosting is light, airy and fluffy, perfect for frosting soft layered cakes and cupcakes. I could seriously eat this stuff by the spoonful!
Don’t be tempted to use milk chocolate chips, dark or semi-sweet works just great and keeps the frosting from becoming too sweet.
Tips to making PERFECT Chocolate Buttercream Frosting (or any buttercream frosting)
1.) Let butter soften at room temperature. Do not microwave or you may risk melting the butter. Melted butter will make for a super-thin frosting and then you’ll have to overcompensate with more powder sugar, etc. Making the frosting way to sweet and weird tasting. To speed up the butter softening process you can cut into smaller pieces. I just take a stick out of the fridge in the morning and let it sit until I’m ready to bake. By then it’s super soft, but still, hold a shape which is what you want. If it’s a last-minute frosting and I don’t have 30 minutes to an hour to wait for the butter to soften, I’ll cheat and throw the butter in the microwave for just a few seconds while watching it like a hawk to make sure none of it is melted and then let it sit for about 15 minutes to completely soften.
2.) Cream that butter well. The first step and important one is making sure you cream that softened butter really well!! This prepares it for all those yummy ingredients!
3.) Sift any dry ingredients. In this recipe, the only dry ingredients we use are powdered sugar and unsweetened cocoa powder. Sifting gets rid of any lumps and makes it all powdery light. Perfect for frosting!!
4.) Thin or Thicken carefully. If you feel the frosting is a bit too thick for your liking, thin it out gradually with tiny DROPS of milk or heavy cream (yes a little liquid goes A LONG way in frostings). If it’s too thin, let it sit for a bit FIRST since frostings become firmer as they sit. If it’s still too thin, add the powdered sugar a little at a time. I’m not a fan of this really since it changes the way the frosting will taste. Melting the butter, even a tiny bit, usually causes thinner frostings.
Whipped Chocolate Buttercream Frosting~ The BEST!!
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks, room temperature)
- 1/2 tablespoon heavy whipping cream (may need more)
- 1 teaspoon real vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips melted and cooled
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder sifted
- 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar sifted (spoon into measuring cup to measure)
- pinch salt
Instructions
- In a large bowl cream butter until fluffy.
- Add in heavy cream and mix until light and fluffy.
- Mix in vanilla extract.
- Mix in melted chocolate chips.
- Mix in cocoa powder and powdered sugar until frosting is light, fluffy and whipped. (You have to mix it really good to get it airy)
- Stir in salt.
- Frost cake or cupcakes.
- Store leftover frosting in a covered container in the refrigerator. Let come to room temperature before using.
Video
What kind of butter did you use?
Unsalted
Very tasty but not fluffy. Will try again with my Kitchenaid instead of a hand mixer.
Maybe it needs the whisking beater.
Yes you have to reeeally beat it good to get it fluffy.
Sooooooooo good
This is the BEST but we added more whipping cream and more powder otherwise it’s really good everyone loved it. delicious
Add a little more whipping cream to loosen up the texture. Used it on a German Chocolate cake and it was fantastic.
I made this frosting once before and it was great – a big hit in my office on birthday cupcakes. Only problem is I can’t remember if I increased the recipe or not. Is one recipe enough for 30 cupcakes, or should I make 1-1/2 times the amount? (I don’t pile on the frosting. A swirl, as shown in your cupcake photo, would be enough.) Thanks!
This frosting is excellent – so light and delicious. Easy to make.
This is IT!!! I have been searching for the best light whipped chocolate buttercream, and have finally found it! I used a little more cocoa powder, since my husband wants it CHOCOLATE, but kept everything else the same. It is sooo good! If you don’t like heavy, sickening sweet frosting, this is what you want.
I used milk choc and it was still the best frosting ever….I don’t even like buttercream so this was a major win for me.