This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.
Easy Chocolate Frosting with cocoa powder is creamy, smooth and not too sweet! This rich chocolate frosting is a balance between milky and fudgy, great for homemade cupcakes, cake and brownies!
Why You’ll Love Frosting this on Everything
- Easy to make – Just sift, beat, and pipe your way to dessert deliciousness!
- Thick, fluffy frosting that’s not too sweet, yet hits that rich chocolate flavor spot. Every. Time.
- Your new go-to chocolate frosting recipe that has it all – Great flavor, easy steps, and delicious on everything, including chocolate cupcakes, cake, and more!
Rich Chocolate Frosting
When I was seven years old, my favorite thing in the whole wide world was chocolate. Okay, fine, who are we kidding? It’s still my favorite thing. So when I tell you this rich chocolate frosting is the best you’ve ever had, you better believe I mean it!
This easy chocolate frosting with cocoa powder is made in seven minutes five minutes and is the perfect balance between milk chocolate frosting and fudgy chocolate frosting. It’s not too sweet, and can easily be adjusted to suit your tastes (just like cream cheese frosting). This creamy, fluffy homemade chocolate frosting using cocoa powder will generously top (and enhance) your favorite baked goods like pumpkin cake.
Easy Chocolate Frosting with Cocoa Powder Ingredients
- Confectioners’ sugar: you can add a little more for a thicker frosting or less for a thinner one.
- Cocoa powder: this ingredient puts the chocolate in rich chocolate frosting.
- Unsalted butter: the base for buttercream frosting, it’s critical to ensure this is room temperature for a smooth frosting.
- Heavy cream: adds a creamier texture and helps the dry ingredients meld together with the butter.
- Vanilla: always use pure vanilla extract for the best flavor.
- Salt: just an 1/8 teaspoon adds a subtle boost to the sweetness of your frosting.
How to Make Chocolate Frosting with Cocoa
I’m gonna show you how to make easy chocolate frosting with cocoa powder in just a few steps and 6 ingredients. The result is a homemade frosting that’s the perfect balance between milk chocolate frosting and fudgy chocolate frosting.
- Sift together confectioner’s sugar and cocoa powder.
- Using a hand mixer, beat butter until creamy.
- In thirds, beat cocoa powder mixture into butter, heavy cream, vanilla, and salt, increasing speed as it incorporates. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, beating chocolate buttercream frosting until smooth.
- Using a piping tip, pipe frosting onto chocolate cupcakes, v gf chocolate cake, and more!
Tips for Rich Chocolate Frosting
- Sift together the confectioners’ sugar and cocoa powder: this prevents clumps of cocoa powder appearing in your frosting, or uneven streaks of it throughout. Here’s the sifter I used.
- Soften the butter to room temperature: this takes about 90 minutes sitting out on the counter, or place in a warm glass to quicken the softening process.
- Make sure your heavy cream or milk is room temp: cold cream can harden the butter up again, preventing a smooth, silky homemade chocolate frosting.
- Not too sweet chocolate frosting: I used 3 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar for the perfect sweetness. You can start with less and taste as you go.
Frosting Cupcakes or Cakes?
For cupcakes: this homemade chocolate frosting using cocoa powder can thickly top 12 cupcakes, or lightly top 24 cupcakes. To pipe your cupcakes exactly how I have in these pics, use this piping tip.
For cake: to generously coat a 2 layer 8-inch cake, make a double batch (I never like to run out of frosting while frosting a cake.) You can make less for a lightly frosted cake.
For more delicious ideas like this recipe for less than seven minute chocolate frosting, follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. If you’ve tried this recipe, take a pic and tag us on Instagram using #beamingbaker. We can’t wait to see it! Sending you all my love and maybe even a dove, xo Demeter ❤️
More Homemade Frosting Recipes
Easy Chocolate Frosting with Cocoa Powder
Ingredients
- 3 ¼ cups confectioners’ sugar
- ½ cup + 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder, natural or dutch-process
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3-4 tablespoons heavy cream or milk, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Sift together confectioners’ sugar and cocoa powder in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- With a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, beat butter on high speed for about 2 minutes, until creamy.
- Beat in cocoa powder mixture, heavy cream, vanilla, and salt. I like to add the cocoa powder mixture in thirds. Beat on medium speed until dry ingredients are incorporated with the butter. Then increase to high and beat until a thick, smooth frosting forms. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- If needed, add in a few tablespoons confectioners’ sugar to thicken or 1 tablespoon of heavy cream to thin out the frosting to your liking. You can also add in a dash more of salt if desired. Frost chocolate cupcakes or cake. Enjoy!
- ★ Last Step: If you made this recipe, leave a comment and review. It truly helps our small business keep running and it helps readers like you!
Notes
- After extensive testing, I found that 3 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar made for the best chocolate frosting sweetness. But if you want not too sweet chocolate frosting, start with 2 cups confectioners’ sugar, then taste and gradually add more to your liking.
Thank you for the recipe….i used salted margarine and no salt or milk or cream because that’s what I had on hand…. It came out great! Love it!!!
Woohoo! I’m so happy to hear you liked the frosting, Debra! Glad the salted margarine worked out for you. 🙂
I could not stop eating this! Made more than enough for a dozen cupcakes, even after more than a few taste tests. Thank you!
Haha I’m the same way! You just want to scoop up a big spoonful and dig in, right? 😂 Glad to hear it was a hit for you, Julia!