This Easy Chocolate Buttercream Frosting is my favorite chocolate frosting of all time. It's luxuriously silky, super easy to make, and full of real chocolate flavor.
I developed this chocolate buttercream recipe when I was making my Chocolate Cupcakes and I'm now convinced it's the best chocolate frosting recipe I've ever had. The quality and flavor versus the ease and time it takes to make just don't add up - it's so fast and simple and tastes like it should be much more difficult to produce!
It's an adaption of my Russian Buttercream recipe which uses condensed milk to make a wonderfully glossy frosting, not like the stodgy texture that you get with powdered sugar in an American buttercream. And it's made with real chocolate which gives it a rich chocolate flavor that you just can't achieve with cocoa powder alone.
This easy chocolate frosting pipes like a dream for cupcakes or decorating cakes, but it can also be used as a filling in a layer cake - it's so tasty I almost want to just eat it with a spoon!
So if you're looking for a deliciously chocolatey buttercream with wonderful texture that comes together insanely quickly and easily - this may be your new go-to recipe!
Reader Review:
The BEST chocolate frosting EVER!!!! Will be my go to frosting from now on!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Mandy
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Why You'll Love this Chocolate Russian Buttercream
- It has the texture of Swiss meringue buttercream but without all the faff of double boilers and thermometers.
- The use of real chocolate in the frosting means it has a decadent chocolate flavor.
- This easy recipe has only 4 ingredients and comes together in just 10 minutes!
Simple Chocolate Buttercream Ingredients
This easy chocolate buttercream frosting recipe only has four simple ingredients!
- Unsalted Butter -The butter must be truly at room temperature - take it out of the fridge about 1 - 1.5 hours before starting. It's best to use unsalted butter so you can control the amount of salt.
- Sweetened Condensed Milk - Don't get this confused with evaporated milk. Sweetened condensed milk can be found in most grocery stores - it usually comes in a can and is thick and sweet.
- Dark Chocolate - I strongly recommend using dark chocolate to get that deep chocolate flavor. Milk chocolate will still work but if you want a nice chocolatey buttercream you should use dark chocolate. Make sure you use real chocolate, not chocolate chips.
- Vanilla - Vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste will add depth to the frosting.
- Salt - A little salt goes a long way to bringing out the flavor of this chocolate buttercream. Skip this if you are using salted butter.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Easy Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
This homemade chocolate frosting comes together really easily in just a few steps. Even though it's a very simple recipe, there are a few details it's important to pay attention to for best results.
Before beginning, make sure your butter is completely at room temperature - not too cold and not too warm. If the butter is the wrong temperature it can completely screw up the frosting. (If this happens, see my troubleshooting guide below). For best results, I take my butter out of the fridge about 1 - 11/2 hours before making the frosting.
Whip Butter
Melt the chocolate in the microwave in 30-second bursts until totally melted. Set aside.
Place the butter in a large mixing bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer, and whip on high speed for 5 full minutes. Stop every 90 seconds or so to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
After five minutes, the butter should be light in color and have a nice creamy texture.
Add Condensed Milk
Very slowly and gradually add the condensed milk by drizzling it in a little at a time with the mixer on medium speed.
It's important not to incorporate the condensed milk too quickly, or it won't emulsify, and the buttercream may split.
Add Chocolate
Once all the condensed milk is fully incorporated, turn the mixer up to high speed and whip for 1 minute.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the melted chocolate, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Whip again until everything is incorporated.
You should have a gloriously smooth, glossy homemade chocolate buttercream. (If you don't, see the troubleshooting guide below)
Common Mistakes
- The biggest mistake people make with this homemade frosting recipe is not having the butter at the right temperature. If you use cold butter or too far softened butter, it will mess up the frosting. (If that happens, see the troubleshooting section below).
- The next biggest mistake is trying to add the condensed milk too quickly. It's super important that the ingredients are all incorporated slowly so that they can emulsify properly. Take your time and be patient with this step.
- Another mistake would be adding the chocolate when it is too hot. Your chocolate shouldn't get too hot if you are melting it gradually, as per the recipe, but if it does get overly hot, somehow make sure it cools down a little before adding it to your frosting, or it will melt the butter.
Troubleshooting
Though this chocolate buttercream frosting recipe is very simple, a few things can go wrong when making it. Don't worry, it's all fixable.
Buttercream has curdled or separated:
When this happens, it's usually because the butter was too cold, or because the ingredients were added together too quickly. Don't worry, your buttercream is not ruined! Heat the buttercream over a double boiler to just gently warm the butter. We're not looking to melt it entirely, just warm it a little.
Whisk the whole time, just with a regular whisk, and you should see it start to come together. Once it comes together, put it back in the stand mixer and whip on high until it reaches the correct consistency.
If you go too far and it gets too warm, put it in the fridge to chill AFTER the mixture has come together. It doesn't matter if it gets cold if it has already emulsified.
P.S. See my Russian Buttercream recipe post for a comparison picture of what Russian buttercream looks like when it has curdled, vs what it should look like!
Buttercream is soupy:
This means the butter was too warm. Put the whole bowl of frosting in the fridge for 15 minutes and then try whipping at high speed again.
Buttercream Chocolate Frosting Variations
Mocha Buttercream - To make a delicious coffee and chocolate flavored buttercream, dissolve 2-4 teaspoons of espresso powder (depending on how strong you want it) in a dash of hot water and mix it into the frosting after adding the chocolate.
White Chocolate Buttercream - Try a white chocolate version of this buttercream instead by replacing the dark chocolate for white chocolate on a 1:1 ratio.
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
- Stand Mixer with Whisk Attachment
Storage
This easy chocolate buttercream frosting doesn't need to be stored in the fridge, so you are safe to store your frosted cakes at room temperature. The frosting will likely last longer than your delicious cakes, about 5 days.
However, if stored in the fridge in an airtight container, the frosting will be good for up to a week. Before using it to frost your cakes, bring it down to room temperature and whip it up for another minute or so just to bring the wonderful texture back.
Easy Chocolate Buttercream Frosting FAQs
Russian buttercream is probably the most simple homemade buttercream you can make. It has the wonderful glossy texture you get with something like an Italian meringue Buttercream, but without using egg whites or double boilers, or any of that faff.
This is an adaption of Russian buttercream to make the best chocolate buttercream frosting recipe I have ever tried. It uses real chocolate to make a smooth frosting that tastes as good as chocolate ganache - it's the perfect chocolate frosting!
Comparing this recipe to other chocolate buttercreams, if they are as quick and easy as this they typically using icing sugar and cocoa powder which gives a grainy texture and inferior flavor. You can use the best cocoa powder in the world but it won't give as good a result as using real chocolate.
Or a classic recipe that does have that luxurious silky texture will usually be made with the meringue buttercream method, which is a lot more complicated and time-consuming. That's why this is my all time favorite chocolate buttercream recipe.
Using real chocolate in buttercream will give a much richer, smoother frosting with a deep chocolate flavor. Cocoa powder can make your buttercream dense and a little grainy, and it won’t be as decadent as with melted chocolate.
No you don’t need to chill buttercream before piping. Once the frosting is made it is ready to go! This Russian chocolate buttercream is also completely stable at room temperature so it doesn’t need to be refrigerated at all.
Pairing
Here are some cake and cupcake recipes that go really well with this chocolate buttercream frosting.
Recipe
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting (with melted chocolate)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 sticks Unsalted Butter 227g (room temperature)
- 1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk 14oz / 385ml
- 5.5 oz Dark Chocolate 155g
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
Instructions
- Make sure the butter is completely at room temperature before beginning. It can't be too cold or too warm, or the buttercream won't form properly.
- Melt chocolate in the microwave in 30-second increments until totally melted. Set aside.5.5 oz Dark Chocolate
- Whip the butter on high speed for a full 5 minutes. I like to pause every 90 seconds or so to scrape down the sides of the bowl.2 sticks Unsalted Butter
- Turn the mixer down to medium-high speed and slowly add the condensed milk, drizzling in while it whips. It's important not to rush this step or the buttercream might split - go very slowly and gradually. If you are using an electric whisk and can't drizzle and whip simultaneously, add the condensed milk in thirds, whisking until fully incorporated in between each addition.1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk
- Once all the condensed milk is incorporated, turn the mixer up to max speed for 1 minute.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and pour in the melted chocolate, vanilla, and a pinch of salt - continue to whip until incorporated.5.5 oz Dark Chocolate, 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract, ¼ teaspoon Salt
- The buttercream should be thick and glossy - if it isn't, see the troubleshooting guide in my Russian Buttercream post.
Notes
It really helps and I love hearing all your feedback!
Darci N
How much frosting does this make?
Jules Grasekamp
Hi Darci,
It's enough to frost about 18 cupcakes 🙂
Jules
Janice
May I use the flavored sweeteetened condensed milk?
Jules Grasekamp
Hi Janice,
I haven't tried it but I can't see any reason why it wouldn't work 🙂
Let me know how it turns out!
Jules
Carole
What kind of dark chocolate? What percent cocao? 60% Bittersweet? 56% Semi sweet? 100% Cocao Unsweetened?
Jules Grasekamp
Hi Carole,
Any kind of chocolate will work - it just depends on your personal taste! I usually use anything between 56 and 70% cocoa.
Hope this helps!
Jules
Deb Kielty
Some Russian buttercream recipes call for chilling the condensed milk. Have you followed this recommendation and did it make a difference?
Jules Grasekamp
Hi Deb,
I have actually never tried chilling the condensed milk. I find everything emulsifies better at room temp, but if I do try it chilled I'll be sure to let you know how it turns out!
Jules
C Ferro
I made this for my daughter's birthday cake because she loves rich chocolate. It turned out perfectly and she thoroughly enjoyed it! I especially appreciated all the derailed tips included in the recipe. I pinned this and will definitely use it again! (I added a reduction of espresso to make in mocha!)
Jules Grasekamp
Hi, thank you so much for trying my recipe and for your lovely comments! I'm so glad to hear you loved the chocolate buttercream. I hope your daughter had a great birthday 🙂
Jules
Lesia Mojica
Oh it’s midnight but I would like to do this recipe asap. Thanks for sharing. My regards from Los Angeles, Ca.
Jules Grasekamp
I hope you love it when you do make it!
Jules