If you think plain cream cheese frosting is the best, wait until you try chocolate cream cheese frosting. It’s silky, undeniably creamy, pipes easily with piping tips, and the flavor is outstanding!
I originally published this recipe in 2018, and I’ve since updated it to include new photos and extra success tips.
This chocolate cream cheese frosting is silky smooth with a rich, balanced chocolate flavor and just the right touch of tang. It’s less sweet than traditional buttercream, so the chocolate truly shines without being overpowering. The texture is ultra-creamy and easy to spread, yet stable enough for layering cakes and piping with your favorite tips. The frosting doesn’t crust over, so every bite stays soft and luscious.
Whether you’re frosting a cake, cupcakes, or brownies, it delivers a flawless finish. We can always appreciate that!
If you think classic cream cheese frosting is the best, this version will completely change your mind. This chocolate cream cheese frosting is, without a doubt, one of the best in the biz. 😉
Here’s Why You’ll Love This Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
- Silky smooth and luxuriously creamy
- Holds its shape beautifully for piping
- Rich flavor, but not overly sweet
- Spreads like a dream
- A lighter, tangier alternative to buttercream
Made with cream cheese, butter, cocoa powder, and confectioners’ sugar, it’s smooth, rich, and perfectly balanced. Unlike traditional buttercream, it isn’t overly sweet. The tang from the cream cheese cuts through the richness and actually enhances the chocolate flavor. The result is a frosting that tastes lighter and pairs beautifully with even the sweetest cakes.
This frosting comes together just like regular cream cheese frosting. Using an electric mixer (either handheld or stand) ensures the ingredients blend into a silky, smooth, and perfectly creamy consistency.
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!
Use Dutch-Process or Natural Cocoa Powder
Because this frosting doesn’t rely on any leavening, you can use either natural or Dutch-process cocoa powder.
In baking, the choice usually matters because natural cocoa is acidic and reacts with baking soda, while Dutch-process cocoa is neutral. However, with today’s frosting, there’s no chemical reaction needed. Use natural cocoa for a slightly sharper, more intense chocolate flavor, or Dutch-process for a smoother, deeper, and more mellow chocolate taste.
Both work beautifully, so you can choose based on your flavor preference or whatever you have on hand.
Read more: Dutch-Process Cocoa vs Natural Cocoa Powder
Yes, but be sure to refrigerate the frosting for at least 30 minutes prior to piping so it holds the piped shape. You can refrigerate it in the bowl, or inside of the piping bag. Some of my favorite piping tips to use for chocolate cream cheese frosting are Wilton 1M, Ateco 849, and Wilton 8B.
Yes, you can freeze this chocolate cream cheese frosting for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or in the refrigerator, and then beat with a mixer on medium speed for a minute or 2 to smooth it out again.
This recipe yields around 4-5 cups of frosting, which is enough for a 3-layer or 2-layer 8- or 9-inch cake, a 9×13-inch sheet cake, or 2 dozen cupcakes.
What Tastes Best with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting?
- Zebra Cake (pictured above)
- 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.
Print
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
This chocolate cream cheese frosting is silky smooth, rich, and perfectly balanced with just a hint of tang. Less sweet than traditional buttercream, it spreads easily, pipes beautifully, and pairs perfectly with cakes, cupcakes, and brownies.
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 or at room temperature then beat the frosting for a minute or 2 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 2 dozen cupcakes, one 9×13-inch sheet cake, or one 2 or 3 layer 8- or 9-inch cake.
Reader Comments and Reviews
I made your banana cake and used this frosting! The banana cake was amazing but this frosting topped it off! My husband is very picky and he couldn’t get enough of this combination.
I made this icing YEARS ago!! It’s the BEST ICING ever!! I do recommend using unsalted butter & only a SLIGHT pinch of salt !! Thank you for updating this recipie!!
Hi Sally, I have 1-8oz Philly cream cheese, can I still follow your recipe? What do I need less of?
Hi Helen, You can just use extra butter to make up for the 4 ounces of cream cheese.
Chocolate cream cheese icing came out perfect! Thank you Sally!!!
Can you use salted butter? Thank you!
Yes you can, Mattie.
Hi Sally! Groceries are so hard to come by right now, and I’m having trouble finding more than one block of cream cheese. How will the texture change if I mix block and spreadable Philadelphia? Any tips on making it work? Thanks so much, hope you’re well!
Hi Chelsea, I recommend using more butter to make up for the missing cream cheese. The spreadable cream cheese in a tub will make your frosting too thin to work with.
Used this recipe with the chocolate cupcake recipe in 2 – 6 inch pans. Raspberry jam + frosting in the middle. Cake is SO moist and frosting not too sweet. Excellent recipes that along with the yellow cake with raspberry filling and buttercream frosting are now my go to for birthdays. Simply delicious. Your directions and tips are informative and spot on. Thanks ever so much!
I made this frosting yesterday and it still has little specks of butter in it. Everything was room temp so I’m not sure why it happened. Also, the taste is a little off to me, my husband said it was more cream cheesy than chocolatey. Is there any way to add more cocoa powder since it’s already made? And is there a way to get the butter chunks more mixed in for a smooth finish? I love all your recipes and instructions!
Hi Megan, it sounds like your butter may simply have needed to be creamed a bit longer. An easy fix for next time! You can also replace some of the cream cheese with more butter next time, for less of a cream cheese taste. You can try adding a bit more cocoa powder at this point but it may be a bit crumbly. You may also want to add a few extra splashes of milk and heavy cream to help it all come together.
Smooth, creamy, absolutely DELICIOUS! Easy to make and everyone loved it. Frosted a homemade red velvet cake with it.
This frosting is Ahhhmazing! It’s easily, honestly, the best chocolate frosting I have ever tasted. I used it on some Dariok chocolate cupcakes and it was smooth as silk! It’s now the only chocolate frosting I’ll be making!
This really is the best chocolate frosting that I’ve ever tasted. It was easy to make and the recipe is perfect. Thanks so much Sally – I’m so glad that I found your blog!
This frosting was amazing. Not to sweet. Very creamy!
Hello,
I was wondering if I can freeze frosted cupcakes with this icing? I’ve tried doing that with regular buttercream and they do ok. I was just wondering if the cream cheese portion will make a difference when freezing? Thanks!
Hi Jasmine, You should be able to freeze this frosting. Thaw in the refrigerator before serving.
I’ve made this frosting twice now and it is absolutely wonderful!! This has quickly become a staple for frosting for birthday cakes in our family. Thank you!
Thank you for this recipe! I simply love this cake. It has a meaning to me like no other cake. I’ve used your recipe every year on Dec. 13th for four years now, I make it for my wedding anniversary, since this was the cake we had for our wedding. Now, every december I look forward to bake it and celebrate another year of marriage with my loving husband and our kids.
Hi Sally,
I want to use this recipe for a 2 layer, 9 inch chocolate cake. Would like to avoid making too much. Can you tell me roughly how much should I reduce the ingredients?
Thank you
Hi Liz, you can try cutting the recipe in half if you don’t want the frosting super thick (or use 2/3 of the recipe if you want to do the math) 🙂 If there is leftover frosting it does freeze well – just thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before using it!
Would this be good with your banana cake recipe?
YES!! So good!!
Just made this yesterday and it was awesome! Had leftover choc cake and frosting so I’m making cake balls…dipped in more chocolate (-:
Great Recipe and this is my Girlfriend favorite cake. Many times we order online from Winni now this time made by my girlfriend. Thanks for sharing this recipe and now this time we save the money.
Hi Sally
I see that this should be enough for a three layer cake – does this mean just frosting the top and sides or will it be enough for the layers inbetween as well?
Hi Tahne– plenty for filling the layer cake too.
I just piped this onto your Death by Chocolate Cupcakes for my partner’s belated birthday. It piped beautifully, but does soften up quickly. It’s pretty warm out today and my hands are very warm, so the last few were especially soft! Lots of extra left since I just did a bit on each cupcake, so now I’ll have to make more cupcakes tomorrow and bring ’em to work! Too bad. 🙂
I can’t wait for desert!
I don’t usually write reviews, but this frosting is AMAZING! Everyone loved it. It’s my go-to now.
How many cupcakes will this frost? I just made your Super Moist Chocolate Cupcakes and it turned out the expected 14 cupcakes. This looks like a good amount of frosting so wondering if this is meant for 2 batches of cupcakes (or a full cake?) Even if it just makes enough for one and a half batches of cupcakes, that may work fine. I’ll just eat the few that don’t get frosted, lol! There are always a couple cupcakes that must get taste tested! This frosting sounds good, and I love cream cheese icing. I’m not usually a frosting person (too sweet, just love plain moist cake) unless it’s cream cheese or the lightly sweet whipped cream variety. I’m not sure if this recipe is easily “halved” for testing purposes- maybe just to frost about half dozen cupcakes? I was looking at your Favorite Cream Cheese Frosting and wondering if I halved that and just added some cocoa powder, how much it would take? I’m thinking maybe half cup? I’m not great with ratios when adjusting recipes for “half batch trial runs”. I’m thinking of making these for some coworkers next week and not sure if may need to make 2 batches of cupcakes and this one batch of frosting . 🙂
Hi Nita! You can use this recipe for the cupcakes– see recipe notes about quantities.
I love how my chocolate frosting turned out…
Hi Sally! I love all of your recipes, and this one seems just perfect to me! What layer cake would be your first choice with this frosting? I’m thinking of making your triple chocolate cake and adding pecans to the frosting, but I’m not sure which cream cheese frosting (chocolate or vanilla) would be best for this. Any ideas on how to perfect such a cake? Would these flavors work with the pecans? Thank you for your wonderful blog!
Hi Kelsey! This chocolate cream cheese frosting is absolutely fantastic with chocolate cake. I use this frosting on my zebra cake, which is a marble cake. Chopped pecans would be a great addition to any chocolate cake!
Sally,
I just made the Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting to top your Super Moist Chocolate Cupcakes. Oh My Goodness! This is hands down the most creamy, smooth, delicious chocolate frosting I have ever tasted! And the cupcakes are the best! These will now be my “go to” favorites. Thank you for sharing your fabulous recipes!
Hi Sally,
I’d like to make this chocolate cream cheese frosting for my son’s birthday cake. Do you think it would go better with the favorite white layer cake or the best vanilla cake?
Thank you for your wonderful recipes!
Either cake would be absolutely delicious with this frosting!! I hope he has a great birthday!
Any idea if this would work with dairy free cream cheese?
Hi Esther! I’m really not sure. I’ve never had luck using nondairy cream cheese in my baking, but I haven’t tried it with frosting. Let me know if you do!
I made it with non dairy cream cheese and margarine, it was delicious on a peanut butter cake for my 2 yr old’s birthday!
Do you mean change the color of the cake batter? I’m sure some colors would work besides red, but due to the cocoa in the batter some of the lighter colors might not. Let me know if you try it!
I’m not typically a huge chocolate fan but the mix of chocolate and cream cheese is perfect. A few weeks ago I baked some of your brownies and topped them with this frosting and took them to my mother’s work. One of her coworkers said they were the best brownies he has ever had.
May I know can I reduce the sugar?
If you reduce the sugar you will have a much thinner frosting. Feel free to add enough until you are satisfied with the consistency.
Will i be able to pipe flowers with that? Based on the proportions of icing sugar to cream cheese, it seems like it might be to soft to pipe anything in fact. Lots of icing sugar is also one of the reasons why cream cheese frosting becomes too loose.
Hi Tetisya! I fins this chocolate cream cheese frosting pipes wonderfully. If you refrigerate it for 30 minutes prior to piping, it holds its shape even better.