If you're on the hunt for an elevated chocolate frosting recipe, your search ends here! This decadent recipe blends the smooth and deep flavor of chocolate ganache with rich, creamy buttercream to create the ultimate chocolate frosting. Use it to spread on cakes, pipe on cupcakes, fill sandwich cookies, and more!
Say hello to your new favorite chocolate frosting recipe! Chocolate ganache buttercream manages to strike a perfect balance: it's intensely chocolately but not overpowering, with a light and airy mouthfeel. And since it works beautifully for spreading on cakes, piping on cupcakes, filling sandwich cookies, and more, it's about to become your go-to chocolate frosting!
For the ultimate chocolate cake experience, pair this frosting with moist dark chocolate cake or classic chocolate cupcakes. It also pairs beautifully with fluffy vanilla cake.
Why This Recipe Works
This frosting combines the luxurious chocolate flavor of ganache with the buttery richness of buttercream to create a frosting that's the best of both worlds.
I wanted to be sure that this frosting was decadent without feeling over the top, and believe me, it's just right. This chocolate frosting recipe has deep chocolate flavor thanks to both cocoa powder and melted chocolate without feeling too heavy or dense. I simply replaced some of the confectioners' sugar in a classic buttercream frosting with cocoa powder and some slightly cooled chocolate ganache to create this indulgent-yet-balanced chocolate frosting.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
See recipe card at the bottom of this post for full ingredient list and measurements.
Heavy Cream- To create the chocolate ganache, heavy cream will be blended with the chopped chocolate. Choose cream labeled "heavy cream" or "heavy whipping cream" - not merely "whipping cream" - for the right fat content.
Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Bar - A chocolate baking bar (found in the baking aisle at grocery stores) is ideal for creating a creamy chocolate ganache. Avoid using a chocolate candy bar (which contains sweeteners and other ingredients) or chocolate chips (which contain stabilizers), since they won't yield the proper ganache texture. You can substitute semisweet chocolate for a slightly sweeter ganache and frosting.
Unsalted Butter - Be sure the butter is room temperature so that it will be smooth when blended. As always, I prefer to use unsalted butter so that we can control the amount of salt added to the recipe.
Dutch Process Cocoa Powder - Cocoa powder works in conjunction with the ganache to flavor the chocolate frosting. If you prefer, it's okay to substitute natural unsweetened cocoa powder, though this will change the flavor.
Special Equipment
In addition to essential baking equipment (like a spatula), I recommend some special tools for making this recipe.
- Small saucepan, for warming heavy cream
- Stand mixer or electric hand mixer, for mixing frosting
Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions
See recipe card at the bottom of this post for detailed recipe instructions.
Step 1: Heat cream just until it begins to simmer and pour into a bowl with the chopped chocolate. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth and shiny. Set the ganache aside and allow it to cool to room temperature.
Step 2: Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or an electric hand mixer, beat butter, vanilla, and salt until smooth.
Step 3: Add sugar and cocoa powder slowly, mixing until well blended.
Step 4: Add ganache to the frosting and mix until the frosting is light and fluffy.
Allison's Top Tips
Be sure the chocolate is finely chopped, since it will melt more easily this way when the warm cream is added.
To avoid lumps in your frosting, be sure that all of the chocolate in the ganache is melted and smooth and that your butter is room temperature when mixed.
Be sure the ganache is cooled to room temperature (about 75º F) before adding to the buttercream frosting so the ganache doesn't melt the butter in the frosting.
Since this frosting is so rich, I find myself using slightly less when frosting a cake compared to when I use classic buttercream frosting. I typically use 4 cups of frosting to frost a 2 layer 9inch cake, but with this frosting I find 3 cups to be enough. Here's the guide I follow for determining how much frosting I'll need when decorating cakes and cupcakes.
Recipe FAQs
It really comes down to personal preference! Chocolate ganache is less sweet and deeply chocolatey, while buttercream is rich and creamy and helps to keep cakes nice and moist.
With this recipe we get the best of both worlds by combining the two!
Cocoa powder adds a deeper chocolate flavor to frosting compared to melted chocolate, but it can also create a frosting that's dry, so you'll need extra liquid (like milk) to compensate. This recipe uses both melted chocolate and cocoa powder for decadent chocolate flavor and a moist, creamy frosting.
Storage Instructions
Refrigerator: This frosting can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. If you plan to refrigerate the frosting before using to decorate a dessert, let the frosting come to room temperature and briefly re-whip it with a stand mixer or electric hand mixer so that it's soft and fluffy before using.
Cakes or other desserts that have been decorated with chocolate ganache buttercream can be stored on a covered cake plate or stand at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the fridge for up to 4 days.
More Frosting Recipes
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Recipe
Chocolate Ganache Buttercream Frosting
Special Equipment
- Small saucepan
- Stand mixer or electric hand mixer
Ingredients
- ½ cup (114 grams) heavy cream
- 4 ounces (113 grams) bittersweet chocolate baking bar, finely chopped
- 1 ½ cups (339 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon (14 grams) vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon (1.5 grams) fine sea salt
- 2 cups (226 grams) confectioners' sugar
- 1 cup (84 grams) Dutch processed cocoa powder
Instructions
- Make the chocolate ganache. Place finely chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set aside. Add the cream to a small saucepan and heat just until it begins to simmer. Pour the heated cream over the chocolate and let it sit for 2 minutes before stirring with a rubber spatula until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth and shiny. Set the ganache aside and allow it to cool to room temperature (about 30 minutes).½ cup (114 grams) heavy cream, 4 ounces (113 grams) bittersweet chocolate baking bar,
- In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl using an electric hand mixer), beat butter, vanilla, and salt on medium-high speed until smooth.1 ½ cups (339 grams) unsalted butter,, 1 Tablespoon (14 grams) vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon (1.5 grams) fine sea salt
- Add sugar and cocoa powder slowly, beating well on medium speed and scraping the bowl often. Mix until well blended.2 cups (226 grams) confectioners' sugar, 1 cup (84 grams) Dutch processed cocoa powder
- Add ganache to the frosting and mix on medium speed until the frosting is light and fluffy.
Leah Adams says
This was easy to make with good instructions. I used bittersweet chocolate for the ganache, but will use semi-sweet next time as I would like the final product to have a bit more sweetness. If, however, you are looking for a not-too-sweet chocolate frosting, this would definitely be a great choice.
Allison Ferraro says
Thanks for this review, Leah! I'm glad the instructions were useful and appreciate you sharing your opinions on which chocolate to use!
- Allison
Joan Straszewski says
Do you have a cook book that includes your frosting recipes with variations?
Allison Ferraro says
Hi Joan! I do not... is that something you would be interested in? Would it be helpful to have all my best frosting recipes in one place?
- Allison
Aly says
I made this this weekend to go with the moist and fudgy cake (can't say enough good things about that). I went to 4 stores in my area and not a one of them had Dutch processed cocoa. So I had to use regular cocoa (with some trepidation) but it worked out fine and I will use this recipe again. Very good.
Allison Ferraro says
Hi Aly! Glad you liked this recipe even with the cocoa powder substitute. It can absolutely be made with natural unsweetened cocoa powder if Dutch processed cocoa isn't available. I'm finding it harder to find Dutched cocoa in stores and have been ordering it online (I like Rodelle brand and order it from Amazon).
- Allison
Emma K Salvatierra says
Hello dose the heavy whipping cream need to be cooled before adding to the frosting or not
Im trying this recipe tomorrow
Allison Ferraro says
Hi Emma! You'll heat the cream before adding it to the chopped chocolate to create the ganache. Then you'll let the ganache cool to room temperature before adding it to the butter mixture so that it doesn't melt the butter.
- Allison
Rosanna says
It tastes good but not as dark as the picture so I was disappointed. I followed instructions precisely.
Allison Ferraro says
Hi Rosana! Did you use Dutch processed cocoa powder? You can use either Dutch processed or natural unsweetened, but you'll need to use Dutch processed if you want the dark color. If you did and your frosting still turned out lighter than mine, I wonder if the cocoa powder that you used wasn't as dark as the one I did. I used Rodelle brand cocoa powder, though most brands of Dutch processed cocoa powder should give you a good, dark color frosting.
- Allison
Kim Gossett says
I want to try this! I am curious on your thoughts on using black Dutch cocoa powder though. I have it on hand already.
Allison Ferraro says
Hi Kim! I love the earthy chocolate flavor of black cocoa, and thought I haven't tried it in this frosting recipe I expect it would be delicious! If you do give it a try I'd love to hear how it turns out.
- Allison
Allison White says
Well, I love a good chocolate cake! Lol this is exactly what I was looking for! 5 stars all around. You can taste a hint of coffee! But it's a hint and it compliments the sweet! Matilda was one of my favorite movies growing up! Thanks for sharing!
Allison Ferraro says
Hi Allison! I'm so glad you loved this chocolate ganache buttercream frosting with my chocolate cake recipe!
- Allison
Sarah says
Delicious!!!
Sharon says
Hello,
If I want to bake 1 x of the chocolate cake recipe (https://alwayseatdessert.com/chocolate-cake/), Will 1 x serving of this chocolate ganache suffice in frosting the top, around the cake and in between 2 layers of the cake?
Thanks!
Allison Ferraro says
Hi Sharon! Yes, I mentioned this is the recipe notes of the recipe card. Since the frosting is so rich, I find myself using a little bit less. So while I would typically use about 4 cups of frosting to frost a two-layer 9 inch cake, I use just 3 cups (one recipe) of this frosting to frost a two-layer 9 inch cake.
- Allison
Angela Fleming says
Delicious. I halves the recipe and the cake recipe and it was perfect. Thank you
Abbie Wood says
Smooth & delicious.
Wanda Hernandez says
2/20/24
Hello, so glad to find this recipe but what seems alarming is that for the 2X recipe, it calls for 3 cups of butter or 6 sticks of butter. Usually I see 1 cup or 2 sticks of butter to 4 cups of confectioners’ sugar. Why so much butter?
Thank you!
Whernandez
Allison Ferraro says
Hi Wanda! Great question! My classic American buttercream frosting also uses a ratio of 1 cup of butter to 4 cups of confectioners' sugar as you mentioned. This recipe is not a classic American buttercream, however. The cocoa powder in the recipe serves the same purpose as confectioners' sugar while also adding chocolate flavor, so if you consider that there's 3 cups combined of sugar and cocoa powder to 1 1/2 cups of butter, the ratio seems less crazy. Plus the chocolate ganache that's added to the recipe replaces some of the confectioners' sugar. This frosting is more creamy and fudgy than a classic buttercream. Hope that clears it up!
- Allison
Debbie Youngblood says
I only have unsweetened bakers chocolate, will it work or do I need to add more sugar
Allison Ferraro says
Hi Debbie! I do not recommend using unsweetened bakers chocolate for this recipe. The ganache won't be sweet, and adding more sugar will change the texture of the frosting, making it thicker. I recommend using either semisweet or bittersweet chocolate for the ganache in the frosting.
- Allison