This double chocolate buttercream is super rich, creamy and so chocolaty. You’ll use two types of chocolate in this buttercream…cocoa powder and melted semi-sweet chocolate, which gives it even more chocolate flavor. This recipe will make enough buttercream to cover a two layer, 8 inch round cake.
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Hey there! Before you scroll, there’s lot’s of important stuff in the post!…including the FAQ section, which may answer any questions you might have about this recipe. Enjoy!
Now get ready because I’m about to say something scandalous. Ready? Drum roll……….I don’t care much for chocolate cake. (Cue the horrified sounds).
Ok, I’ll clarify that statement a bit. I don’t HATE it, I’d just rather have vanilla. So, why am I telling you this on a post about chocolate buttercream?
Well, here’s the thing: I actually LOVE this double chocolate buttercream. Weird…I don’t know why I love chocolate buttercream, but not necessarily chocolate cake.
Who knows why we like what we like, but what I DO know is that this chocolate buttercream is ‘the bomb.’ Are people still saying ‘the bomb’? I don’t know and I don’t care because I will eat this stuff straight out of the mixer bowl.
I used to make chocolate buttercream using the old school method, which is just adding cocoa powder. You know me, I can’t leave well enough alone. I had to make it even MORE chocolaty by adding actual melted chocolate. I’m telling you it really make a difference. Try it and you’ll see.
This recipe is good ol’ American Buttercream and I like using real butter and not shortening. I think that makes a world of difference.
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LET’S TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE INGREDIENTS FOR THE DOUBLE CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM:
Unsalted AND salted butter: I like to use two different types of butter. Using half salted butter when making buttercream, adds just enough salt to cut the sweetness of American buttercream. Using all unsalted buttercream will make it to salty, so you want to only use half salted, then the other have unsalted. If you can’t get salted butter, just use all unsalted and add in a small pinch of salt to cut the sweetness.
Confectioner’s sugar: This is the same thing as powdered sugar. You can call it either and it means the same thing. So yes this recipe calls for six cups of it, but you’re not going to eat the entire amount yourself…this is enough to cover and fill an entire cake. I actually use less confectioner’s in my buttercream recipes than many others. I like there to be a little more butter to confectioner’s sugar ratio.
Vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste: If you can get vanilla bean paste, do it. It’s so good and adds so much flavor, but if you can’t get it, just use vanilla extract. And yes I know it sounds counter-intuitive to add vanilla to a chocolate recipe, but it’s good…trust me. It just rounds out the flavor.
Cocoa powder: Alright, this is what will give you most of the chocolate taste. Don’t skimp on it.
Melted semi-sweet chocolate: Adding melted semi-sweet chocolate just adds more chocolate flavor and a bit of a different chocolate flavor.
MIXING METHOD FOR THE DOUBLE CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM:
So the mixing method for this buttercream is really straight forward. You’ll just want to cream your butter until it’s smooth first, then add the cocoa and mix well. After that, you can add in the rest of the ingredients.
TIPS & FAQs FOR THIS CAKE:
No. I do think it tastes better if you do, but if you can’t find salted butter in your area, then you can use all unsalted and then just add in a small pinch of salt.
Any kind. You can use a stand mixer or a hand mixer. Either one will work just fine with this recipe.
That way it’ll be cooled down a bit by the time you add it to your buttercream.
No you don’t have too. It does add a little extra chocolate flavor, but you can just make it using the cocoa powder if you want.
You’ll want to try this buttercream on my Chocolate Butter Cake or Easy Double Chocolate Sour Cream Cake. It is amazing, and coming from a vanilla cake person, that is saying something!
Ok, let’s get to the recipe!
Note About Recipe Measurements: I write recipes using volume (cups) measurements because here in the U.S., this is what people are more familiar with and I don’t want anyone to feel intimidated when baking. For metric/weight measurements, click the ‘metric’ button under the ingredients in the recipe card below. The weights are converted by a program, not me, and it’s just a best guess. I can’t guarantee that weighing the ingredients will produce the exact same results, since I test recipes using volume measurements.
Recipe:
Double Chocolate Buttercream
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temp
- 1 cup salted butter, room temp
- 6 cups confectioner’s sugar
- 2 tsps vanilla bean paste or extract
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 4 oz melted semi-sweet chocolate I use a baking bar
- 3 tablespoon milk can add in another tablespoon if needed
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Instructions
- Melt the semi-sweet chocolate and set aside to cool a bit.
- If you're using a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment. If you don't have a paddle attachment, just use your whisk attachment. If you don't have a stand mixer, that's okay. A hand-mixer will work just fine. Cream the butter at medium speed until it's smooth.
- Add in the cocoa powder and beat on low until combined, then on medium until well incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again.
- Add in 3 cups of powdered sugar. Beat on low until combined, then on medium until fully incorporated.
- Add 2 tablespoons of milk plus the last 3 cups of powdered sugar. Beat on low until combined, then on medium until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then mix again. (If it's too thick at this point, add another tablespoon or two of milk and mix.)
- Add vanilla paste, or extract and the cooled down melted chocolate. Beat until well combined.
- Check the texture of your buttercream and if it’s still too thick, add milk only a tablespoon at a time, and mix after each addition.
Notes
Nutrition
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Patti
Your chocolate buttercream recipe looks good. I’ll have to try it. Personally, I prefer chocolate icing on a yellow cake and vanilla icing on a chocolate cake. I love chocolate in all forms, but just don’t really like chocolate icing on chocolate cake. I like the contrast in flavors.
Kara Jane
Oh yes I love that too! Especially the chocolate icing on yellow cake. My mom used to make that for us as kids all the time. Kinda makes me feel like the good ‘ol days 🙂
Sheree Maher
Hi just wondering what type of baking bar or semi sweet chocolate you use
Thanks in advance 🙂
Kara Jane
Hi I just use the Baker’s brand baking bar. I’ve even used semi-sweet chocolate chips, but they don’t seem to melt as well as the baking bar does. Hope this helps!
Bekah M
This buttercream came out amazing!!! LOVE IT! I made it with your butter chocolate cake – which I have yet to try because it’s for a friends birthday. I also used your homemade pan release and it worked amazing. First time I’ve ever had the cakes slide so nicely out of the pan with the sides completely in tact. Thank you so much for all your advice & recipes on here!
Kara Jane
Thank you for your sweet comment and I’m so glad you liked the buttercream! Let me know what you think of the cake when you get to eat it 😉
Rebekah
It was the best chocolate cake I’ve ever had! People were going crazy over how moist & tasty it was. I usually find scratch chocolate cakes to be dry. This was anything but. It was absolutely delicious.
Kara Jane
Oh yay! That’s great! Thanks for letting me know. 🙂
Del
I was wondering if you have ever tried subbing milk chocolate for your semi sweet chocolate? My husband really doesn’t like that dark/fudgey chocolate flavor. He’s a milk chocolate boy. (I am not a fan of chocolate at all, but still trying to get it right) so I have been experimenting of and on, but no luck.
Kara Jane
Hi there! Yes, I’ve actually used milk chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet before and it works well. It does lesson that darker chocolate flavor a bit. Actually, I’m a fan of milk chocolate over semi-sweet as well, so I can completely understand.
Jan
Hey…my husband hates dark chocolate as well…I always use milk chocolate no matter what the recipe calls for and using it here just proves the point…”all chocolate is good chocolate”….as this is devine…you will love it…! This is the best chocolate buttercream recipe out here.
Kara Jane
Thank you Jan for the kind words! 🙂
Stormi Choate
Can double this recipe and make a half sheet cake?
Kara Jane
Doubling this buttercream should be enough to cover a half sheet cake.
Toni
Hi
Is this buttercream pipeable?
Kara Jane
Depending on how thick you make it, it can be pipeable. If you want it thicker, just add more confectioners sugar. If you’re piping roses or flowers, you may want to substitute half the butter with shortening. That makes it a little more stable.
Christal Tiller
Just checking the amounts of butter in this recipe. I cup of salted butter and one cup of unsalted butter. Is this correct??
Kara Jane
Yes that’s correct. I generally use a larger ratio of butter to confectioner’s sugar so that the sweetness isn’t completely overpowering as some American buttercream recipes can be. It also makes plenty of buttercream to cover a two layer, 8 inch cake generously. ?
Christal Tiller
I used the cake recipe and made cupcakes and that frosting!!! Delicious. Took to an event at church. Everyone loved them.
Kara Jane
That’s awesome! So glad everyone liked them! ?
Lisa
6 cups of confectionarer’s sugars sound like alot has anyone tried using a little less?
Kara Jane
It does make a lot of buttercream and six cups is actually less than most recipes use when calling for two cups of butter. You could always make half a batch if you don’t need that much. If you use less confectioner’s sugar though, the buttercream may be too thin…You could lessen it by one cup and see how you like the consistency though.
Jane
I think the metric measurement for powdered sugar is wrong. I think the 1.2 kg would be if it was granulated sugar. I believe 6 cups of powdered sugar weighs 720 grams. Correct?
Kara
Yeah, you’re right. It should be closer to around 750. I have a program that just automates the conversions for me. It probably calculated wrong. I’ll go in there and adjust it. Thanks for bringing that to my attention!
Pat
My my…I have tried a LOT of chocolate frosting recipes and I say you knocked it out of the park. Tossing the rest of my recipes.
Kara Jane
Oh yay!!! This makes me so happy…thank you for letting me know how much you like it! ?
Pat
Can I make this mocha somehiw?
Kara Jane
You could probably add in maybe a tablespoon or so of espresso powder with the confectioner’s sugar and it would give it a mocha taste.
Mireille
Can we use all unsalted butter? Or has to be half half
Kara Jane
Yes, you can use all unsalted butter. I do like the taste of using half and half, but it will still turn out good if you go with all unsalted. You’ll just need to add a small pinch of salt to help cut the sweetness a bit and make the flavor more dynamic.
Roxy Nazir
Hello, can I half the recipe?
Kara Jane
Yes you can do that.
Lucy
Hi. I will try this recipe! I was wandering, what is the best brand of butter to make cakes and buttercream? Thanks! 🙂
Kara
Hi Lucy, So glad you want to try this one. As far as butter goes, I don’t really have a preferred brand. In fact, I almost always use the store brand, it’s less expensive and I have to buy SO much, but it’s seemed to work out fine for me. The advice I have though is to make sure and use ‘real’ butter and not the margarine sticks. Sometimes those margarine sticks will say ‘great for baking’, but they’re not actually real butter. Hope this helps. 🙂