How to make chocolate buttercream darker

My American buttercream is my most popular recipe, so it’s about time I share the dark chocolate version of it. And let me tell you, this dark chocolate buttercream frosting recipe is just as good, if not better!!

While I feel comfortable swapping in ingredients to make different flavors using this base recipe, I realize that you might want to know the recipe for different flavors.

This frosting starts with my American buttercream recipe as a base, then mixes in the perfect amount of dark cocoa powder and melted dark chocolate to make the best dark chocolate frosting.

This frosting is definitely on the sweet side, but the intensity of the cocoa powder and the richness of the melted chocolate help balance out its flavor.

You could also add the same amount of cocoa powder and melted chocolate to a batch of my Swiss meringue frosting or try my chocolate Russian buttercream to create a less sweet chocolate frosting.

What Can I Frost with this Dark Chocolate Buttercream Frosting?

The sky’s the limit when it comes to using this frosting. Cakes, cupcakes, cookies, macarons, you name it!!

I’ve used it to frost my chocolate layer cake, chocolate cupcakes, chocolate macarons, and even my buttercream cookies!

Dark Chocolate Frosting Troubleshooting

While this recipe is pretty straight forward, sometimes people do run into issues making this dark chocolate frosting. The hardest part is getting the consistency of your buttercream just right.

There are few different factors that influence the consistency of your frosting.

It’s a delicate balance between the temperature of your kitchen, the brand of butter you use, the temperature of your butter, and the amount of heavy cream you use.

The easiest way to see if your frosting is the right consistency is the spatula test! I check the consistency of every batch of frosting I make using this test.

It confirms that your frosting is stiff enough to hold its shape, but spreadable enough for you to easily frost your cake or pipe onto cupcakes. 

To test your frosting, firmly press a rubber spatula into your frosting and pull directly up. Turn the spatula right side up and look at the frosting on the tip.

The frosting should form a somewhat soft peak that has a little curl on the end. It’s stiff enough to hold up that curl, but soft enough to create that little curl.

That little curl is a great visual cue to know that your frosting is just the right consistency.

Unfortunately, I don’t have a picture of this test with my dark chocolate buttercream, but hopefully the picture above using my vanilla buttercream helps you visualize what we’re looking for.

If the frosting is too stiff and sticks straight up, I suggest adding in more heavy cream (1 Tbsp at a time).

If it’s too thin and doesn’t form a little peak at all, try adding a bit more powdered sugar (1/4 cup at a time). You can also chill it in the fridge in 10-minute intervals.

After each adjustment, be sure to retest the frosting with your spatula before making any additional changes.

Paddle Attachment vs. Whisk Attachment

Now that we’ve covered troubleshooting, the last thing to discuss is our equipment.

Either a paddle or whisk attachment can be used to make this frosting with a stand mixer, or you can use a hand mixer.

I like to use my paddle attachment when making frosting for a cake, to minimize the amount of air that is incorporated into the frosting. This makes silky smooth frosting, which is easier to smooth onto cakes.

I use my whisk attachment when making frosting for cupcakes, which I like to be light and fluffy!

I like to incorporate air into frosting for cupcakes, because I usually pipe massive swirls onto each cupcake.

These are just my personal preferences though, and you can use whatever attachment or mixer you have. They’ll all get the job done!

Make this Dark Chocolate Frosting in Advance

This dark chocolate frosting recipe can be made in advance. I highly recommend making it ahead of time if possible.

Not only does it give the frosting time to develop more flavor, it also makes the decoration of a cake or cupcakes less stressful and more fun.

This frosting keeps in the fridge for up to a month or in the freezer for 3 months if stored in an airtight container.

When you’re ready to use the chilled buttercream, remove it from the fridge a few hours in advance (or overnight) and allow it to come to room temperature.

Give it a good stir with a rubber spatula or an electric mixer to get rid of any air bubbles that may have formed. Once the buttercream is smooth again, it’s ready to use!

Substitutions & Swaps: Dark Chocolate Buttercream

Below are some great swaps and substitutions that can be made in this recipe.

• Unsalted Butter – If you only have salted butter on hand you can use it in place of the unsalted butter. Just be sure to omit the salt that this frosting recipe calls for. You can also use vegan butter in its place!
• Dark Cocoa Powder – If you can’t find dark or dutch-processed cocoa powder or don’t have any on hand, you can use black cocoa or regular unsweetened baking cocoa or add additional powdered sugar in its place.
• Heavy Cream – Whole milk or alternative milk (soy, almond, oat) can also be used to make the frosting.
• Dark Chocolate – You can use dark chocolate chips, dark baking chocolate, or good-quality dark chocolate bars to melt and add into the frosting. In addition, you can also use semi-sweet chocolate if that’s what you have on hand.

Tips for Making Best Dark Chocolate Buttercream Frosting:

• Make sure your butter is at room temperature before making your frosting.
• If your powdered sugar contains cornstarch (most brands in the US do) there’s no need to sift you powdered sugar.
• Use heavy cream or heavy whipping cream and not normal milk! You need the higher fat percentage for the frosting to have the right consistency.
• If you are making frosting for a cake, mix the buttercream on the lowest speed at the end of the process for a couple minutes to get out any extra air that might have been incorporated during the mixing process.
• I usually make 1 batch of frosting to fill and frost a seven or eight inch cake.

Let Me Know What You Think

If you try this dark chocolate frosting recipe, I’d love to hear what you think! Please leave a rating below, and a comment to let me know your thoughts.

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