This is the BEST Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting! Silky smooth and creamy, yet thick and sturdy enough for piping on cakes or cupcakes. It’s super easy to make and not too sweet.
I’ve gotten many requests for a chocolate version of my BEST cream cheese frosting recipe, so I’m very happy to share this chocolate cream cheese frosting recipe today.
CHOCOLATE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
My recipe for regular cream cheese frosting uses a good amount of butter and way less powdered sugar than most recipes, which keeps it from going soft and stringy.
To make chocolate cream cheese frosting, I simply added unsweetened cocoa powder and just one more cup of powdered sugar from my original cream cheese frosting recipe. Still less sugar than most other recipes, but perfectly sweet. It’s rich and chocolatey, but still has that tang we all know and love from the cream cheese.
You’ll definitely want to sift your cocoa and powdered sugar for this chocolate cream cheese frosting so there are no obvious clumps. This will also help ensure a smooth, velvety texture.
I recommend these large round sifters that I used in bakeries to make sifting quick and easy. TIP: Sift ingredients onto a piece of parchment paper. Then bring both ends together to create an easy pour spout to empty the contents.
If buttercream is too sweet for you, then give this chocolate cream cheese frosting a try. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised. It goes great on my Chocolate Cupcakes. I’m thinking it would also be really good on my Chocolate Zucchini Cake. Yum!
Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese, cold (brick style, not spreadable tub)
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) salted or unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa (not hot chocolate mix)
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Measure, then sift the cocoa and powdered sugar together. Set aside.
- Place the cream cheese in a large mixing bowl.
- Using an electric hand mixer, beat until smooth.
- Gradually add the butter 2 Tablespoons at a time, and continue beating until smooth and well blended.
- Add the powdered sugar/cocoa mixture and vanilla all at once. Blend until combined and smooth. Use for any recipe that calls for chocolate cream cheese frosting.
Notes
*Will frost about 12-15 cupcakes. Double the recipe for a layered cake.
*Don't beat too long or the frosting will be too soft to pipe. If this happens, place the frosting in the refrigerator or freezer until it firms back up.
*You can store this frosting either at room temperature (which is 70 degrees Fahrenheit) or in the refrigerator. Do not go back and forth storing from one to the other, for food safety reasons. Use your own judgement.
Marilee M Cottrell says
January 30, 2019 at 10:22 PMFirst time making chocolate cream cheese frosting and I’m hooked!! I think I like it better than plain cream cheese frosting! There was more than enough to frost my 9×13 cake, even with what I ate before frosting!! SOOO good!!!
Amber | Dessert Now Dinner Later says
February 1, 2019 at 9:13 AMHaha! Glad you saved some for the cake! I am definitely hooked on the chocolate cream cheese frosting too. It just beats buttercream any day!
Julie says
February 2, 2019 at 7:28 PMMy last round of chocolate buttercream was way too sweet. Definitely trying this soon!
Amber | Dessert Now Dinner Later says
February 4, 2019 at 12:29 PMPrepare to be addicted!
Dani Backus says
March 10, 2019 at 12:17 PMTried this for the first time and it tastes so good. I made mine with special dark chocolate cocoa and my husband cleaned the batter bowl with his fingers! Will make again, thank you so much!
Amber | Dessert Now Dinner Later says
March 11, 2019 at 1:47 PMLove that special dark cocoa! Glad you liked this recipe!
Jani says
April 30, 2019 at 7:35 PMI have made hundreds of frosting over the years, a lot of them were just blah frostings. This is by far the best Chocolate Frosting I have ever made…It was truly light,airy,smooth and fluffy…On top of all these things it was heavenly!
Amber | Dessert Now Dinner Later says
May 1, 2019 at 10:12 AMYay! Glad you liked it! Thanks for sharing your experience Jani!