This chocolate frosting is probably one of my favourite recipes of all time! It is so easy to put together, and has a secret ingredient that really takes it to another level – cream cheese!
Cream cheese adds a rich, creamy texture to the buttercream frosting, and you honestly can’t even tell it’s in there, so it doesn’t take away from the chocolate flavour at all! Trust me, it is so yum and you will never go back to regular chocolate frosting after trying this version!
How to make chocolate cream cheese frosting
If you haven’t tried a chocolate cream cheese frosting before, you are missing out! Luckily, it is super easy to put together so you have no excuse not to try this frosting 🙂
Being by creaming your butter for a few minutes until it’s light and fluffy. Either use a hand mixer or stand mixer on a medium high speed. If using a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment.
Add in the icing sugar in 3 batches while mixing on low. Ensure that each batch of icing sugar is mixed into the butter well before adding in the next batch.
Next add in your cold cream cheese and vanilla. Mix just until the frosting is smooth. Avoid over-mixing (see note 4 on recipe card).
Lastly add in your cocoa powder and mix until well combined and smooth. Avoid over-mixing.
And that is literally it! CAUTION: Do not eat the entire bowl of frosting before icing your cake 🙂
Easy Chocolate Frosting With A Twist
Print Pin VideoIMPORTANT: For accuracy, I would recommend using the gram measurements provided, as those are the exact quantities I use. Cup measurements are given as estimates (based on US cup measurements) to make it easier for those who do not have a scale.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter - room temperature
- 4½ cups (570 g) icing sugar - also known as confectioners/powdered sugar
- 1½ cups (335 g) cream cheese - cold, firm type
- 1½ tsps vanilla essence/extract
- ¾ cup (75 g) cocoa powder - unsweetened, Dutch processed preferred
Instructions
- Cream your butter for a few minutes until it's light and fluffy. Either use a hand mixer or stand mixer on a medium high speed. If using a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment.
- Add in the icing sugar in 3 batches while mixing on low. Ensure that each batch of icing sugar is mixed into the butter well before adding in the next batch.
- Next add in your cold cream cheese and vanilla. Mix just until the frosting is smooth. Avoid over-mixing (see note 1).
- Lastly add in your cocoa powder and mix until well combined and smooth. Avoid over-mixing.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information are estimates only as they are automatically calculated by a third party application. Actual values may differ based on brands and types of products used.
50 Comments
The best frosting ever. I will never eat prepaid frosting again. And it was so simple to make.
Thanks so much Michelle! So so happy to hear you loved the frosting 😀
Hi Maryam,
Can I use this to frost a wedding cake. I am making a tiered cake.
Hi Seira! 🙂
It depends on how large the wedding cake is and how hot the weather will be. This frosting is relatively stable, but when it comes to wedding cakes I usually advise cream cheese based frostings to be used as a filling, with a more stable frosting on the outside just for added assurance 🙂
Can I sift the powdered sugar and cocoa together, and add them to the butterr, or does the cocoa powder have to be added last?
Hi Tonya! 🙂 Yes I think that should be fine to sift the cocoa with the powdered sugar 🙂
You may just have a very stiff mixture initially (due to the ratio of dry ingredients to butter), but once the cream cheese is added in it will become softer/smoother.
Hope you enjoy the recipe! 🙂