How to make chocolate cream cheese frosting! This recipe is made with cocoa powder and is simple, fool-proof, and richly chocolaty.
It’s creamy and smooth but is still sturdy enough for piping and would be the perfect complement to your favorite cake or cupcake recipe!
Due to popular demand (and a persistent sweet tooth), I’ve been trying to amp up my frosting section on the blog recently.
So far I’ve covered some of my favorite frostings, including a decadent, silky smooth (but not too-sweet) chocolate frosting and a classic (and perfect, it’s literally my favorite) cream cheese frosting, and today I’m marrying these two favorites together into this chocolate cream cheese frosting recipe.
Despite my afore-mentioned sweet tooth, buttercream frostings were always too sweet for me growing up, so as soon as I discovered cream cheese frosting my mom switched over to icing and decorating my birthday cakes exclusively with classic and chocolate cream cheese frosting. While many cream cheese frostings don’t stand up well to piping or decorating (too many are too soft and runny), this recipe is stiff enough for decorating and, as you can see in the above picture, works perfectly for piping on top a cupcake.
Chocolate cream cheese frosting only requires 6 ingredients and for my recipe I always use cocoa powder (rather than melted chocolate) to give my frosting a rich chocolaty flavor.
Take a good look at your cocoa powder before adding it in to your mixer, and if it looks particularly clumpy I recommend running it through a sifter with your powdered sugar so that you don’t have any lumps when you go to pipe the frosting — there’s nothing more annoying than ruining that perfect chocolate swirl because your piping tip has a lump of cocoa powder or powdered sugar jamming up the flow.
Another tip for silky smooth frosting: Make sure that your cream cheese and butter are softened before beating them together. Cream cheese that’s still cold can also cause lumps in your frosting. I always recommend beating the cream cheese and butter together with an electric mixer first until both are well-combined and lump-free, and then adding your other ingredients.
Alright, I think that’s all I have to say about today’s super simple frosting recipe. I’m also just back from vacation and recovering from a crazy/wonderful week of sunny days and late 2AM nights with 29 of my favorite family members, so hopefully everything I just typed came out as coherently as possible 😉
Enjoy!
And if you’re wondering about the cupcakes in this picture, I just made my favorite vanilla cake recipe, added a handful of sprinkles, and baked into cupcakes. My funfetti cake or chocolate cupcakes would also work nicely!
How to Make Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter softened
- 8 oz (226 g) cream cheese softened brick-style, not spreadable
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 ½ cups (440 g) powdered sugar*
- ½ cup (50 g) natural cocoa powder
Instructions
- Combine the butter and cream cheese in a large bowl and, using an electric mixer or a stand mixer to beat until creamy, well-combined, and lump-free.½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter softened, 8 oz (226 g) cream cheese softened
- Add vanilla extract and salt and stir well to combine.1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon salt
- With mixer on low, gradually add powdered sugar until completely combined.3 ½ cups (440 g) powdered sugar*
- Add cocoa powder and beat until well-incorporated into the frosting -- be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl so that all ingredients are well-combined.½ cup (50 g) natural cocoa powder
- Frost completely cooled cake or cupcakes.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Kimberly
Thank you SO MUCH for this recipe. I’ve been struggling to find the right chocolate frosting recipe for years. Some call for melting chocolate and I don’t want to do that. Others come out all runny. This one is absolutely perfect in taste and texture. It will be my new standard.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Kimberly! 🙂
Nastassia Ayodele
Do you think this frosting would taste good in an almond flavored cake?
Sam
Definitely! Enjoy! 🙂
Nosheen
Hi, loving this recipe. Wanted to use this for a chocolate cake.just wondering if I could cover the cake with this and in between the layers, will it still be intact the next day?
I’ve had a bad experience with cream cheese frosting where I had left it in the fridge overnight only to see the cake had collapsed in the morning 😭 x
Sam
Hi Nosheen! This is a pretty sturdy frosting so you shouldn’t have issues with the cake falling apart in the refrigerator. 🙂
Robin
I only have salted butter. Can it be used and the salt eliminated?
Sam
Yup! Enjoy 🙂
Emily Salander
Hi, I’m making a cake for my boyfriends birthday. I want to use this recipe for the icing, but I’m just not sure what cake flavor would be best. I’m very inexperienced and would appreciate any tips or advice! Thank you!
Sam
If you ask me, you can’t be a classic vanilla cake with chocolate frosting on it. 🙂
Shari
Is this recipe enough to ice three 9in round layers or do you recommend that I double it?
Sam
Hi Shari! This is enough for a 2 layer 9 inch cake. I would increase it by 50% for a three layer cake. 🙂
Joy bohannon
Hi! Can I substitute the cocoa powder for chocolate chips?
Sam
Hi Joy! You should be able to, but I would melt the chocolate, let it cool so it is no longer warm and then add it. 🙂
Joy bohannon
How much do you think I’ll need?
Sam
Without having tried it I can’t really give you a good answer here. I’m sorry. 🙁
Momof2
Love this recipe!! Everything is just right.
What type of frosting would you recommend for high heat. We have an outdoor party and it’s in the high 80’s.!
Sam
Unfortunately my frostings don’t do too well in high heat because they are butter based. 🙁
Morgan
How many days will frosting keep at room temperature?
Sam
Hi Morgan! I don’t recommend keeping cream cheese frostings at room temperature for much longer than a day or so. 🙂
Dominique
This looks amazing, can I make this frosting in advance and if so how far in advance? Thank you!
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you, Dominique! I am excited for you to try it. If you want to make the frosting ahead of time, you can! I reccomend storing it in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 3-4 days. 🙂
Sarah
Delicious and easy! Thank you!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed it, Sarah! Thank you for commenting. 🙂
Lydia Kwiwa
Yum…the best chocolate cream cheese frosting 💜
Thank you for sharing
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Lydia! 🙂
Nivi
Hi this looks yummy!
can I use dark Chocolate chips in place of cocoa powder? If yes,Will the same qty (1/2 cup) work?
Also can I use the same recipe (mainly consistency) for a birthday cake frosting?
Sam
I think you could get away with melting chocolate chips and stirring in as long as the melted chocolate isn’t too hot when adding it. As far as how much to add, that is really a taste preference kind of thing. You can use my chocolate frosting as a guide. I think it will definitely work for a birthday cake frosting. 🙂
Anonymous
Can you pls tell me what is the measurement i should use to make 12 cupcakes?
Sam
This makes enough frosting for about 24 cupcakes. 🙂
Sandra
This is the best chocolate icing! It’s the one I recommend to all my friends.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Sandra! 🙂
Tasha S.
Hi Sam!
For the cocoa powder part, do I need to add unsweetened or sweetened because of the powder sugar?
Sam
Hi Tasha! You will want to use natural unsweetened cocoa powder here. 🙂