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    TaraTeaspoon » Recipes » Frosting, Icing, and Toppings

    Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

    Published: Oct 14, 2019 · Updated: Oct 6, 2022 by Tara Teaspoon · This page contains affiliate and sponsored links. See my full disclosure

    Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe
    Close up of Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting on square chocolate cake
    Easy Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

    This post has been updated from the original with new tips and delicious information. 


    A homemade chocolate frosting recipe with a silky, smooth chocolate taste. This Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting recipe is easy to make, but hard to beat!


    If you like cream cheese frosting (and let's be honest, we all do!), you will love this chocolate version. It works perfectly on sheet cake and cupcakes, even right out of the spoon. 

    Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting on square chocolate cake in white ceramic pan
    Jump to:
    • Delicious chocolate cream cheese frosting
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    Delicious chocolate cream cheese frosting

    Raise your hand if you like cream cheese frosting!

    (Please tell me I'm not the only one with both hands raised)

    This is the chocolate, luscious, delicious, elegant, perfect version of cream cheese frosting. I get the best of both worlds with this bakery style frosting. It's rich, has great flavor, and looks beautiful swirled on a cake. 

    Cream cheese makes a basic chocolate frosting even better by adding mouth-feel. That's the sensation you FEEL in your mouth when you eat something delicious. Cream cheese creates a velvety texture in frosting so it lingers on your tastebuds just a second longer. 

    Similar to my simple cream cheese frosting, this one is easy to make and goes with a lot of different things. 

    What frosting goes best with chocolate cake?

    This chocolate version of cream cheese frosting goes splendidly with chocolate cake!

    It's a not too sweet chocolate frosting that pairs with yellow cake, chocolate cake and red velvet cake (that red cake that is just a vehicle for cream cheese frosting). Oh and cupcakes.

    Also, excellent on graham crackers, and your finger.

    Close up of Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting on square chocolate cake

    Use these tools to make this chocolate cream cheese frosting recipe: 

    • A stand mixer. 
    • A powerful hand mixer.
    • Deep mixing bowls. 
    • Offset spatulas for spreading. 

    Pro tip: 

    It's important to use cream cheese that has been softened. When making frosting with cream cheese, if it is cold, you have a higher chance of ending up with un-mixed lumps of it in your mixture. 

    Softened cream cheese mixes well with the butter to cream a uniform base for this chocolate cream cheese frosting recipe. 

    To soften cream cheese, let it sit at room temperature for several hours. Alternately you can unwrap it from the foil and put it on a microwave safe plate. Heat in 10 second increments until just soft, but not melting or warm. 

    Homemade frosting is the best. Try my other great recipes: 

    Delicious Fluffy Chocolate Frosting. 

    The very best Vanilla Buttercream Frosting. 

    My Whipped Peanut Butter Frosting. 

    And learn how to make Caramel Frosting. 

    📖 Recipe

    Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting on square chocolate cake in white ceramic pan

    Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

    Tara Teaspoon
    A homemade chocolate frosting recipe with a silky, smooth chocolate taste. This Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting recipe is easy to make, but hard to beat!
    4.84 from 6 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Work Time 10 minutes mins
    Total Time 10 minutes mins
    Course Dessert
    Servings 3 Cups

    Ingredients
      

    • ¾ cup unsalted butter (1½ sticks, softened)
    • 1 pkg cream cheese (8 oz) (softened)
    • ½ cup unsweetened cocoa (sifted)
    • 1 lb confectioners' sugar (4 cups)
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 3 to 4 tablespoon milk

    Instructions
     

    • In a mixing bowl, beat butter and cream cheese together until creamy and lightened in texture, about 2 min. Stir in cocoa. Add sugar, 1 cup at a time, mixing well. Beat in vanilla extract and enough milk to get the consistency you desire. Stir until smooth.
    • Can be refrigerated up to one week; bring to room temperature and stir before using.

    Notes

    The nutrition facts are for 1 cup of frosting.
    This frosting is going to be your favorite!  Delicious spread on almost anything!
     
     
    • TRY MY OTHER FROSTING RECIPES: 
    • Fluffy Vanilla Frosting for cake, cupcakes and cookies. 
    • Caramel Frosting for cupcakes and spice cake.
    • Classic Cream Cheese Frosting perfect for cake or cookies.
    • The ultimate Milk Chocolate Frosting.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 1289kcalCarbohydrates: 162gProtein: 7gFat: 73gSaturated Fat: 44gCholesterol: 204mgSodium: 254mgPotassium: 336mgFiber: 4gSugar: 150gVitamin A: 2430IUCalcium: 106mgIron: 2.4mg
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    Tara in kitchen making salad

    Tara Teaspoon

    I’ve been in food publishing for over 25 years, creating recipes & food-styling for magazines, books, television, food brands, & advertising. With two cookbooks under my belt and thousands of my recipes at your fingertips, I hope you'll be inspired to spend more time in the kitchen!

    More about Tara

    Recipe by Tara Teaspoon. Photography by Ty Mecham.

    Comments

      4.84 from 6 votes (5 ratings without comment)

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    1. Mary says

      February 24, 2020 at 11:14 pm

      1Never tasted anything so fabulous! Thank you so much

      Reply
    2. Ruby says

      April 27, 2020 at 1:04 am

      I just made this and WOW is it fluffy!! I love the rich, yet subtle, chocolate flavor. This just became my new go-to chocolate frosting recipe!

      Reply
      • Tara Teaspoon says

        April 30, 2020 at 1:54 pm

        Great to hear Ruby! Thanks for commenting. Tara

        Reply

    Hi, I'm Tara Teaspoon!

    I’ve been sharing my original ideas for years. What began as a passion, turned into a publishing career as Food Editor at Martha Stewart Living and Ladies’ Home Journal magazines.

    Now I write cookbooks, and share delicious recipes and expert cooking tips with you here! Thanks for stopping by Tara Teaspoon!

    More about me →

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