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.
Hannah
Just made this and it is delicious. I’m from the UK so had to use tub of Philadelphia, but just used 180g and added more as/when required. has turned out really well so will deffo use again.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed the frosting Hannah! 🙂
Janet
I made chocolate frosting and refrigerated it, 2 days ago, now am ready to frost cooled cupcakes, how long should I let frosting sit out, so I can fill piping bag? Should I beat it, to help soften to frosting? I felt, it being made with cream cheese, it needed to be refrigerated as I was not going to use right away. Will it be ok to then refrigerate finished cupcakes and just set out an hour before serving tomorrow? Thanks so much !!!
Sam
Hi Janet! It will probably need to sit out for at least 30 minutes and it will definitely help if you beat it again. It will be fine left to sit out an hour or even several hours before serving. I hope that helps! 🙂
Ramona
My husband asked for chocolate cupcakes with chocolate cream cheese icing for his birthday this year. While searching for recipes, I came across your site and decided to try your recipe. The icing is delicious and my husband loves his cupcakes!! Thank you!
Sam
I am so glad he enjoyed the cupcakes Ramona! 🙂
Leslie Linden
This chocolate cream cheese icing recipe is wonderful. So easy to make. I frosted a chocolate bundt cake and the icing made the cake. Took the cake to a super bowl party and everyone LOVED it! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed it, Leslie! 🙂
AA
Thanks for the technique on making it so smooth. So smooth. Piped on Ritz crackers with a thawed frozen cherry: perfect “not eating dessert” mini chocolate tarts.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it! I love the idea of putting it on crackers. 🙂
Anamarie
Was looking for a cream cheese icing to pipe when I came across this. It is the exact recipe I have used for years, so I was excited to see the explanation as to how to stiffen it even more…it was under the cream cheese icing recipe, not this choc one. Was wondering if you have a blog or somewhere to see just how you do the piping. I decorated cakes years ago & am getting back into it…am looking forward to the advances & techniques being used! And thank you so much for this choc cream cheese version.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipes, Anamarie! I don’t really consider myself a pro at piping (or cake/cupcake decorating in general), honestly I just use large tips and they do all the work of making things look nice. I used an Ateco 848 tip for the cupcakes in this recipe. I hope that helps!!
Tamitay
This is fantastic. Everyone needs to try this. Makes alot of icing you have plenty for a 2 to 3 tier cake. A little much for a 9×13, but I won’t complain it’s too delishious. Only thing does this need stored in refrigerator cause of the cream cheese? Thanks for your site and all the hard work you have done so we can all look like great cooks.
Sam
I bet you are a great cook! If I need to keep it for longer than 2 days, I will keep it in the refrigerator. 🙂
Bonnie
Yes! Finally a frosting my sweet-tooth husband and I can agree on! I think the chocolate tricks him into thinking it’s super sweet 🙂
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoys it, Bonnie! 🙂
Katie Krotts
Yum! I made this along with your banana cake recipe and it was a hit! Thx!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed both of the recipes, Katie! 🙂
the mom
This frosting is awesome! I’ll never buy frosting from the store again.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Janet
Love this recipe – creamy not so sweet frosting. One Question out of curiosity. Why unsalted butter and then add salt. I used salt butter and didn’t add extra. Is there a reason why you use unsalted butter??
Sam
Hi Janet! So glad you enjoyed! 🙂 Yes, I use unsalted and then add salt because then I have more control over the flavor and know precisely how much salt is going into the recipe, since it can vary with different brands and affect the taste accordingly. That being said, that is just my preference and doing it the way you did is fine, I’m sure the difference was very subtle.
I actually have a whole pot on salted vs unsalted butter if you want to read more about it and why I generally prefer unsalted..
Susan Ellsworth
I was happily reading your recipe for chocolate creamcheese frosting when an ad for Chobani popped up. The ad covered over the salt and vanilla amounts. VERY annoying! I am going to guess at the amounts of salt and vanilla to use.
Sam
That’s a big problem, I’ll be talking to my ad company to make sure that doesn’t happen again. Thank you for letting me know about this.
And it’s a teaspoon of vanilla and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
KyGirl
I am going to make this icing to go with your white cake recipe. I am wondering do you think dark dutch cocoa will be okay or do you think it will be too rich? If so do you have a suggestion how to alter it so its not too eich? Thank you!
KyGirl
I apologize, I meant to say rich not eich, lol.
Sam
I don’t think it would be too rich, I actually think that sounds delicious, especially with the light white cake! Enjoy! 🙂
Joanne
Your cream cheese frosting is fantastic, so I cannot wait to try your chocolate version.
Sam
Thank you, Joanne! I hope you love it <3
Sherri B.
Your regular cream cheese frosting is hands down the BEST one I’ve ever tried! I made it for my sister-in-law’s birthday earlier this year (on your vanilla cake!) and people are still raving about it! Can’t wait to try this chocolate version!
Sam
Thank you so much, Sherri! I hope you love the chocolate version! 🙂
Dolores
I will try it for sure