Easy Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

Beyond basic buttercream: amp up your frosting game with this Easy Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

Permission granted to lick the spoon AND the bowl when making this delicious Easy Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting! Here, the classic cream cheese frosting is upgraded by the addition of chocolate to make any chocolate lover happy. Classic cream cheese frosting is a cinch to make and so much better than the tub of store-bought frosting. The magic happens with the room temp cream cheese and butter mixed with powdered sugar. Add vanilla and a little milk, and you’re golden. But if you’re a chocoholic, classic cream cheese frosting might be a little bland. With the addition of cocoa powder, you instantly have the perfect frosting for chocolate cake or yellow birthday cake.

What does the perfect chocolate frosting taste like? This Easy Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting is your answer. Smooth, silky texture and a dark chocolate flavor that is perfectly balanced with the subtle flavor of cream cheese so it’s not sickeningly sweet. The butter and cream cheese mean that it is easy to pipe or spread onto whatever cake or cupcake you have, and it stays nice and glossy until time to serve. Since it’s so delicious, you may want to double or triple the recipe, so you have plenty to enjoy!

Cream Cheese: low-fat or regular?

Somewhere in the haze of the early 1990s, when low-fat was king, reduced fat cream cheese became a thing. While it is easy to use as a spread on a bagel or a slightly healthier thickener than regular cream cheese for sauces or base for cheesecake, in frosting you want regular cream cheese. The fat in the regular cream cheese helps with the texture and rich flavor and think about it: you’re probably making this frosting for a special occasion anyway. So ditch the low-fat (sometimes called Neufchatel cheese) and use regular (preferably in the brick) when making this Easy Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting.

Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
8 oz cream cheese softened
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar sifted
1/2 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder sifted

How to Make Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

Step 1: Cream together the softened unsalted butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and free of lumps (about 2-3 minutes).

Easy Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting steps

Step 2: Add the vanilla extract and salt to the creamed mixture. Mix on low speed until evenly distributed.

Step 3: Turn the mixer down to the lowest setting and gradually add the powdered sugar, half a cup at a time, unless you want to experience a sugar snowstorm in your kitchen.

Step 4: Add the sifted cocoa powder to the bowl. Mix on low speed until the cocoa is completely mixed in. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl regularly.

Step 5: Spread or pipe on completely cooled cake or cupcakes.

FAQs & Tips

How to Make Ahead and Store?

Easy Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting is perfect for making ahead, as long as you refrigerate it (because of the butter and cream cheese). Before using it, let it sit on the counter for about 30-45 minutes, stirring once or twice, so that it is softened and smooth. Using this make ahead method, you can make it up to 3 days ahead. If you choose to make it ahead and freeze, it can be frozen for up to 3 months. The day before using, thaw overnight in the fridge and give it a quick stir or whirl in the mixer to make it fluffy again.

What exactly does room temperature butter mean?

Specifically, it means it’s between 60 and 64 degrees. Ok, science, thanks. Practically speaking, it means it’s soft enough to spread but not so mushy it loses its shape or has started to look shiny and semi-melted. Use the finger imprint test – after about 45 minutes out on your counter to soften, gently press your fingertip in the top of the butter stick. If it makes a caved-out imprint, it’s ready. You can do the same test on your cream cheese, although it may not take as long to soften as the butter.

Why are there lumps in my butter/cream cheese mixture?

Usually lumps appear when your butter and cream cheese have not softened enough (see above!). Let your beaten mixture sit for about 15-20 minutes at room temperature. Using a silicone spatula, press the lumps against the bowl to smooth them out.

My frosting is runny, and I need a quick fix!

If your frosting is too runny to pipe or stay put on your cake or cupcakes, simply add in more powdered sugar. Gradually add 1/2 cup of sifted powdered sugar and mix into the completed frosting. Do this in increments of a half cup at a time until the desired consistency is reached.

Or, my frosting is too thick, and I can’t pipe it when it’s like concrete!

If your frosting is too thick, put it back in the mixing bowl. Gradually add about a tablespoon of milk at a time, mixing after each addition. It takes very little to make a difference, so go slow! You’re aiming for a spreadable, smooth texture that can be squeezed through the piping bag easily.

Serving Suggestions

This Easy Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting is versatile: it of course tastes amazing on any standard chocolate sheet or layer cake or cupcake, but it is also fabulous on our Chocolate Chip Cake or Biscoff Cupcakes. The chocolate flavor and tangy cream cheese make for the perfect topping!