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!
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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.
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.
Tara's top 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.
Equipment
Use these tools to make this chocolate cream cheese frosting recipe:
Offset spatulas for spreading.
A stand mixer.
A powerful hand mixer.
Deep mixing bowls.
FAQ
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.
Delicious frosting recipes
Homemade frosting is simply the best. Try my Caramel Frosting and other great recipes:
📖 Full Recipe
Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter (1½ sticks, softened)
- 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese (softened)
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa (sifted)
- 1 lb (4 cups) confectioners' sugar
- 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
- 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 Per Serving
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!
Recipe by Tara Teaspoon. Photography by Ty Mecham.
Ruby says
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!
Tara Teaspoon says
Great to hear Ruby! Thanks for commenting. Tara
Mary says
1Never tasted anything so fabulous! Thank you so much