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.
Bailey B.
This is THE chocolate cream cheese icing! It was also extremely easy to make gluten free! The flavor isn’t too chocolaty, it’s not too sweet, and the texture is perfect!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy you enjoyed it, Bailey 😊
Radhika Sachdeva
I was never a fan of any frosting until I came across this recipe. It’s the best chocolate frosting I’ve ever had! Thank you very much for an amazing recipe!
Pam
Added 3/4 cup Jif creamy peanut butter!! Oh my!
Rashidah Abdul-Khaliq
Trying this with my chocolate banana nut cake. First time for the cake and first time for this frosting. Will tell you how it goes. So looking forward to eating this.
Sam
I hope you love it! 🙂
Michelle
I’m having the same issue as another poster. I followed instructions exactly (I’m an experienced baker). I used room temperature butter and powdered sugar. Up until recently I never weighed ingredients but have started to. It’s been fun to see how close it gets to the grams after scooping and leveling. I’m usually almost spot on! However with this recipe I measured the 1/2 cup cocoa and it was only around 30 grams?! I made sure my scale was correct by weighing a few other things. How could I be so far off? It’s so still I can barely scrape it even after beating a few extra minutes.
Casey @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Michelle! We just double checked our measurement for cocoa and the measurement in the recipe is correct, 50g is 1/2 cup. The cocoa we use even lists it on the back of the bag as 48 grams for a 1/2 cup. If your icing is still too stiff, you can certainly add 1 Tablespoon of milk or cream at a time until your frosting reaches the desired consistency. (That’s not included in the recipe because we have never had to do that for this one but it will work!) Hope this helps! 🙂
Cathy
Hi Sugar Spun, my favorite baking recipe site. Can you use Dutch cocoa, if that’s all you have? Thanks!!!
Sam
Hi Cathy! It will work it just has a bit of a different taste. I would probably start with a little less than called for and taste test to see if you need more. 🙂
Maggie W.
Perfect for my chocolate overload cake!
Jessica
Hi Sam! Love your recipes. Question: how long can this frosting to made ahead and stored in the fridge before using? Thanks!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Jessica! You can store it for a few days covered in the refrigerator. It will need to sit at room temperature for a few minutes before being spreadable again 🙂
REBECCA P LINGERFELT
Absolutely perfect. thank you for your easy to follow instructions. The frosting came out so delicious and was thick enough to pipe.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy you enjoyed it, Rebecca 🥰
Ms. B
Hi ! I’m making a black velvet cake with black cream cheese buttercream frosting. Can I just substitute the cocoa with black cocoa and still have a creamy abnd medium consistency?
Sam
Hi! Yes, absolutely, enjoy!
Katie
I made a half batch for a test cake, amd I can tell that a full batch might not be enough for me to frost 24 cupcakes, simply because I would likely eat the whole thing with a spoon first!!
Seriously, it’s freaking delicious, as someone who doesn’t like buttercream, I’m excited to add this to my cake repertoire.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
🤣 We are so happy it was such a hit!
Kelly T
Super easy. I used high quality European butter (always makes things like this better in my opinion!) & full fat cream cheese. Sifted the powdered sugar & cocoa together before added to the well creamed butter & cream cheese as I live on the SW Gulf coast of FL & those 2 ingredients always have clumps in them. Icing came together in a jiffy after that in my Kitchen Aid with the paddle attachment. No grittiness & not too sweet. Make sure to not omit the salt – it’s needed to balance the sweet! Fantastic recipe. This one’s a keeper.
Gary H Clark
First time trying this. I made a mess. Know better next time. Very good. Addes this to my file.
Cece
u have to blend really well it gets stiff after added powder sugar & cocoa powder but after blending it eventually smooth out
Patti
do I have to keep my cupcakes in the refrigerator because of the cream cheese frosting.
Sam
Hi Patti! I would recommend it. 🙂
Roxann
Following the recipe word for word, it turned out entirely too stiff. All was well until adding the cocoa powder. It doesn’t make mention of milk to counter that, but you’re definitely going to want to add milk.
Sam
I’m so sorry to hear this happened, Roxann! Did you weigh your powdered sugar? I’ve never had someone tell me it came out too stiff. 🙁
Heather Thompson
i didn’t have to use any milk, but I have found when making cream cheese frosting that having room temperature butter and cream cheese helps and using certain kind of butter and cream cheese can effect the difference too.