Chocolate Frosting. I love frosting, and I really love chocolate frosting. It pairs well with white cake, yellow cake, chocolate cake, grasshopper cake, red velvet cake…..really it pairs well with most cakes. So, it’s a recipe you need to have. When you find a good frosting recipe like this, it really brings your whole cupcake or cake project together well.
I was just as picky in finding and tweaking this recipe as I was for my basic Vanilla Buttercream and Crusting Cream Cheese Frosting recipes. It took a lot of trial and error, and there were definitely some other great recipes out there, but I was looking for a recipe that not only tasted good, but performed well under a number of circumstances as well.
There are very few ingredients that you need to make this awesome recipe.
Butter. It’s right in the name. You can use salted or unsalted. But, if you do use the unsalted butter, add about ¼ tsp of salt to the recipe. Doesn’t matter if it is name brand or generic. Just make sure that your butter is at Room Temperature. Remember, room temperature butter is still a little cold and firm, it is NOT soft and squishy.
Cocoa Powder. To get that wonderful chocolate taste, I love the Hersheys Cocoa Powder. You’ll be using a whole cup of it for this recipe.
Vanilla Extract. For this recipe I like to use Pure Vanilla extract for that great full vanilla flavor. You’ll see in my Vanilla Buttercream recipe that I use the clear imitation vanilla extract because I don’t want any extra color in my frosting - that does not apply here.
Confectioners Sugar. Again, it doesn’t matter if this is name brand or generic. Find your favorite and go with it. Sift it if you would like, but it is not necessary prior to blending.
Milk. Whole, 2%, Heavy cream. Use whichever you would like. I do not recommend using 1% or skim as the flavor will change dramatically. I typically use 2% because that is what is always in our house, but the flavor will be a bit richer with whole or heavy cream.
Okay, let’s get started! This recipe will make enough frosting to GENEROUSLY frost 24 cupcakes and I usually have a little left over.
Instructions:
With your stand mixer, cream the butter on HIGH for 2-3 minutes. The longer you cream it the more fluffy your frosting will be. If you cream it for a full 5 minutes, you will have a light and fluffy frosting. I’m more of a 2-3 minute person myself.
Add in your Vanilla (yes, that is 1 full Tbsp), Confectioners Sugar, Cocoa Powder, and about 4 Tbsp of milk. Mix this on LOW initially until the Confectioners Sugar is at least a little blended or you will have a tornado of powdered sugar in your kitchen. Also, if your stand mixer came with a cover that fits over the bowl, this is the time to use it! Once the Confectioners Sugar is a little blended, turn your mixer up to HIGH for at least 1 minute.
Test your frosting. It will likely be pretty firm at this point. Depending on temperature at what time of the year it is, how much humidity is in your area, and the firmness of your butter at the start, will determine how many more Tbsp of milk you will need to reach your desired consistency. If it is summer, I usually add an additional 2 Tbsp (5 Tbsp total in the recipe). If it is winter and cold in my house, I typically add an additional 3 Tbsp (6 Tbsp total in the recipe). You will learn over time what your favorite consistency is.
Finding your favorite frosting consistency will take practice. At this point I can tell by looks and sound when my mixer is running if the frosting is the right consistency. But, in the beginning it took trial and error. You want a frosting that does not break apart while frosting cupcakes with your bags and tips - this means the frosting is too dry/hard and needs more milk. You also don’t want a frosting that is too “wet.” With the warmth from your hands as you are squeezing on the frosting bag, the frosting that is too wet will become soupy near the last cupcakes.
I was just as picky in finding and tweaking this recipe as I was for my basic Vanilla Buttercream and Crusting Cream Cheese Frosting recipes. It took a lot of trial and error, and there were definitely some other great recipes out there, but I was looking for a recipe that not only tasted good, but performed well under a number of circumstances as well.
There are very few ingredients that you need to make this awesome recipe.
Butter. It’s right in the name. You can use salted or unsalted. But, if you do use the unsalted butter, add about ¼ tsp of salt to the recipe. Doesn’t matter if it is name brand or generic. Just make sure that your butter is at Room Temperature. Remember, room temperature butter is still a little cold and firm, it is NOT soft and squishy.
Cocoa Powder. To get that wonderful chocolate taste, I love the Hersheys Cocoa Powder. You’ll be using a whole cup of it for this recipe.
Vanilla Extract. For this recipe I like to use Pure Vanilla extract for that great full vanilla flavor. You’ll see in my Vanilla Buttercream recipe that I use the clear imitation vanilla extract because I don’t want any extra color in my frosting - that does not apply here.
Confectioners Sugar. Again, it doesn’t matter if this is name brand or generic. Find your favorite and go with it. Sift it if you would like, but it is not necessary prior to blending.
Milk. Whole, 2%, Heavy cream. Use whichever you would like. I do not recommend using 1% or skim as the flavor will change dramatically. I typically use 2% because that is what is always in our house, but the flavor will be a bit richer with whole or heavy cream.
Okay, let’s get started! This recipe will make enough frosting to GENEROUSLY frost 24 cupcakes and I usually have a little left over.
Instructions:
With your stand mixer, cream the butter on HIGH for 2-3 minutes. The longer you cream it the more fluffy your frosting will be. If you cream it for a full 5 minutes, you will have a light and fluffy frosting. I’m more of a 2-3 minute person myself.
Add in your Vanilla (yes, that is 1 full Tbsp), Confectioners Sugar, Cocoa Powder, and about 4 Tbsp of milk. Mix this on LOW initially until the Confectioners Sugar is at least a little blended or you will have a tornado of powdered sugar in your kitchen. Also, if your stand mixer came with a cover that fits over the bowl, this is the time to use it! Once the Confectioners Sugar is a little blended, turn your mixer up to HIGH for at least 1 minute.
Test your frosting. It will likely be pretty firm at this point. Depending on temperature at what time of the year it is, how much humidity is in your area, and the firmness of your butter at the start, will determine how many more Tbsp of milk you will need to reach your desired consistency. If it is summer, I usually add an additional 2 Tbsp (5 Tbsp total in the recipe). If it is winter and cold in my house, I typically add an additional 3 Tbsp (6 Tbsp total in the recipe). You will learn over time what your favorite consistency is.
Finding your favorite frosting consistency will take practice. At this point I can tell by looks and sound when my mixer is running if the frosting is the right consistency. But, in the beginning it took trial and error. You want a frosting that does not break apart while frosting cupcakes with your bags and tips - this means the frosting is too dry/hard and needs more milk. You also don’t want a frosting that is too “wet.” With the warmth from your hands as you are squeezing on the frosting bag, the frosting that is too wet will become soupy near the last cupcakes.
Be sure to check out my Vanilla Buttercream Frosting Recipe, and my Crusting Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe!
Full Recipe:
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