Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Written by
Katie Workman
Award-winning food writer, blogger, and author of two cookbooks. She frequently appears on broadcast media sharing her expertise.
Learn about our editorial process
Katie Workman
Published on 08/11/19 by Katie Workman
Award-winning food writer, blogger, and author of two cookbooks. She frequently appears on broadcast media sharing her expertise.
Learn about The Spruce Eats's Editorial Process

Updated 08/11/19

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting atop a 2 layer cake. Katie Workman / themom100.com
  • Total: 10 mins
  • Prep: 5 mins
  • Cook: 5 mins
  • Yield: 12 servings
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
309 Calories
19g Fat
34g Carbs
1g Protein
See Full Nutritional Guidelines Hide Full Nutritional Guidelines
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12 servings
Amount per serving
Calories 309
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 19g 25%
Saturated Fat 12g 59%
Cholesterol 41mg 14%
Sodium 5mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 34g 13%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Protein 1g
Calcium 12mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

This makes a light covered chocolate frosting that’s just the right amount of chocolate-y without being too rich. It makes enough to frost a 2-layer 8 or 9-inch cake.

This chocolate buttercream frosting goes wonderfully with a very Simple Vanilla Cake. Nothing celebrates a birthday, Mother's or Father's Day, Valentine's Day, or really any occasion, better than a homemade cake. But you don't always need a reason - sometimes it's nice to just have cake, you know?

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The layers of this cake freeze beautifully when well wrapped in plastic wrap, then sealed in a freezer-proof zipper top bag. I love having a couple of cake layers in the fridge to pull out when I don't have time to bake for an occasion -- you will feel very on top of things, even as chaos reigns throughout the house.

For a chocolate frosting with a bit of tangy-ness to it, try this Easy Sour Cream Chocolate Frosting (especially good on pound cakes, carrot cakes, and honey cakes).

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Chocolate Vanilla Cake

Ingredients

  • 4 ounces chocolate (bittersweet or semisweet, chopped or chips)
  • 2 sticks butter (unsalted, at room temperature)
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (pure)

Steps to Make It

  1. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl suspended over a pot of simmering water, or in a double boiler.  Set aside to come to room temperature.

  2. In a medium sized mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugar on high speed using an electric mixer, until fluffy.  Beat in the vanilla.   Add the cooled melted chocolate and beat for another minute on high speed until fluffy.

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