Recipes and Cooking Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Be the first to rate & review! If you're chocolate lover, plain vanilla frosting won't cut it, you need this homemade chocolate buttercream frosting recipe for all your cakes, cupcakes, or any dessert with frosting. By BHG Test Kitchen BHG Test Kitchen The Better Homes & Gardens Test Kitchen has been in continuous operation for nearly 100 years, developing and testing practical, reliable recipes that readers can enjoy at home. The Test Kitchen team includes culinary specialists, food stylists, registered and licensed nutritionists, and other experts with Bachelor of Science degrees in food science, food and nutrition, or culinary arts. Together, the team tests more than 2,500 recipes, produces more than 2,500 food images, and creates more than 1,000 food videos each year in the state-of-the-art test kitchen. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Published on May 24, 2021 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Karla Conrad Total Time: 15 mins Servings: 12 Yield: enough to frost tops and sides of two 8- or 9-inch cake layers Jump to Nutrition Facts Ingredients 1 cup butter, softened 1 teaspoon clear vanilla 5 cup powdered sugar, sifted 5 tablespoon heavy cream dash salt ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder Directions In an extra-large bowl beat softened butter with a mixer on medium 1 to 2 minutes or until creamy. Beat in 1 cup powdered sugar. Add 3 Tbsp. heavy cream, 1 tsp. vanilla, and dash salt; beat on low until combined. Gradually beat in cocoa powder and 3 additional cups powdered sugar just until combined. Beat on medium 5 minutes or until fluffy, scraping bowl occasionally. Add 2 Tbsp. heavy cream; beat on high 1 minute more. (This frosts tops and sides of two 8- or 9-inch cake layers.) Makes 4 cups. Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Prepare as directed, except add 3 Tbsp. heavy cream with the vanilla, 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder with the 3 cups powdered sugar, and 2 Tbsp. heavy cream before beating on high 1 minute more. Makes 4 cups. Almond Buttercream Frosting Add 1/4 tsp. almond extract with the vanilla. Top frosted cake with toasted sliced almonds. Citrus Buttercream Frosting Beat in 1 to 2 tsp. lemon, lime, or orange zest with the butter. Top frosted cake with additional zest or quartered citrus slices. Espresso Buttercream Frosting Beat in 1 to 1 1/2 tsp. instant espresso powder or instant coffee crystals with the vanilla. Top frosted cake with chocolate-covered coffee beans. Strawberry Jam Buttercream Frosting Beat 3 Tbsp. strawberry jam (large pieces snipped) into butter before adding powdered sugar. Top frosted cake with fresh strawberries. Peppermint Buttercream Frosting Substitute 1/4 tsp. peppermint extract for the vanilla. If desired, tint pink with red food coloring. Top frosted cake with crushed peppermint candies; press additional candies onto sides of cake. Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting Substitute 1/4 cup peanut butter for 1/4 cup of the butter. Sprinkle cake with chopped peanuts. Rate it Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 206 Calories 8g Fat 34g Carbs Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 12 Calories 206 % Daily Value * Total Fat 8g 10% Saturated Fat 5g 25% Cholesterol 22mg 7% Sodium 86mg 4% Total Carbohydrate 34g 12% Calcium 10.1mg 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.