Chocolate Frosting (also called buttercream chocolate frosting) is ideal for cupcakes and cake decorating. This chocolate buttercream spreads so beautifully, holds its shape, and tastes amazing on desserts.
Once you make your own, it is hard to justify buying it at a store. The cost is high, and it's never "fluffy" out of the can. Take the time to up your baking game, you will be licking the spoon...
⬆ Chocolate Buttercream Video Tutorial ⬆
What You Will Need
Mix Chocolate Frosting
- Beat soft butter and shortening in a mixer on high until creamy for 5 minutes.
- At low speed, add powder sugar 1 cup at a time until smooth.
- On high speed, mix in vanilla extract, almond extract, and hot water for 5 minutes until fluffy and smooth.
- Add 1 cup cocoa powder and mix untill fluffy. You can add more hot water to smooth out the consistency, just add it slowly a tablespoon at a time.
Top Cake Frosting Tips
- butter - use a hight quality salted butter, and use it at room temperature. This helps makes it fluffy and smooth.
- shortening - yes, I know. The stuff our Moms and Grandmothers baked with. Trust me, the is what makes the frosting smooth, fluffy, and holds its shape.
- powder sugar - Also called confectioners sugar, this recipe calls for 10 cups which sounds ridiculous! But it melts down into as you whip it in the mixer.
- vanilla extract - this adds flavor, I used 2 tablespoons, and it works so well with the cocoa.
- almond extract - I know..it sounds strange to add another extract. I heard about this in buttercream recipes, and once I tested it, was hooked. My white cake frosting also uses almond extract and it is so tasty.
- unsweetened cocoa - it wouldn't be chocolate cake frosting without cocoa. Buy a good quality unsweetened cocoa.
PRO TIP: This frosting holds great at room temperature and covers cakes beautifully. If you freeze it, it is spreadable within an hour or so of defrosting. Simple place in a bowl and re-whip.
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Buttercream Chocolate Frosting
Ingredients
cake frosting
- 1 cup salted butter (2 sticks, room temperature)
- ½ cup vegetable shortening
- 5 cups powder sugar (confectioners sugar)
- ½ cup hot water
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa
Instructions
make frosting
- Beat soft butter and shortening in a mixer on high until creamy for 5 minutes.
- At low speed, add powder sugar 1 cup at a time until smooth.
- On high speed, mix in vanilla, almond extract, and ½ cup hot water for 5 minutes until fluffy and smooth. You can add more hot water 1 tablespoon at a time, till the frosting mixes fluffy and smooth. Dry hot days, will make it not as smooth.
cake decorating tips
- Place a dollup of frosting on a small piece of cardboard or a tray, and set the cake on top. This keeps the cake from sliding around while decorating.
- Frost cakes using a small offset spatula. Smooth out the buttercream as best you can all over the top and sides of the cake. This recipe is so easy to spread, you won't have to clean your spatula while decorating.
- To fill a large piping bag with frosting, set the bag in a tall sturdy mason jar glass. Push the chocolate buttercream down inside, then when ¾ full push the it inside the bag toward the tip. Fold the top down and decorate your cake.
This chocolate frosting whips up so well, excellent recipe for cakes.