This dark chocolate buttercream frosting is softened butter beaten with powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and 6 ounces of melted 60 to 70% dark chocolate, then loosened with a little cream. It takes about 15 minutes of prep plus 5 minutes to melt the chocolate, and one batch frosts 12 to 16 cupcakes or one 2 layer cake.
The melted chocolate makes it dark. Cocoa alone gives you a lighter, slightly dusty chocolate frosting. Real chocolate adds body, gloss, and a bitter edge that keeps the sugar in check.
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One batch uses 6 oz (170g) melted dark chocolate and ¼ cup (25g) cocoa powder for 1 cup (230g) butter and 2½ cups (300g) powdered sugar. That is a lot of chocolate. A cocoa-only chocolate buttercream usually leans much harder on sugar for its body, so it tastes sweeter and looks more milk-chocolate brown.
- This dark chocolate buttercream: deep brown, glossy, less sweet, pipes firm swirls and sets a little in the fridge.
- American buttercream with cocoa: sweeter and lighter in color, crusts on the outside.
- Whipped chocolate frosting: lighter and airier, because cold heavy cream is whipped into the bowl at the end.
- Chocolate ganache frosting: chocolate and hot cream with no powdered sugar, so it is the most intense and pours or spreads depending on how long it cools.
If you want the opposite of all of these, a marshmallow-light 7 minute frosting is made from egg whites and sugar with no chocolate at all.
Choosing the Chocolate and Cocoa
Pick a 60 to 70% bar. Below that range it tastes like milk chocolate frosting, and above it the frosting turns bitter and can feel slightly dry on the tongue, even with all that butter. Use a bar, not chips. Bars melt smoother, while chips contain stabilizers to hold their shape in cookies.
Any unsweetened cocoa powder works. Dutch processed cocoa gives a darker, almost black brown color and a mellow flavor, and natural cocoa tastes a little sharper. Sift it if it looks lumpy, because cocoa clumps do not beat out of thick frosting.
Cream is richest. Milk works too, but it is thinner, so start with 2 tablespoons and add the third only if you need it. Keep the vanilla and ¼ teaspoon of salt. They matter.
How Warm the Melted Chocolate Should Be
Chop the chocolate and melt it first. In the microwave, use 20 to 30 second bursts and stir between each one, then stop while a few small lumps remain and stir until they melt in the heat of the bowl. Over a double boiler, keep the water at a low simmer and do not let steam or drops of water reach the chocolate, or it can seize.
Then wait. After 5 to 10 minutes on the counter it should feel barely warm when you touch a drop to your lip, still smooth and pourable. Too hot, and it melts the butter into soup. Chocolate that has cooled too far starts to set and leaves hard little flecks.
Beating Butter, Sugar, Cocoa and Chocolate in Order
Beat the softened butter for 2 to 3 minutes until it turns pale and fluffy. Soft means a finger presses in easily but the butter still holds its shape, not shiny or melting. Cold butter will not whip, and it will set the warm chocolate into specks later.
Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time, on low first so it does not fly out of the bowl, then faster. Scrape the sides. Add the cocoa. The mixture will look thick and dull here, almost like dry fudge, and that is normal, because the chocolate and cream that come next are what turn it smooth.
With the mixer running, pour in the melted chocolate slowly. Now watch the bowl. Within a minute it turns smooth, glossy, and evenly dark. Add the cream, vanilla, and salt, then beat on medium high for 2 to 3 minutes until the frosting looks light and fluffy.
Piping Swirls or Spreading on a Cake
Adjust the consistency at the end, one tablespoon of cream at a time. For piping tall cupcake swirls, stop when a peak on the spatula holds and bends over only at the tip. For spreading on a layer cake, add a little more so the frosting glides over the crumb without tearing it. If it gets too soft, beat in a spoonful of powdered sugar.
If the frosting goes soupy or speckled
- Soupy or sliding off the spatula: the chocolate or butter was too warm. Chill the whole bowl for 15 minutes, then beat again.
- Tiny hard chocolate flecks: the chocolate cooled too far or the butter was cold. Warm the outside of the bowl for a few seconds with a warm towel or hair dryer and beat until smooth.
- Too bitter: the chocolate was above 70%. Beat in a little more powdered sugar and a pinch of salt.
- Grainy: unsifted lumpy cocoa or powdered sugar. Sift next time; for now, beat longer and add a teaspoon of cream.
Enough for 16 Cupcakes or a 2 Layer Cake
One batch covers 12 cupcakes with tall piped swirls or 16 with a spread top, like these ultimate chocolate cupcakes. It also frosts one 2 layer cake: a layer between the cakes, a thin coat on the sides, and a smooth top. For thick sides or piped borders, make 1½ batches.
Dark chocolate frosting on a dark chocolate cake is a lot of chocolate in the best way, and it especially suits chocolate espresso cake, where the coffee and bitter chocolate meet, and a sour cream chocolate cake. For a 9×13 pan, spread it over a chocolate sheet cake or a tray of fudgy brownies.
Making Dark Chocolate Buttercream Ahead
Keep the frosting in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week, or freeze it for up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the fridge. Cold, it sets firm. Leave it on the counter for 30 to 60 minutes until soft, then rebeat for a minute with a teaspoon of cream if it looks stiff.
A frosted cake keeps in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Because the chocolate firms up, chilled slices cut cleanly, but take the cake out about 30 minutes before serving so the frosting softens and tastes creamy again.
Dark Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
This dark chocolate buttercream frosting is softened butter beaten with powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and 6 ounces of melted 60 to 70% dark chocolate, then finished with a little heavy cream, vanilla, and salt. It takes about 15 minutes plus 5 minutes to melt the chocolate and frosts 12 to 16 cupcakes or one 2 layer cake with a glossy, deep brown, less sweet finish. Cool the melted chocolate until it is barely warm before beating it in, so the dark chocolate frosting stays fluffy instead of soupy. Use it to pipe swirls on chocolate cupcakes, frost a layer cake or sheet cake, or spread it over brownies. Keeps 1 week in the fridge or 3 months frozen; soften and rebeat before using.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (230g) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 ½ cups (300g) powdered sugar
- 6 oz (170g) dark chocolate (60–70%), melted and slightly cooled
- ¼ cup (25g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2–3 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
MELT THE CHOCOLATE: Melt the dark chocolate using a microwave in short intervals or a double boiler, stirring until smooth. Let it cool slightly until fluid but not hot.
BEAT THE BUTTER: Add softened butter to a large mixing bowl and beat with a hand mixer or stand mixer for 2–3 minutes until pale and fluffy.
ADD POWDERED SUGAR: Add powdered sugar one cup at a time, mixing on low speed at first, then increasing speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to ensure even mixing.
MIX IN COCOA POWDER: Add cocoa powder and mix until fully incorporated. The mixture will appear thick at this stage.
ADD MELTED CHOCOLATE: Slowly pour in the melted dark chocolate while mixing continuously until the frosting becomes smooth and glossy.
ADD CREAM AND FLAVORINGS: Pour in heavy cream, vanilla extract, and salt. Beat on medium-high speed for 2–3 minutes until the frosting becomes light and fluffy.
ADJUST CONSISTENCY: Add more cream one tablespoon at a time if the frosting is too thick, or add a small amount of powdered sugar if it is too soft.
Notes
Use a 60 to 70% dark chocolate bar; chips melt less smoothly. Let the melted chocolate cool 5 to 10 minutes until barely warm but still pourable. If the frosting turns soupy, chill the bowl 15 minutes and beat again; if tiny chocolate flecks appear, warm the outside of the bowl briefly and beat. For piping, stop adding cream when a peak bends only at the tip. Store airtight in the fridge for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months; soften on the counter 30 to 60 minutes and rebeat. Let a chilled frosted cake stand 30 minutes before serving.
