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.
Cheryl
This is the very best chocolate frosting recipe EVER! So glad I tried it! Thank you!
Kelsey L.
I used this frosting on my daughter’s birthday cake today and it’s a huge hit. So easy and so good! My daughter doesn’t like the buttercream frosting because it’s too sweet but this frosting is just right.
Kayla
I love this recipe. Getting ready to make it for the second time 🙂 excited to share it with my loved ones tonight. Thanks
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Wonderful! We’re so happy our recipe is such a hit for you, Kayla. Enjoy ❤
Becky
I may have commented before but twice never hurts. We love this frosting so much! It is amazing on brownies, delicious on yellow cake, great for cupcakes. It is my go-to for everything!
Louise
Best chocolate cream cheese frosting ever! This is absolutely delicious! Thanks so much.
Cynthia Pastula
I cut the recipe amounts in half to make a small batch of frosting for my brownies. Not only was the frosting fluffy and creamy, it wasn’t overly sweet…I’m guessing this was due to the cocoa. My brownies went from the baked standard box mix to what looked and tasted like bakery quality! A yummy transformation! Thank you for this delicious recipe.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Sounds delicious, Cynthia! Thanks so much for commenting 😊
Nilu
Hi! Could I exactly halve the ingredients to produce a smaller batch of frosting which is equally delicious?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Yes! Enjoy 😊
Laurakat
This frosting is fabulous! I’ve only made a few frosting recipes for from scratch, but this will be my new go-to recipe! It was easy to make with ingredients I had on-hand – and the taste and consistency were both perfect! It spread beautifully on my cake and set up nicely in the fridge. Thanks for sharing another fabulous recipe!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We love hearing that! Thanks so much for coming back to comment and let us know how it worked for you. Enjoy ❤️
Ania
Can this be Made night prior to frosting cupcakes? Same question for the vanilla recipe. And once made and on cupcakes should it be refrigerated?
Sam
Hi Ania! If you make it in advance you’ll want to store it in an air tight container in the refrigerator. You will want to let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes before trying to use it to soften it up a bit. It’s always safest to store a cream cheese frosting in the refrigerator. 🙂
Jeann
Hi what cocoa powder you use? And does it matter?
Sam
Hi Jeann! I like to use natural unsweetened cocoa powder. Dutch-process cocoa would work instead but the frosting will have a more intense flavor.
Emma Fulk
I have never commented on a recipe before but I had to for this one because it is so incredible! I am obsessed with this frosting, I could eat it out of the bowl. I normally don’t like homemade frosting and prefer the store bought kind, but this is seriously the best I’ve ever had and is 1000x better than what comes in a tub.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Emma! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review. 🙂
Layla
I am not an beginning baker but I generally try to make simple recipes with good quality ingredients. I make a basic chocolate cake sometimes with ganache on it, and I was asked to bring it to Thanksgiving this year as it seems to be hit. I had to double the recipe for two single layer cakes or one two layer cake. I was looking for a nice frosting for it. I didn’t want to have to do a crumb coat, so I wanted something thick. And I love cream cheese frostings. So when I came across this recipe with it’s 6 ingredients and thicker consistency I knew I had found the recipe I wanted to try.
I made two adjustments to the recipe in the end. I increased the vanilla to 1 tablespoon and it wasn’t chocolatey enough for me so I added another 1/4 up of cocoa and that was just right. I usually have to decrease the sugar in frostings but I was very happy to find I didn’t have to. It’s sweet, but not saccharine. Just right.
I still used the the ganache as the filling of the cake. And I am glad I did because while this made the right amount to cover both 8 inch layers, since I was going for a no-crumb coat thicker rustic finish (I know my limitations), I needed all of the frosting for the exterior.
This was my first layer cake. And I am happy to say it will be a hit. This frosting was exactly the right addition to dress my basic cake up for the holidays. And it came together quickly. Thank you.
Sam
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it so much, Layla! 🙂
Layla
t was a huge hit. I didn’t even get to bring a piece home. Thank you again.
Patricia
I’ve like to know if could use mascarpone instead of cream cheese. I’m looking forward to try it but it had happened many times that my frosting curdled after adding cocoa powder.
Thanks for your reply .
Patricia
Sam
Hi Patricia! Mascarpone can be very finicky and can curdle, like you are mentioning. I recommend sticking with the cream cheese but if you do try it I would love to know how it goes. 🙂
Myra
Hi, can i use this as a filling for a red velvet and chocolate cake layer? And will this stay in the room temperature overnight? Thnk you in advance.
Sam
Hi Myra! This frosting will work just fine for your cake! Personally I have left it out overnight without issue, but being a cream cheese based frosting I would advise that you refrigerate it. 🙂
Tracy
Fantastic frosting recipe!!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thanks so much for letting us know how you liked it, Tracy! 😊
Jenny
Delicious recipe. Thank you
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thanks for letting us know how you liked it, Jenny! Enjoy ❤️
Tansy McPherson
Great recipe, will definitively be making it again.👍🏾