This easy chocolate cream cheese frosting uses only 6 ingredients and has 10 minute prep time, so whip up a batch of this delicious pipeable frosting for your cakes and cupcakes today!
Doesn’t this frosting look decadent? It’s chocolate, silky smooth, with just the right amount of sweetness and the perfect piping consistency.
It’s such a great topping for your favorite chocolate cake, carrot cake, or red velvet cake or cupcakes.
Plus, it only uses 6 ingredients, and similar to my basic cream cheese frosting recipe, you can whip up a batch in 10 minutes. What’s not to love?!
Ingredients
- Unsalted Butter: if using salted butter, omit added salt or decrease to just a pinch
- Full-Fat Block Cream Cheese: be sure to use block cream and full fat cheese like this. Do not use low-fat or cream cheese in a plastic container, it containers a higher water content which can make the frosting watery.
- Salt: Omit if using salted butter
How to make
Step 1: Sift Powdered Sugar and Cocoa Powder
In a large bowl, sift together the powdered sugar and unsweetened cocoa powder to make sure there are no lumps and you have a smooth and creamy frosting. Once sifted, set aside.
Step 2: Whip butter and cream cheese
Using a hand held mixer or standing mixer with a whisk attachment (not a beater attachment), mix butter and full-fat brick cream cheese for a few minutes until they are completely combined.
Make sure both the butter and cream cheese are room temperature or else they wont mix together and you could end up with unmixed lumps of butter or cream cheese.
Step 3: Add Sugar Chocolate Mixture
Slowly add the powdered sugar mixture about 1 cup at a time, mixing fully until adding more. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure all the sugar has been incorporated.
Step 4: Add vanilla and salt
Add in the vanilla and salt and remix until it is incorporated. Once it’s mixed, it’s ready to spread or pipe on your favorite dessert.
Tips and Troubleshooting
- You can use salted butter, just omit the added salt or only add a pinch.
- Make sure both the butter and cream cheese are room temperature so they will combine properly and you don’t have any unmixed butter or cream cheese pieces.
- Use full-fat block cream cheese. Low fat cream cheese or cream cheese in a plastic container can turn the cream cheese frosting runny due to the increased water content. You can read more about why and how to prevent it in this classic Cream Cheese Frosting recipe.
- If using a standing mixer, be sure to use a whisk attachment and not the beater attachment. The beater attachment can lead to runny frosting.
- Still have issues with runny or lumpy frosting? Check out this frosting post on why this happens and how to prevent it.
- You can easily turn this into a black frosting as shown in this 15 minute black frosting.
Piping Cream Cheese Frosting
If piping the frosting, it helps to pipe it chilled! By placing the prepared frosting in the fridge for 20-30 minutes before piping, you’ll get perfectly pipeable cream cheese frosting, every time!
Make ahead and Storing Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
This frosting can be make 3-5 days ahead of time and stored in an air tight container in the fridge, or frozen for up to two months.
When ready to use, defrost in the fridge and then remix briefly until creamy. Once cakes or cupcakes are frosted, they can sit out up to 6-8 hours at room temperature. Any longer, or if it is particularly warm out, keep refrigerated until ready to use and let come to room temperature before serving.
LOOKING FOR MORE Chocolate FROSTING RECIPES? CHECK THESE OUT!
- Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- Whipped Chocolate Ganache Frosting
- Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
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Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
Equipment
- Standing or Hand Held Mixer
- Sifter
INGREDIENTS
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature, see notes for salted butter
- 8 oz block full-fat cream cheese room temperature
- 2.5 cups powdered sugar up to 3 cups for firmer frosting
- 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ tsp salt omit if using salted butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Sift together powdered sugar and unsweetened cocoa powder. Set aside.
- Using a hand held mixer with a large bowl, or a whisk attachment in a standing mixer, beat butter and cream cheese until thoroughly combined, about 2-3 minutes, scraping down sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Slowly add chocolate sugar mixture, about ½ -1 cup at a time and mix on medium low, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary.
- Add vanilla and salt and remix until combined. If piping, chill for 20 minutes in the fridge to get the perfect piping consistency. Otherwise, it’s ready to use on your favorite dessert.
Notes
- You can use salted butter, just omit the added salt or only add a pinch.
- Make sure both the butter and cream cheese are room temperature so they will combine properly and you don’t have any unmixed butter or cream cheese pieces.
- Use full-fat block cream cheese. Low fat cream cheese or cream cheese in a plastic container can turn the cream cheese frosting runny due to the increased water content. You can read more about why and how to prevent it in this classic Cream Cheese Frosting recipe.
- If using a standing mixer, be sure to use a whisk attachment and not the beater attachment. The beater attachment can lead to runny frosting.
- Still have issues with runny or lumpy frosting? Check out this post on why this happens and how to prevent it.
- This recipe makes 2.5-3 cups of frosting, which is enough for 18-24 cupcakes or a 9x13 inch sheet cake. It can easily be halved or doubled.
- It will keep in the fridge for 3-5 days or in the freezer for 2 months.
Carol Cox says
This is wonderful. I used mascarpone and less sugar 2 cups.
It is for brownies and this may become my favorite icing.
Hind says
I really like it so delicious 😋….i will definitely do it agin..easy.
Thank you for this recipe.
Sophia says
so glad you like it!!
Alexis says
Seriously, what is better than chocolate and cream cheese together? This recipe is amazing and so simple to make.
Natalie says
Beautiful chocolate frosting. Looks buttery and delicious. I’m going to bake cupcakes tonight and use your frosting recipe to decorate. Can’t wait.
Ramona says
Wow, this looks like the most perfect chocolate frosting I have ever seen! It looks so smooth and delicious. Thank you for sharing this recipe, I cant wait to make this!
Kacie Morgan says
This is my favourite kind of cake frosting or icing! It reminds me of my childhood birthday cakes. I’ve actually never made it myself; I don’t bake much but I’ll have to treat myself sometime.
Leslie Sawmiller says
You can’t go wrong with chocolate and cream cheese! This is the perfect icing recipe!
Jacqueline Debono says
This chocolate cream cheese frosting looks perfect. Thanks for the tip about not using cream cheese from a plastic container. That’s what I would have probably bought.
Stine Mari says
Such a smooth and delicious chocolate cream cheese frosting! I must remember to sift more often, because it really does make a difference.
Jere Cassidy says
I have never made chocolate cream cheese frosting, not sure why, but now I am adding this recipe to my cake making.