Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
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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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
Just soooo good! It was a hit for my sons 2nd birthday – thank you 😊
This is the best frosting I’ve made it’s my new go too
This has got to be the BEST icing, I’ve ever made!! 💯
It’s not overly sweet, beat it into submission in my KitchenAide and it’s got BODY!!
A recipe keeper, mos’ DEF!!
Love it, I followed the recipe exactly and only needed about half for the cake I made can I freeze the rest (and how long will it last in the freezer)
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much! This should be good for several months in the freezer. 🙂
As a retired bakery owner, I believe this recipe deserves a 6 star review. This frosting is silky smooth, holds well to the cake, and piping results are fabulous. The flavor is very good. Not overly sweet as others I’ve made in the past. Your family and guest will truly enjoy this frosting. I Recommend to home bakers to read the complete article on this recipe to gain the results you will be delighted with. I look forward to trying more of sugarspunrun”s recipes.
Thank you so much for the kind words, Evelyn! 🩷
Hi there.
Quick question:
Does one use sweetened or unsweetened cocoa powder?
Thank you,
Mo
Hi Mo! Natural cocoa powder is unsweetened. 🙂
Thanks for responding on the cocoa powder.
Have you ever tried using espresso powder to amp up the chocolate flavor? If so, how much does one use in the cupcake batter?
Thx,
Mo
Hi Mo, are you asking about using espresso powder in the frosting or in a cupcake recipe?
Hi! I am wanting to use this recipe in a cake I’m making that will have a raspberry filling. Is this frosting stable enough to make a dam and support the cake?
Sure thing! 🙂
This is such a fast simple and the best choco frosting! Love it-made it for my husband’s birthday cake ❤️
delicious and simple thank you
Hi Sam
I love your recipes!
Have you tried this recipe with Dark Cocoa Powder?
Thanks so much,
Cindy
Hi Cindy! I have not personally done it with dark cocoa powder, but it will work just fine. 🙂
I just made it with dark cocoa powder and it’s fantastic!
Delicious. I added about 2 tbs of milk just to make it a bit more creamy and spreadable. I also used special dark cocoa powder as we love dark chocolate. This recipe is a keeper!
I have made this recipe more than once, it is my go to chocolate frosting recipe. it’s made me super picky with frosting. Thank you for sharing
So fluffy and delicious 😋
100% perfect frosting! We are over overly sweet buttercreams. This was for my hubs birthday. He didn’t want peanut butter or fluffy white frosting on his chocolate cake. I Googled cream cheese chocolate frosting hoping for some clues and this came up. Thank you, thank you!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Pamela! 🙂
I’d like to preface this by saying that I’m not a naturally skilled baker and my icing doesn’t usually turn out great. I’m often disappointed in frosting recipes. This one, however, is a game changer. I followed it exactly and it’s probably the best frosting I’ve ever made! Hopefully I don’t eat it all before the cupcakes are cooled 🙂 thank you so much for this recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Kat! 🙂
Very very good! my granddaughter loved it!
Turned out great. I made it vegan using vegan butter and vegan cream cheese. Didn’t need any milk because my house was so hot that the cream cheese and butter were very soft. Tasted chocolatey and not-too-sweet. Thanks for sharing.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Emily! Thank you so much for the feedback! 🙂
Hi Sam! Your cakes are always so beautifully frosted – do you have any posts where you discuss/show what you use for frosting tools? I don’t need a method/technique post, but would like to know what to buy as the basic tools, maybe things you’ve tried and liked/disliked, or tools that seemed like a good idea but you never use?
Many Thanks!
Thank you so much! I don’t have a post particularly on just producst, but I actually have a shop on Amazon that has pretty much all of my favorite tools.