15 Minute Black Frosting Recipe

5 from 1 vote

These 15 minute black frosting recipes can be made both with and without food coloring, making this a delicious way to create show stopping desserts.

Prep Time5

Mixing10

Total Time15

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 128kcal

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 black cocoa powder and powdered sugar, 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, salt, and any optional black food coloring. 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.

Using a hand held mixer or standing mixer, cream the butter using a paddle or whisk attachment on medium high until pale yellow, about 4-5 minutes. If necessary, half way through scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue mixing.
Turn off the mixer and add powdered sugar and vanilla. Mix on low for a minute until it incorporates and starts to look crumbly.
Once crumbly, turn up the speed and continue mixing on medium to medium high, about 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy.
gauge the consistency. If the frosting is too thick, you can mix in a few tablespoons of milk or cream, 1/2 tbsp at a time, until it reaches the desired consistency.
Mix in black food coloring. The amount needed will vary depending on your type and brand, but you want it to be at least a medium to dark gray. At this point, you can either leave it to deepen overnight, or heat it up using the heating method.
To heat, either use an immersion blender to blend and smooth out, or transfer the frosting to a microwave safe bowl and heat in the microwave for 10-15 seconds.
Then, let firm up in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes and stir by hand to remix.

Nutrition facts are for cream cheese frosting. You can find the vanilla frosting nutrition in this vanilla frosting post.
Keep ingredients room temperature, such as butter and/or cream cheese so they properly mix and whip up.
If using black food coloring, make the frosting a day in advance. The black color will greatly darken as it sits and you’ll need to use much less.
Be sure to use gel or powdered food coloring to get the darkest black. Liquid food coloring can alter the consistency of the frosting and with not be as dark as gel or powder food dye.
Black food coloring can be added to any chocolate frosting to get a black frosting without having to add nearly as much food coloring.
Check out the section in the blog post about making the frosting for more ways to heat the frosting so it gets a darker shade of black.
These recipes make about 3 cups of frosting and will last about a week in the refrigerator and can be frozen up to two months. Check out the storing and making ahead section for more details.