If you think plain cream cheese frosting is the best, wait until you try chocolate cream cheese frosting! It’s silky, undeniably creamy, and the flavor is absolutely delicious.
If we think regular cream cheese frosting is the best, we’re definitely backwards. Because this chocolate cream cheese frosting is, in fact, the best in the biz.
- it’s silky smooth
- and pipe-able with your favorite piping tips
- it’s rich and easily spreads
- and creamier than any chocolate frosting you’ve had before
- you’ll want to eat it with a spoon!!
Tip for piping cream cheese frosting: Refrigerate the frosting inside the piping bag for at least 30 minutes prior to piping. Cream cheese frosting holds its shape much better when it’s piped cold.
Unlike most frostings, chocolate cream cheese frosting is not overly sweet. Rather, its sweet and tangy flavors are perfectly balanced and it tastes much better than buttercream on even the sweetest of cakes!
What Tastes Best with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting?
Besides zebra cake, you’ll also love it with:
- Chocolate Zucchini Cake
- Yellow Sheet Cake or Layered Yellow Cake
- Chocolate Caramel Coconut Cupcakes
- Marble Cake
- Chocolate Cake
- Chocolate Cupcakes
- Guinness Chocolate Cake (can swap the heavy cream for reduced Guinness!)
If you’re in the mood for vanilla, here is my plain cream cheese frosting recipe.
Success Tip: Avoid Runny Cream Cheese Frosting
Make sure you’re using a brick of cream cheese, not cream cheese spread. Cream cheese is sold in 8-ounce bricks—and you’ll need 1 and 1/2 bricks of the full-fat stuff. I’ve gotten many questions about cream cheese frosting being too runny and the #1 reason is because bakers have accidentally been using the spread instead of the brick.
There’s a HUGE difference!
Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 4-5 cups
- Category: Frosting
- Method: Beating
- Cuisine: American
Description
Chocolate cream cheese frosting is silky, undeniably creamy, and absolutely delicious.
Ingredients
- 12 ounces (339g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature*
- 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3 and 1/2 cups (420g) confectioners’ sugar
- 2/3 cup (55g) unsweetened natural or dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1–2 Tablespoons milk or heavy cream
- pinch salt
Instructions
- In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese for 1 minute on high speed until completely smooth and creamy. Beat in the butter until combined. Add the confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, 1 Tablespoon milk, and salt and beat on medium-high speed until combined and creamy. Add 1 more Tablespoon of milk to slightly thin out, if desired. Taste, then add another pinch of salt if desired.
- Cover and store leftover frosting for up to 5 days in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer. After freezing, thaw in the refrigerator then beat the frosting for a few seconds so it’s creamy again.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: Cover and store leftover frosting for up to 5 days in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer. After freezing, thaw in the refrigerator then beat the frosting for a few seconds so it’s creamy again.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand)
- Cream Cheese: Make sure you’re using the bricks of cream cheese, not cream cheese spread. They’re typically sold in 8-ounce bricks, so you’ll need 1 and 1/2 bricks for the 12 ounces (339g) in this recipe.
- Tip for Piping Cream Cheese Frosting: Refrigerate the frosting inside the piping bag for at least 30 minutes prior to piping. Cream cheese frosting holds its shape much better when it’s piped cold.
- This recipe is enough to frost 18-24 cupcakes, one 9×13-inch sheet cake, or one 3 layer cake.
Reader Comments and Reviews
This frosting is delicious. I made a half batch and had more than enough to frost a two tier 9” round cake. I did half the cocoa powder as another commenter suggested and was happy with the taste. The cake I made was mediocre at best and this frosting made it so much better. Definitely would make again.
Hi sally, I have plain vanilla cream cheese frosting I just made for a different cake. Can I add cocoa powder or melted chocolate to make it chocolate flavored? I am baking a chocolate cake and would love to reuse the cream cheese frosting.
Hi SS, you can try adding cocoa powder to the already made cream cheese frosting, but you may have trouble getting it to mix in properly/smoothly. It may be best to start fresh with another batch.
Fabulous flavour and no gritty texture love it. Thank you from UK.
This is my new favorite frosting recipe! Usually, I find frosting too sweet, but this frosting definitely wasn’t. I have never actually made a frosting recipe where I have some leftover, but when I made this, I had a lot left even after generously frosting the cake! I loved how much it made. I’m going to save this recipe for the next time I make a cake. Thanks Sally!
I plan on making this with the three-layer vanilla cake but I’ll need to freeze the cake after it’s iced. Will this frosting freeze/defrost well? Thank you!
Hi Millie, Frosted cake or unfrosted cake layers can be frozen up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before decorating/serving. See how to freeze cakes for detailed instructions.
Delicious! The chocolate was just right, and we loved how the cream cheese flavor still came through! It was a little hard to work with when piping though. I chilled it for 30 minutes before piping onto cupcakes, and it was initially hard to work with, but as it warmed up in my hands it then became almost too soft and didn’t hold it’s shape that well. If there are any tips for piping this frosting better, please let me know! I’ll definitely be saving this recipe to make again, and next time I might actually add extra chocolate or try using darker chocolate for a richer chocolate flavor.
Hi Hannah, we’re so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Cream cheese frosting can be tricky sometimes, especially as it gets warm. You can always pop it back into the refrigerator for a few minutes if you find it’s getting too soft. You might also find this piping tips post helpful. Hope this helps for next time!
I think this frosting is delicious and very easy to make. Like another post stated, less cocoa turned out to be a more desirable flavor for our family.
Paired this frosting with your red velvet cake recipe. AMAZING!!
This is a truly amazing frosting and very simple to make. My family found to 2/3 c of cocoa powder a bit too strong so I reduced it a bit and it’s perfect (for us). I’ve made it twice this year and it’s going in the family recipe box!
Would this work well on a Carrot Cake?
Hi Sean, absolutely!
Is this sturdy enough to frost cakes stacked in tiers? Planning 3x 3-layer tiers, using dowels and cake boards or course. Just want to make sure it won’t flatten/squeeze out. I typically use Swiss meringue buttercream, so if you can compare this to an another frosting’s consistency (like SMB or even regular buttercream), that would be super helpful! Thanks!
Hi Samantha, this frosting should hold up well on a tiered cake. It’s not quite as thick as a traditional American buttcream, but a bit more smooth/silky. You can always sub some of the cream cheese with more butter for a slightly thicker frosting, and/or add more confectioners’ sugar. Hope you enjoy it!
Question, can I use this frosting as the filling in your chocolate cream bundt cake recipe?
Hi Sandra, this frosting would not work as a filling baked into a cake, but it would be great on top of a chocolate bundt cake!
Just made this recipe with my 10yr old baker son, for a chocolate cake and it turned out great!
I just made this frosting today and it was delicious, but way too much frosting for a 9 x13 cake. Next time I will halve the recipe.
I’ve made this recipe numerous times & love the flavor but tonight I made it to decorate some cupcakes and even though the cream cheese and butter had been sitting at room temp for at least 6 hours, after I addd the butter and then the pwd sugar, there were little hunks of cream cheese in the frosting. I finally put it in the microwave at 15 second bursts and then whipped it after each 15 seconds. That seemed to do the trick, but why does that happen with the cream cheese? I beat it at high speed for at least 3 minutes before adding the butter. I’m not sure if it will hold its shape if I try to pipe the icing on. I’ll give it a try. I’ve put the frosting in the refrigerator until I decorate the cupcakes. Unfortunately, I’ve had this happen with the cream cheese before when I’ve made cream cheese frosting. should I try softening the cream cheese in the microwave before beating it? Otherwise, I love this recipe.
I put my butter between parchment paper and beat the heck out of it to soften it. I’m sure you can do the same with cream cheese. I forgot to take the butter out tonight and beat it flat. It worked kike a charm. This is my favorite go to frosting recipe.
Hi Sally, I love your chocolate cream cheese frosting! I’m wondering if you have a white chocolate version, or if you know how I can adjust this recipe to make it with white chocolate instead. I’m thinking of replacing the 2/3 cup (55g) unsweetened cocoa powder with GHIRARDELLI White Chocolate Baking Bar—do you know how much I should use instead? Thanks so much!
Hi Jai, we don’t have a recipe for white chocolate cream cheese frosting, but we do have one for white chocolate buttercream frosting. We would recommend using that recipe instead, because replacing cocoa powder with melted white chocolate wouldn’t be a 1:1 swap. Hope this helps!
OMG !!! This is the best, Sally !! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe, smooth, silky and delightful
Can you use melted chocolate with this?
Hi Delta, we haven’t tested it but would start with at least 6 ounces of melted and cooled pure baking chocolate. Not sure if the flavor will be strong enough, but that’s where we would start. We would also add more confectioners’ sugar to make up for the loss of cocoa powder. Hope this is helpful!
Perfect for a chocolate-on-chocolate cake!!!
Hey Sally, have you ever tried lowering the sugar at all in this recipe? Do you think if I cut it back to 2 1/2 cups it would alter the texture too much? Thanks in advance.
Hi Anne, you can try reducing the sugar, but keep in mind that the sugar is what helps thicken the frosting and give it its shape. The frosting will be thinner and more liquidy without as much sugar.
Great recipe! I love the fact that it doesn’t have as much powdered sugar as a lot of cream cheese frosting recipes do. Yet still plenty sweet.
Yummmmm! Fantastic chocolate frosting!! Sooooooo delicious, WoW!
Hi Sally! Thank you so much for this!
Quick question: If I wanted to add a bit of coffee flavor to this frosting for a mocha chocolate cake, how would you recommend doing it?
Hi Danielle, You could try using a small amount of instant espresso granules. Hope it turns out for you!
Can I make this with dairy free cream cheese?? Hubby is lactose intolerant… will it be a runny mess or do-able if I refrigerate it before spreading on the cake?
Hi Carolyn, we haven’t tested this frosting with a dairy-free cream cheese, so we’re unsure of the results. We fear it may be a bit runny, but again, without testing it ourselves, we’re unsure if more confectioners’ sugar and/or refrigerating will help salvage it. Let us know if you do decide to try it.
Forgot to add the stars!
Lovely frosting recipe! I made it for a chocolate cake for a family get together. Very easy to work with and so delicious!
Grata pela partilha.
All I have on hand is Coffee Mate, Almond Milk and buttermilk. Which would work best in this recipe?
I’m using this on your chocolate cake and it smells so yummy!! Just came out of the oven.
Hi Mary, we would go with almond milk, although the frosting may not be as thick and creamy.
WOW!! I wish I could give this recipe more stars. I have baked for many years and this may be the best frosting I’ve ever tasted. Since the cake is for my brother’s birthday, I took a little taste to make sure it was good. I found myself unashamedly licking the whisk attachment to my mixer. I had chocolate all over my face like a little kid. That is the picture that you should post with this wonderful recipe! lol Thanks for another keeper.