Easy Chocolate Frosting with Cocoa Powder
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!
Servings: 12 cupcakes worth (lots of frosting) or 24 cupcakes (lightly frosted)
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!
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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.