This easy chocolate buttercream gets its extra-chocolatey flavour from using both melted chocolate and cocoa powder. Perfect for birthday cakes, layer cakes and cupcakes.
Over the weekend I shared my chocolate birthday cake recipe and what chocolate cake is complete without a decent dollop of chocolate buttercream all over it? As soon as the chocolate cake recipe was perfected I got straight to work on creating the buttercream to go with it.
For some strange and unknown reason I decided to leave sorting out the buttercream until I’d got the cake recipe nailed down, which meant baking even more cakes to test each buttercream with (OK I probably could have tasted the buttercreams without the cake and narrowed it down to a few favourites – but where’s the fun in that!).
Spreading my chocolate buttercream over the chocolate sponge – yum!
This chocolate buttercream is delicious in its own right and could go with all sorts of flavours of sponge, but it was designed to perfectly compliment my new chocolate cake. The key feature of this buttercream is that, like the cake, it gets its chocolate-iness from a combination of both cocoa powder and melted chocolate.
- Melt your chocolate first and make sure you cool it down to room temperature before adding it into the buttercream (if it’s warm it’ll melt the butter and you’ll end up with runny icing). If you stir it you should find it cools down to the right temperature in just a few minutes.
- Make sure your butter is soft, don’t try using it straight out of the fridge. I’ve tried it – you get lumpy uneven buttercream.
- Add your icing sugar and cocoa powder a spoon at a time and mix them in on a very low speed – this will (hopefully) stop them flying around your kitchen too much – something icing sugar in particular loves to do in my house!
- I generally find that my buttercream is the right consistency after adding the melted chocolate, but if yours is a little stiff then add a tiny bit of milk (no more than a tsp at a time) and mix it in until you get the right consistency (you’re aiming for it to be soft enough that you could spread it onto a slice of bread without it tearing but not so soft that it drips off the knife before you have a chance to spread it). If your buttercream is a little soft after adding the chocolate then pop it into the fridge and you should find that it firms up a bit.
What You’ll Need
Before you start, make sure you have all of the equipment needed.
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Weighing Scales- Measuring Spoons
- Knife – to cut the butter
- Something to melt the chocolate in – either a bowl in the microwave, small saucepan, or bowl over a small saucepan.
- Electric Mixer (or a bowl and hand mixer or wooden spoon)
- Sieve
- Piping Bags – if you’re planning on piping the cupcakes
- Piping Nozzle – To pipe the cupcakes as shown in the pictures you’ll need a JEM 1B nozzle.
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Chocolate Buttercream
INGREDIENTS
- 250 g unsalted butter - soft at room temperature
- 250 g icing sugar
- 150 g milk chocolate - choose a chocolate from the baking aisle as this won’t go grainy when it’s melted
- 40 g cocoa powder
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
- A little milk
INSTRUCTIONS
- Break the chocolate (150g) into pieces and melt it (either using short bursts in the microwave – stirring regularly, over the lowest possible heat in a saucepan – stirring constantly, or in a bain marie – stirring constantly).
- Once melted remove from the heat and pour into another bowl (this will help it to cool as it needs to be back to room temperature before mixing with the buttercream).
- Beat the butter (250g) until soft then add the vanilla extract (¼ tsp), cocoa powder (40g) and icing sugar (250g) and beat until fully combined (it’s easier to avoid the cocoa powder and sugar flying everywhere if you add it a spoonful at a time).
- Once the chocolate has cooled to room temperature (DO NOT add the chocolate when it’s still warm as it’ll melt the butter and your buttercream will end up too runny) pour it into the buttercream and beat until fully combined. You should find that the buttercream is soft and spreadable. If it is a little stiff then add milk a tsp at a time until it is the right consistency.
- Your buttercream is now ready to use.
NOTES
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
Any nutritional information provided is the estimated nutritional information per serving. Please refer to my guide to Charlotte’s Lively Kitchen nutritional information if you would like to learn more about how this is calculated.
Free From/Suitable For…
- Suitable for Vegetarians
- Egg-Free
- Gluten-Free
- Nut-Free
- Soy-Free
The ingredients for this recipe are easily available free from all these allergens. However, please ensure you double-check allergen information for all ingredients.
Hannah McDonnell says
Hi Charlotte. I am looking for a new chocolate cake recipe to decorate with fondant for my daughters birthday (a saturday). If I make the cakes and buttercream on a thursday, and fit together, with buttercream inbetween the laters and around the outside/edge, will it be best to keep them it in the fridge (as doing two tiers) ok until friday for decorating with the fondant? Should I then do another layer of buttercream around the cakes, do I need to do another buttercream layer before doing fondant? Thank you so much! x
Charlotte Oates says
Hi Hannah,
I usually bake on a Thursday for a Saturday party to give me time to decorate it. Ideally you should pop it into the fridge, but at this time of year when it’s not too hot, it’ll be fine at room temperate (as long as it’s away from the radiator). Personally, I usually do one layer of buttercream (as I’m always impatient to get on with the next step), but I know many professional cake decorators would suggest two.
GG says
I still have not tried your cake or the the butter cream but’ planning to try it for my daughter’s birthday party. I’m wondering if I could use tthis buttercream for frosting? Will it hold the fondant? Thanks
Charlotte Oates says
I use this buttercream under fondant all the time. Due to the addition of the chocolate into the mixture it doesn’t crust like some buttercreams so I’d recommend popping the cake into the fridge for a while to allow it to harden a bit before adding the fondant.
karen says
Is it just 250g of icing sugar you need as this doesn’t seem a lot will it not be too runny thanks
Charlotte Oates says
It’s not I promise. The addition of chocolate helps to firm it up as the chocolate cools and the cocoa powder also adds a little thickness. I tested the recipe with more icing sugar but found it far too sweet. It doesn’t crust as some more traditional buttercreams do, but it’s the perfect consistency for piping.
Antoinette Trainor says
I love baking. And, have been searching for years for a fool proof recipe for a Birthday Cake recipe. Both vanilla & chocolate. Voila …both your cakes are divine to eat, easy to follow every step of the way.i I’ve fondant iced & butter creamed both. Just couldn’t find fault. Thank you. Disaster free at last. Have wasted so much time & heartache in the past. Not to say money. To the faint hearted. Give it a go!!!
Eira says
Made this for my granddaughter’s birthday which is on Saturday. It is now Tuesday. I haven’t made the buttercream yet just the cake. Will it be ok to keep in the fridge or best to leave it out of the fridge in an airtight container? I made a small cupcake also for me to taste! and it was so chocolatey – just yummy. I could eat it on its own without anything on it. I love how you explain your method of making the cake – it’s just like you were talking to me! Better than all my cookery books put together. So thank you.
ps haven’t baked in years! Hubby diabetic!
Charlotte Oates says
Either is fine, as long as it’s stored in an airtight container.
Thanks for your lovely comment about my writing style – that’s made my day 🙂
Stephanie New says
How far in advance can I make the buttercream?
Charlotte Oates says
I usually make it just before using it as it goes all little fudgey as it sets and is tricker to pipe or spread if it’s made in advance.
Frances says
I have made a 30cm double layer choc cake and filled it with the buttercream. I have also put thin layer of buttercream aound the edge. I will put readymade fondant icing over it and decorate. It’s Wednesday and I want it for Saturday. Should I keep it in the fridge? Will the fondant icing be ok in the fridge and does it need covering? Thanks
Charlotte Oates says
I’d keep it in the fridge as the weather is quite warm at the moment. The fondant should be OK but it depends on the fridge a little as some seem to have a higher level of moisture than others which can make fondant go sticky. It’s tricky to say without knowing your fridge and also what else you have stored in there (as some foods help make the fridge moister).
Abigail Humphreys says
Hi Charlotte, I’ve made the chocolate cake with the chocolate buttercream many times now for birthdays and it has always been fantastic so thank you! I was wondering if you could use dark chocolate instead of milk and still get a great result?
Abigail
Charlotte Oates says
You can make it with dark chocolate. I make it with milk chocolate as that’s what I prefer to eat. If you prefer the richer flavour of dark chocolate then simply switch that in.
Abigail Humphreys says
Awesome thank you! Will be baking on Friday for my sons birthday!
Abigail’
Gordon says
How far in advance could you bake and frost a cake in advance. I have a Sunday birthday party.. Either the Wednesday or Friday before are the only days I have any time to bake.
Have used your vanilla sponge with frosting and fondant for the last 3 years which kept well. This time I only want frosting on top.
Charlotte Oates says
I usually bake my cakes on a Friday for a Sunday party (and decorate on Satured). However, the cakes are still good to eat about 4-5 days after the party (if they’re kept stored in an airtight container), so if you needed to make it earlier then it should still be fine.
Nikki says
I tried this recipe but mine turned out really dark looking not nice and light like in the picture, what could I have done wrong?
Charlotte Oates says
It could be the type of chocolate or cocoa powder you used as the colour of the buttercream is driven by those two factors. It could also be how much the buttercream has been beaten as I tend to find it lightens a little the more it is beaten. Finally, it could just be it was very sunny on the day I photographed it!
If you look at my chocolate orange cupcakes you’ll see the buttercream looks much darker. It’s the same recipe with added orange extract and so theoretically the colour should be similar but the way it photographed it looks quite a bit darker.
Nikki says
Thanks for the reply, I’m making it again later so will see how it turns out. I’m sure it will still taste amazing no matter the colour
Annie Smith says
Have not made cake yet but wonder what fondant icing you use. Do you make your own?
Charlotte Oates says
I usually use Tesco own brand fondant icing.
Marianne says
Hi Charlotte
Just wondering I would like to make your choc birthcake cake recipe and this butter cream recipe for my son’s birthday. I am planning to have two layers with buttercream in the middle and on top of cake as well. I also plan to decorate the top with a scene using crashed biscuits for the appearance of soil with choc smarties and some plastic toy figurines. So my questions are will the butter cream be firm enough for the decorations? And can I make and cover cake with buttercream the day before? Store in fridge overnight?
Charlotte Oates says
Due to the chocolate in the buttercream this one is a little softer than a traditional buttercream (with 2:1 icing sugar to butter). It will be OK if you use a thin layer but you may find it too soft to hold the figures with a thicker layer. If you refrigerate the buttercreamed cake before adding the decorations it will be firmer and should hold OK. If you make it the day before then I’d recommend storing it in the fridge. It’ll be fine to eat for a few days stored at room temperature, but as you want it to hold firm, storing it in the fridge would be best.
Lemons says
I’ve just made this buttercream and can I just say thank you, a big fat thank you. I’ve been looking for the perfect chocolate buttercream for a long time and that search is now over. This is hands down the best chocolate buttercream on this planet nay the solar system. Again thank you.
Corina Blum says
Hi Charlotte, I’ve just made your buttercream recipe and it’s so good! I’ve put it on some cupcakes that I’m taking to a playdate after school today. My friend turns 40 tomorrow so I though we needed something the adults and kids could celebrate with. I’m sure it’s going to popular x
Laura says
Such a gorgeously smooth buttercream, I use it all the time. Chocolatey but not overly rich.
Anne Marie says
Fabulous cake!!! Thank you so much for this recipe. Was a bit worried re timing but it took 40 mins and it was just . Butter icing was amazing! Xx
Nikki says
I have made this cake 3 times for different birthday parties and it has been declared fabulous every time! I’m just making a 4th one for my son’s birthday tomorrow. I’m a hopeless baker but this recipe has never failed me, so thank you
I fill it it fresh whipped cream and fresh raspberries and coat the top and sides with the butter icing – it’s a fabulous variation, especially for the summer.
Kate says
Hi Charlotte, I’ve just made your cake and buttercream for my daughter’s 1st birthday cake, tastes delicious so thanks for the recipe! I just wondered whether you can freeze the chocolate buttercream? Sorry if you’ve already answered that before!
Charlotte Oates says
I’ve not tried before, sorry.
Kerry says
Hi,
Im making a chocolate cake and wanted to make this buttercream but I have picked up a bar of milk chocolate flavoured cake topping instead of proper chocolate. Do you think this would still work?
Charlotte Oates says
It depends on the consistency of the cake topping. The chocolate in the buttercream helps it to set, if the cake topping you have is quite runny then it’ll probably make the buttercream too runny too, if it’s quite firm then I suspect it’ll work OK.
Simone Bergeron says
Brilliant milk chocolate buttercream icing. I used Galaxy chocolate and it turned out great.
Thank you