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.
Keywords: chocolate cream cheese frosting
I love this recipe
I am impressed with this recipe and I absolutely love it! I followed all the steps except for the milk (or heavy cream) and it turned out perfect! Thank you!
Wow!!! Awesome
★★★★★
How many cups of icing does this recipe make?
Hi Julie! About 4-5 cups.
Soooo good
★★★★★
I made this recipe with just 2 T of Cocoa (and hence no milk) and used it for the filling of a two layer half-sheet cake made with 2 recipes of Sally’s Red Velvet Cake. This was to serve to a group known to include Red-Velvet-Lovers. I just wanted another whisper of cocoa, and you know cocoa cuts the sweetness of the icing just a bit, which lets flavors come through a better. I was worried this would horrify Red-Velvet traditionalists, but no, the whole thing got rave reviews! Maybe it helped that the visible frosting was white so it looked traditional? Confirmation of that rating was that there was hardly any left though this was a generous amount for 25 people.
Now I’m thinking I might use this to fill and frost a (smaller) Red Velvet cake for my family of chocolate lovers. The cocoa taste of Red Velvet is a too subtle for them — they want to SEE their chocolate.
★★★★★
I made this for a white cake for a friend’s birthday and ate the leftover frosting with a spoon! delicious!
★★★★★
This was AMAZING! The best chocolate cake I have ever had! The only change that I made was to swap out the Guiness in the frosting for heavy cream like in your chocolate cream cheese frosting. It was divine! Thank you
★★★★★
Perfect match for chocolate mayonnaise cake which I bake every year for birthdays! Creamy and delicious
★★★★★
I have been cruising the internet for cakes to make for a wedding anniversary. I made your wedding cake a few years ago and it was delicious. Now I am making a chocolate anniversary cake and thinking about a chocolate cream cheese filling between the layers and maybe a nice thin layer of berry jam and then using a Swiss meringue buttercream on top and sides . I want to freeze it to transport so wondering if you have experience .Ive had lots of success freezing iced cakes in the past but I haven’t used the Swiss meringue or cream cheese icing and frozen.i have read you can freeze Swiss meringue buttercream on a cake and freeze Hope all that makes sense. I found a recipe that looks good for a layered cake. Hoping your experience can help.
Hi Fran, that should be fine! Thaw in the refrigerator before serving. Enjoy!
Just made this, best frosting for chocolate cake. Very delicious! Love it
★★★★★
I love this frosting! It’s really creamy and not too sweet!
★★★★★
Do you think it would be possible to make a Nutella variation of this. LOVE cream cheese icing and so many love my Nutella buttercream. I thought it could be a great variation. Thoughts?
Hi Mel, you could certainly try it! Let us know how it turns out.
Can I use this same recipe but add a bit of cold coffee to make a mocha frosting?
Hi Susan, we haven’t tested that, but you could certainly try it. The added liquid would mean you need to add more dry ingredients, too. You might have better luck with using a small amount of instant espresso granules instead. Hope it turns out for you!
Try cold brew concentrate for mocha! It’s available at a lot of stores including trader joes
Try Instant espresso ! Delish!