• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About Me
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • Youtube
Sugar Spun Run
  • All Recipes
  • Desserts
    • Cookies
    • Candy
    • Bars & Brownies
    • Cake
    • Pies
  • Breads (Yeast & Quick Breads)
  • Savory
  • Breakfast
    • Muffins
    • Scones
  • Seasonal
    • Cozy Winter / Holiday Treats
    • Easter / Spring
    • Fall Recipes
    • Summer Recipes
  • Shop
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipe Index
  • About Me
  • Contact/Work with Me
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • Youtube
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Frosting

    Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

    Updated: Jul 23, 2018 • Published: Jul 23, 2018 by Sam Merritt • 474 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure policy.
    Jump to Recipe
    Chocolate cream cheese frosting

    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!

    Chocolate cream cheese frosting on a cupcake

    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.

    Ingredients for chocolate cream cheese frosting

    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.

    creamy chocolate cream cheese frosting in a bowl

    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 on cupcake

    Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

    This chocolate cream cheese frosting recipe will cover either one 2-layer 8" or 9" cake, 24 cupcakes, or generously frost (as much frosting as in the photos) 12 cupcakes.
    4.97 from 239 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Course: Frosting
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Servings: 24 cupcakes or 1 8" or 9" 2-layer cake
    Calories: 139kcal
    Author: Sam Merritt

    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

    *If you plan to pipe the frosting with a small tip, I recommend sifting the powdered sugar and cocoa powder (after measuring) to remove any lumps. The cupcakes in these photos were frosted using an Ateco 848 tip.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1/24 batch | Calories: 139kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 56mg | Potassium: 42mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 245IU | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 1mg

    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.

    Tried this recipe? Show me on Instagram!Mention @SugarSpun_Sam or tag #sugarspunrun!

    Chocolate Cream Cheese Icing on a cupcake

    More Frosting Recipes

    • Overhead view of a bowl of lemon glaze being whisked.
      An Easy Lemon Glaze Recipe
    • Overhead view of cupcakes frosted with lemon cream cheese frosting among lemon halves.
      Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
    • Cinnamon Roll Icing
    • Overhead view of cupcakes frosted with brown sugar swiss meringue buttercream.
      Brown Sugar Swiss Meringue Buttercream

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Bailey B.

      April 19, 2025 at 8:14 pm

      5 stars
      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!

      Reply
      • Emily @ Sugar Spun Run

        April 21, 2025 at 3:22 pm

        We’re so happy you enjoyed it, Bailey 😊

        Reply
    2. Radhika Sachdeva

      April 08, 2025 at 12:53 am

      5 stars
      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!

      Reply
    3. Pam

      April 07, 2025 at 5:21 pm

      5 stars
      Added 3/4 cup Jif creamy peanut butter!! Oh my!

      Reply
    4. Rashidah Abdul-Khaliq

      March 24, 2025 at 3:29 pm

      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.

      Reply
      • Sam

        March 25, 2025 at 2:21 pm

        I hope you love it! 🙂

        Reply
    5. Michelle

      March 21, 2025 at 9:33 am

      4 stars
      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.

      Reply
      • Casey @ Sugar Spun Run

        March 21, 2025 at 2:02 pm

        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! 🙂

        Reply
    6. Cathy

      February 21, 2025 at 11:21 am

      Hi Sugar Spun, my favorite baking recipe site. Can you use Dutch cocoa, if that’s all you have? Thanks!!!

      Reply
      • Sam

        February 21, 2025 at 1:14 pm

        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. 🙂

        Reply
    7. Maggie W.

      January 28, 2025 at 6:57 pm

      5 stars
      Perfect for my chocolate overload cake!

      Reply
    8. Jessica

      January 17, 2025 at 6:19 pm

      Hi Sam! Love your recipes. Question: how long can this frosting to made ahead and stored in the fridge before using? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Emily @ Sugar Spun Run

        January 19, 2025 at 1:22 pm

        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 🙂

        Reply
    9. REBECCA P LINGERFELT

      December 25, 2024 at 5:52 pm

      Absolutely perfect. thank you for your easy to follow instructions. The frosting came out so delicious and was thick enough to pipe.

      Reply
      • Emily @ Sugar Spun Run

        December 27, 2024 at 4:48 pm

        We’re so happy you enjoyed it, Rebecca 🥰

        Reply
    10. Ms. B

      December 11, 2024 at 1:01 am

      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?

      Reply
      • Sam

        December 11, 2024 at 10:53 am

        Hi! Yes, absolutely, enjoy!

        Reply
      • Katie

        January 18, 2025 at 8:35 am

        5 stars
        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.

        Reply
        • Emily @ Sugar Spun Run

          January 19, 2025 at 1:01 pm

          🤣 We are so happy it was such a hit!

    11. Kelly T

      November 24, 2024 at 2:41 pm

      5 stars
      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.

      Reply
      • Ash

        April 25, 2025 at 12:32 pm

        5 stars
        I made this frosting recipe on a whim and oh my goodness gracious! it’s absolutely delicious and the perfect amount of sweet.

        Reply
        • Emily @ Sugar Spun Run

          April 28, 2025 at 5:14 pm

          We are so happy you gave it a try, Ash! Enjoy 😊

    12. Gary H Clark

      November 21, 2024 at 2:08 pm

      5 stars
      First time trying this. I made a mess. Know better next time. Very good. Addes this to my file.

      Reply
    13. Cece

      November 19, 2024 at 6:40 pm

      u have to blend really well it gets stiff after added powder sugar & cocoa powder but after blending it eventually smooth out

      Reply
    14. Patti

      November 06, 2024 at 2:33 pm

      do I have to keep my cupcakes in the refrigerator because of the cream cheese frosting.

      Reply
      • Sam

        November 07, 2024 at 6:51 am

        Hi Patti! I would recommend it. 🙂

        Reply
    15. Roxann

      November 01, 2024 at 5:53 pm

      4 stars
      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.

      Reply
      • Sam

        November 02, 2024 at 8:27 am

        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. 🙁

        Reply
      • Heather Thompson

        December 31, 2024 at 1:02 pm

        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.

        Reply
    « Older Comments
    Newer Comments »
    4.97 from 239 votes (113 ratings without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    The author (Sam) in blue shirt holding donut Hi, I'm Sam! I'm dedicated to bringing you sweet, simple, and from-scratch dessert recipes. My life may or may not be controlled by my sweet tooth. Send help (or chocolate). Read more about me.

    Warm Weather Recipes

    glasses of eton mess (layers of whipped cream/meringue and strawberries)

    Eton Mess

    Jar of homemade strawberry sauce with a gold spoon sticking out of it.

    Simple Strawberry Sauce

    large glass pitcher of homemade strawberry lemonade with sliced strawberries and lemons as a garnish

    Strawberry Lemonade

    Collage of summer salads including potato salad, chicken salad, cucumber salad, fruit salad, and corn salad.

    Summer Salads

    avocado salsa in white bowl with corn chips

    Avocado Salsa

    white dish filled with restaurant-style homemade salsa

    Homemade Salsa (Quick & Easy!)

    More Summer Recipes

    Most Popular

    flaky biscuit on white cloth

    Easy Homemade Biscuits

    Pizza dough in glass bowl, after rising

    The Best Pizza Dough Recipe

    Slice of cheesecake

    The Best Cheesecake Recipe

    Potato soup in bowl, with toppings

    The Ultimate Creamy Potato Soup

    one bite missing from a slice of vanilla cake with chocolate frosting

    The Best Vanilla Cake Recipe

    Stack of cookies made from this chocolate chip cookie recipe with melty chocolate chips and a bite missing from the top cookie

    The WORST Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

    places sugar spun run has been featured (Women's Day, Redbook, Good Housekeeping, Country Living, the huffington post, People, Delish, MSN, TLC, Parade, Better Homes & Gardens, Buzzfeed)
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • Youtube

    Privacy Policy

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    ABOUT

    • About Me
    • Policies, Disclosure & Privacy
    • Terms of Use

    CONTACT

    • Contact
    • Work with Me!

    © 2020 Sugar Spun Run. All Rights Reserved

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.