This chocolate cream cheese frosting is thick, creamy, silky smooth, and not too sweet. It pipes beautifully onto cupcakes or cakes and is surprisingly easy to make. 
If you prefer a frosting that isn’t overly sweet, this chocolate cream cheese frosting is an ideal buttercream. The cream cheese adds a pleasant tang while keeping the texture rich and silky. It pairs beautifully with vanilla or chocolate cake and works equally well for piping or spreading with a knife.
The texture and flavor are reminiscent of chocolate pudding — smooth, chocolatey, and utterly satisfying.
How to Make Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients you’ll need:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), softened to room temperature
- 8 oz full-fat cream cheese, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder (Dutch-process preferred)
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1–2 tablespoons whipping cream, as needed
Instructions:
- In a large bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 2–4 minutes. The butter should be at room temperature but not melted.
- Add the softened cream cheese and beat until fully combined. Adding the cream cheese after the butter helps prevent the frosting from becoming too thin.
- Mix in the vanilla extract and salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder and powdered sugar to remove any lumps.
- With the mixer on low, gradually add the cocoa and powdered sugar mixture to the butter and cream cheese, about one cup at a time, until incorporated.
- Once combined, increase the mixer speed and whip for about one minute to create a light, smooth texture.
- Taste and adjust: if the frosting is too thin, add powdered sugar 1/4 cup at a time until it thickens. If it’s too thick or very sweet, add 1 tablespoon of whipping cream at a time until you reach the desired consistency.
- The finished frosting should be thick, glossy, and easy to pipe or spread.
Questions About Making this Frosting
How much frosting does this recipe make? This yields about 3 cups of frosting—enough for:
- About 18 cupcakes with generous piping, or roughly 24 if spread with a knife.
- A 9×13-inch cake, covering top and sides, or the top only with a thick layer.
- A three-layer 8-inch cake with a thin crumb coat.
- A two-layer 8- or 9-inch cake.
- For 12 cupcakes you can halve the recipe or keep the full amount and have extras if piping.
Can I use salted butter? Yes. If you use salted butter, omit the added salt in the recipe to avoid an overly salty frosting.
Which cream cheese is best? Use full-fat, brick-style cream cheese. Spreadable or low-fat varieties are too thin and can make the frosting runny or grainy.
My frosting was too thin to pipe—what happened? Common causes are using low-fat or spreadable cream cheese, butter that was too warm, or overmixing. If you beat the mixture too long it can lose structure. Stop mixing once the frosting is thick and glossy.
Should cream cheese frosting be refrigerated? It’s safe at room temperature in an airtight container for a few hours. If your kitchen is warm or you’ll leave it out more than 2–3 hours, refrigerate to be safe.
Can frosting be frozen? Yes. Freeze in an airtight container or freezer bag. Thaw overnight in the fridge and re-whip before using, adding a little powdered sugar or cream if needed to restore consistency.
This frosting is delicious on a variety of cakes and cupcakes, including chocolate cupcakes, vanilla cupcakes, sheet cakes, white cake, and strawberry cake (use the frosting instead of whipped cream).
Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1–2 tablespoons whipping cream, as needed
Instructions
- In a large bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer until fluffy, about 2–3 minutes.
- Beat in the cream cheese until evenly combined. Add the vanilla extract and salt.
- In a separate bowl, sift or whisk together the cocoa powder and powdered sugar to remove lumps.
- With the mixer on low speed, carefully add the cocoa and powdered sugar mixture to the butter mixture until mostly combined.
- Raise the mixer to medium speed and beat until smooth and fully combined.
- If the frosting is too thick or sweet, add 1–2 tablespoons of whipping cream. If it’s too thin, add powdered sugar 1/4 cup at a time until desired thickness is reached.
- Transfer the frosting to a piping bag to decorate (a 1M tip works well), or spread with a flat knife.
Notes
Leftover frosting freezes well in an airtight container. Thaw in the fridge and re-whip before decorating, adjusting with a little powdered sugar or cream if needed.
