Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Disclosure: some of the links below are affiliate links, so I might earn a commission (at no extra cost to you) if you click through and make a purchase. Thanks!

Do any of you scrape off the frosting when you eat cake? Or at least most of it?

I usually do. Sometimes it’s too sweet. One time it tasted like chemicals. And sometimes there is just way too much frosting that I can’t even taste the cake!

My husband usually asks for chocolate cake with chocolate frosting for his birthday. Last year we made him a CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI CAKE, which tasted great and was even on the healthier side of chocolate cakes. 🙂 And there wasn’t really a frosting on that cake.

This year I really wanted to try making a DOUBLE-LAYER CHOCOLATE CAKE with a chocolate buttercream frosting.

And I did.

It was amazing. Busy Dad said it’s the best chocolate cake he’s ever tasted. Rich and moist, but not dense. The frosting had a perfect texture and taste.

chocolate buttercream frosting for double layer cake

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Recipe

Ingredients (makes enough to frost a double layer circular cake and still have about a cup of frosting left over):

  • 2/3 C. unsweetened cocoa
  • 2 sticks salted butter, softened (but not melted)
  • 2 1/2 C. powdered sugar
  • about 4 Tbsp. milk (I used 2%)
  • 2 tsp. vanilla

Instructions:

  1. Add unsweetened cocoa to large mixing bowl and whisk through to remove any large lumps.
  2. Beat in the softened butter. First it will get clumpy, but keep beating until smooth.
  3. Add 1 C. powdered sugar and 1 Tbsp. milk. Beat until blended. Then beat 1 minute more on high speed (this helps it get fluffier). Add another cup of sugar and another 2 Tbsp. milk. Beat, then beat on high for another minute. Add the remaining 1/2 C. sugar and the remaining tablespoon of milk. Beat, then beat on high for another minute.
  4. Add vanilla and beat until well blended, smooth and creamy. The frosting should be stiff enough to hold it’s form. If it needs to be thicker, add a little more sugar. If it’s too thick, add a little more milk.

chocolate buttercream frosting recipe

*Inspired by THIS recipe.

Recipe tags: