A good chocolate buttercream frosting is airy, fluffy, rich, and doesn't go overboard on the ingredients. Butter, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and heavy cream are whipped in a mixer bowl leaving you with incredibly smooth and decadent chocolate frosting.
Beat softened butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until light and fluffy.
Add in powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Mix slowly, gradually increasing the speed so that the powdered sugar stays in the mixing bowl.
Beat in vanilla extract.
Add 2 tablespoons of the heavy cream and whisk on high speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add 1-2 tablespoons more of heavy cream, beating until desired consistency is achieved (about 5 minutes).
Notes
The whisk attachment is great for achieving a creamy smooth and fluffy buttercream. If there is too much air in the buttercream, you can beat it with the paddle attachment to smooth it out and condense it.
Be sure you’re using softened butter. Softened butter means it should be at room temperature. To bring it to room temperature or a softened state, you can slice it into cubes and allow it to rest on the counter for 30-45 minutes. Do NOT microwave your butter to soften it.
We used natural unsweetened cocoa powder which works perfectly in this recipe, but you can also use Dutch-processed cocoa powder if preferred. Dutch-processed cocoa powder will give the frosting a smoother flavor and will be darker in color.
This recipe will frost a 13×9 cake, a regular 9-inch cake, or around 24 cupcakes with a flat-spread of frosting. If you’re looking to pipe the frosting onto cupcakes, I would recommend doubling this recipe as you’ll use a lot more compared to a flat spread. For a 2-tiered 9-inch cake, you will want to make a double batch. You may have a bit more than you will need, but it never hurts to have a little extra just in case.
Store homemade buttercream frosting in an air-tight container kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. You may also freeze the frosting in an air-tight container or sealed ziptop bag for up to 3 months. To use after storage, bring the buttercream to room temperature and re-beat it in the mixer to smooth it out.