Rich Chocolate Buttercream
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This rich and creamy chocolate buttercream tastes like a chocolate bar in frosting form.
Photo by Alexandra Grablewski (Chronicle Books, 2018)
Adapted from Cooks Illustrated, this rich and creamy chocolate buttercream frosting tastes just like a chocolate bar in frosting form. Unlike most chocolate buttercream frosting recipes, it’s made with real chocolate in addition to cocoa powder, which makes all the difference in flavor. With just a few minutes of prep, it’s quick and easy to prepare and completely foolproof—a welcome change from most chocolate frostings, which can be temperamental. Using a food processor guarantees a smooth, creamy, and glossy result. If you don’t have one, an electric mixer will work too, but be sure to sift the cocoa powder first to prevent lumps and allow a little extra time for mixing at each step. The recipe makes about 3 cups, enough for 24 cupcakes, one 8 or 9-inch layer cake, or a 9×13 sheet cake.
“I love to bake. This is definitely the best chocolate buttercream frosting and is possibly my favorite frosting ever. I have to fight my family off to keep them from eating it all with a spoon before I get the cake frosted. It could be dessert all on its own!”
What You’ll Need To Make Rich Chocolate Buttercream
- Semi-Sweet Or Milk Chocolate: Forms the rich base of the frosting, giving it a deep, chocolatey flavor. You can choose between semi-sweet for a bolder taste or milk chocolate for a creamier finish. Use chocolate bars or melting wafers; chocolate chips are not recommended.
- Unsalted Butter: Softened butter adds smoothness and richness to the buttercream, creating a silky texture while balancing the sweetness of the sugar and chocolate.
- Confectioners’ Sugar: This finely powdered sugar dissolves easily into the frosting, giving it a smooth, creamy consistency while providing just the right amount of sweetness.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: The cocoa powder deepens the chocolate flavor without adding extra sweetness, balancing the richness of the melted chocolate.
- Salt: A small amount of salt enhances the overall flavor by cutting through the sweetness and intensifying the chocolatey notes.
- Light Corn Syrup: This helps create a glossy, smooth buttercream, providing stability while also adding a subtle sweetness.
- Vanilla Extract: A splash of vanilla rounds out the flavors and adds a subtle layer of warmth that complements the chocolate.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Place the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Cook in the microwave in 20-second intervals, stirring in between, until about three-quarters of the way melted. Stir, allowing the residual heat in the bowl to melt the remaining chocolate completely. (If necessary, place the chocolate back in microwave for a few seconds.) Set aside to cool.
Combine the butter, confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder, and salt in the bowl of a food processor.
Note: If you don’t have one, an electric mixer with the paddle attachment will work too, but you’ll need to sift the cocoa powder before adding it to prevent lumps and allow a little extra time for mixing at every step.
Blitz for about 30 seconds until well combined.
Add the corn syrup and the vanilla.
Process until smooth, then scrape the melted chocolate out of the bowl and add to the food processor.
Process briefly, until the frosting is creamy, silky, and shiny.
Use a butter knife or small offset spatula to swirl the frosting over the top of the cake or cupcakes.
Note: If frosting a vanilla/yellow cake, milk chocolate is recommended for a creamier, smoother chocolate flavor. If using a chocolate cake recipe, frosting semi-sweet, milk chocolate, or a combination will work well.
Make-Ahead Instructions
The frosting can be held, in the bowl covered with plastic wrap, or in an airtight container, at room temperature for 3 to 4 hours. It may lose its shine as it sits—to bring the shine back, run a metal spoon under hot water, then wipe dry with a towel; stir the frosting with the hot spoon and it should shine right up.
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Rich Chocolate Buttercream
This rich and creamy chocolate buttercream tastes like a chocolate bar in frosting form.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces semi-sweet or milk chocolate melting wafers (or bars, broken into small pieces) (see note)
- 2½ sticks (20 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened but still cool
- 1¼ cups confectioners' sugar
- ½ cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder, such as Hershey’s
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup light corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Place the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and cook in the microwave in 20-second intervals, stirring in between, until it's about three-quarters of the way melted. Stir, allowing the residual heat in the bowl to melt the remaining chocolate completely. (If necessary, place the chocolate back in microwave for a few seconds.) Set aside to cool.
- In a food processor, process the butter, confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder and salt until smooth, about 30 seconds, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the corn syrup and vanilla and process until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the lukewarm melted chocolate and pulse until smooth and creamy, 10 to 15 seconds. Do not overmix.
- The frosting can be used immediately or held at room temperature for 3 to 4 hours. It may lose its shine as it sits—to bring the shine back, run a metal spoon under hot water, then wipe dry with a towel; stir the frosting with the hot spoon and it should shine right up.
- Note: If frosting a vanilla/yellow cake, milk chocolate is recommended for a creamier, smoother chocolate flavor. If frosting a chocolate cake, semi-sweet, milk chocolate, or a combination will work well.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (24 servings)
- Calories: 189
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated fat: 7 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Sugar: 14 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Sodium: 49 mg
- Cholesterol: 25 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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I just made half this recipe to frost some cupcakes and a small layer cake. I used milk chocolate chips and melted them over a double boiler so I wouldn’t burn the chocolate.
The result was a creamy frosting that was predominately chocolate and not cloyingly sweet at all. It whipped up nicely even tho I didn’t read the recipe instructions thoroughly and just added all of the ingredients before the melted chocolate to a mixer with the whipping attachment.
I did use Kerry Gold unsalted butter.
Another fool proof recipe from OUAC.
Still licking the spatula, it’s too good to waste.
Do you have a substitute for the corn syrup?
Hi Amy, Unfortunately, there’s not a good substitute for corn syrup in this recipe – sorry!