Feb 14, 2014, Updated Sep 20, 2024 I call it Whipped Chocolate Frosting because so much air is whipped in. The tested-till-perfect recipe is super easy to make, too. All you need is cocoa powder and a handful of simple ingredients. It is the perfect chocolate icing to frost my near-famous Moist Chocolate Cake, Moist Vanilla Cake, Fluffy Cupcakes, or chewy brownie recipe. Heck, it would be delicious on this Portuguese Orange Cake, too. OR you may want to ditch the cake and just rub it all over your body. Once you’ve fallen in love with this whipped chocolate frosting, you’re definitely gonna want to try my fluffy Vanilla Frosting, too. What are you waiting for? You’re only 5 minutes away from the dreamiest, tastiest chocolate buttercream.
Cocoa, Butter, Cream: Gather Your Ingredients and Let’s Make Amazing Chocolate Frosting
To make this rich, fluffy chocolate buttercream frosting, perfect for icing your layer cakes, gather the key ingredients.
Butter (room temperature): Provides a creamy base and helps achieve a fluffy texture. It is essential to use unsalted butter. Salted butter can be swapped into many baking recipes, but for frosting, it is absolutely not an option. Confectioners’ sugar: Provides sweetness and contributes to the fluffy, spreadable consistency. Unsweetened Cocoa powder: Provides deep chocolate flavor and color. You can use Dutch process or natural cocoa powder. Whipping cream: aka heavy cream or double cream, this helps achieve a light, airy texture. Vanilla extract: Enhances the chocolate flavor with notes of warmth and depth. Pinch of salt: Brings out the flavor of the chocolate and provides contrast.
Can I use milk instead of cream?
Yes, you can replace the whipping cream with milk, but the texture will be softer. The photo below was frosting made with milk, you can see how fluffy and airy it is, but it won’t hold a stiff peak for piping onto cupcakes. Ready to get to work? Here’s what equipment you’ll need to whip up that perfect chocolate frosting. Still absolute heaven as a filling and frosting on a cake, just not the best choice for piping details.
Gather Your Tools
• Mixer: A stand mixer is ideal for the extra wattage and strength, but a hand mixer will also do the job! • Spatula: To make sure your ingredients are properly mixed. • Sifter: Optional, but this ensures that none of those pesky cocoa lumps sneak into your masterpiece if you’re piping with fancy tips. • Measuring cups and spoons: To get the exact measurements of sugar, butter and other ingredients so your frosting has just the right amount of sweetness. Let’s make some frosting!
How to Make Homemade Frosting: Step-by-Step Directions for the Cake Icing of Your Dreams
Making American-style buttercream like this is as easy as beating butter with confectioners’ sugar and adding flavoring. The key is beating until the frosting gets lighter in texture and color. Here’s exactly what to do:
Expert Tips for the Best Chocolate Frosting Ever
You want the fluffiest-ever icing on the cake? I’ve got you with these pro bakers’ secrets.
The key is to really think of air as an ingredient. Set your timer when beating the mixture. You will watch the frosting go from thick and dull to shiny, airy, and doubled in volume. Have you ever had a frosting that was unpleasantly thick and just too sweet? This pro technique is the solution to making a buttercream frosting that tastes like bakery quality. I highly recommend using a whisk attachment on your stand mixer for best results, but a hand mixer or a paddle attachment will work. The color and the texture will get lighter with every minute that you beat it, and you really maximize this with the whisk. Use softened butter but not melting soft. Your finger should leave an indent when you press it. See my pro techniques to quickly bring butter to room temperature.
Can You Prepare Homemade Frosting in Advance? Here are some Make Ahead and Storage Tips
This whipped chocolate frosting can indeed be made in advance. However, keep in mind that confectioners’ sugar is absorbs a ton of liquid and will continue to thicken up as it stands (even for 20 minutes). So if you don’t make it right before you use it, you’ll want to give it one more final whip (even 30 seconds) just before frosting your cake, and you might need a splash more cream. • Refrigerate: Place your finished frosting in a sealed airtight container and store it in the fridge. It will stay good for up to a week (but be careful not to place it near any foods with strong smells, like raw onions). • Freeze: If you want to keep it longer, try freezing your frosting. Just put it in an airtight container or zipper-lock bag and freeze for up to three months. • Thaw: Before using, take the frosting out of the freezer and let it thaw at room temperature for 1-2 hours – or place it in the refrigerator overnight – before piping or spreading onto cakes and cupcakes. • Mix: If your frosting has gotten thicker over time, add a bit of heavy cream until you get the desired consistency and re-whip it for a minute or so before icing your cake or cupcakes. • Storing a frosted cake: once the frosting is on the cake, you can leave it at room temperature for up to 2 days under a cake dome or in an airtight container. If you live in a hot climate, you’ll want to refrigerate it though or the butter will melt and the icing will turn runny. Either way, bring the cake back up to room temperature before serving for the best soft texture.
Making Icing for a Cake? Here are 3 Simple Steps for Frosting a Cake the Easy Way.
Get your cake frosted in a few easy steps. Here’s what you’ll need to do:
