This post may contain affiliate links.
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting is the swirl that makes everything under it better, silky, fluffy, and deeply chocolatey with a secret scoop of malted milk powder, and the first time I piped it onto cupcakes on a Friday movie night, Maddie and Lizzie were swiping fingerfuls before the sprinkles even landed. It is the chocolate answer to our classic American buttercream frosting.
Ten minutes, one bowl, and six pantry staples are all it takes to frost like a bakery.
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 0 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 10 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 24 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 139kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Deep chocolate with a creamy malt shake finish
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, same one bowl method as our whipped cream cream cheese frosting
Quick Answer
Whip softened salted butter in a stand mixer until smooth, then mix in half the powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons of milk. Add the cocoa powder, another 2 tablespoons of milk, and the malted milk powder, stirring after each addition. Finish with the remaining milk and the vanilla, then whip on medium high for 3 full minutes until the frosting is light, fluffy, and pipeable. It frosts 24 cupcakes or one 9×13 cake.
Jump to:
- Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Quick Look
- Quick Answer
- Why This Recipe Works
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Variations and Substitutions
- How to Make Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Serving Ideas and Suggestions
- Chocolate Buttercream Frosting FAQs
- Other Recommended Frosting and Cake Recipes
- Chocolate Buttercream Frosting (Malted)
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Malted milk powder is the flavor secret. It adds a toasty, creamy depth that reads as old fashioned chocolate malt shake, so the frosting tastes far more complex than a standard cocoa buttercream.
- Salted butter balances the sugar. Four and a half cups of powdered sugar need that salt to keep the frosting from tasting flat and one note sweet, no extra pinch required.
- Milk goes in three separate additions. Adding it gradually lets the sugar and cocoa hydrate evenly, which is how you get silky frosting instead of a grainy or soupy one.
- Cocoa powder means real chocolate punch. Unsweetened cocoa delivers deep flavor without adding melted chocolate that could seize or stiffen the texture as it cools.
- The final 3 minute whip is not optional. That long whip on medium high is what fills the frosting with air, taking it from dense fudge texture to light bakery style swirls.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It tastes like a chocolate malt milkshake in frosting form, no one ever guesses the secret ingredient.
- One bowl and 10 minutes flat, no cooking, no candy thermometer, no fuss.
- It pipes beautifully and holds its swirl, dressing up everything from our funfetti cupcakes to a simple sheet cake.
Key Ingredients
Six pantry staples build the fluffiest chocolate frosting you have ever piped.
- Salted butter: The creamy base, softened to room temperature so it whips smooth with zero lumps.
- Cocoa powder: Unsweetened cocoa brings the deep chocolate flavor without making the frosting stiff.
- Malted milk powder: The secret weapon, it adds that nostalgic malt shop flavor that sets this frosting apart.
- Powdered sugar: Sweetens and structures the frosting so it holds a piped swirl.
- Milk: Added in stages to bring everything to a silky, spreadable consistency.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
This base frosting takes on new personalities with tiny tweaks.
- Skip the malted milk powder for a classic chocolate buttercream, add an extra tablespoon of cocoa to fill the gap.
- Add a half teaspoon of espresso powder with the cocoa for a mocha version that makes chocolate cake taste deeper.
- Use heavy cream instead of milk for an even richer, silkier finish.
- Beat in a quarter cup of crushed malted milk balls at the end for crunch, they are amazing on cupcakes.
- Want a tangier partner for red velvet or spice cakes? Our chocolate cream cheese frosting is the one to grab.
How to Make Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- In the body of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, add the softened butter and whip until completely smooth. Add in half of the powdered sugar and stir to combine.
- Add 2 tablespoons of the milk and stir until the mixture is smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add the cocoa powder and stir it in on low speed so it does not dust your kitchen, mixing until fully combined.
- Add an additional 2 tablespoons of milk and stir to combine, the frosting will loosen into a smooth chocolate cream.
- Add the malted milk powder and stir until it fully disappears into the frosting.
- Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of milk with the vanilla and stir everything together. Turn the speed up to medium high and whip for 3 full minutes until light and fluffy. Use immediately.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Soften the butter properly. It should dent easily when pressed but not look greasy, cold butter makes lumpy frosting and melted butter makes soup.
- Sift the cocoa if it is clumpy. Cocoa powder packs down in the container, a quick sift guarantees a silky finish.
- Add the milk in stages, always. Dumping it all in at once makes the sugar splash and can leave the texture uneven.
- Do not skip the 3 minute whip. Set a timer, the frosting nearly doubles in fluffiness in that final whip.
- Frost completely cooled cakes only. Even slightly warm cake will melt the butter and slide the swirls right off.
- Thicken or thin as needed. A tablespoon of powdered sugar stiffens it for piping, a teaspoon of milk loosens it for spreading.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Pipe it in tall swirls on chocolate cupcakes or spread it thick over a batch of our lemon cupcakes for a chocolate lemon combo that disappears fast.
It is the natural partner for our yellow cake, the classic birthday duo, and it swirls beautifully into the chocolate half of our marble cake.
This recipe frosts 24 cupcakes generously or one 9×13 sheet cake with a little left for the spoon. For a lighter option on fruit forward cakes, our whipped cream cream cheese frosting is the move.
Store leftover frosting in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. Let it come back to room temperature and re whip for 1 minute before using, it pipes like brand new.
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting FAQs
The malted milk powder. It adds a creamy, toasty, malt shop flavor that regular chocolate buttercream does not have, and it deepens the cocoa without making the frosting any sweeter. People can never quite name the secret, they just know this frosting tastes better.
About 3 cups, enough to generously frost 24 cupcakes, one 9×13 sheet cake, or a two layer 8 inch round cake with a modest coat. Double the recipe if you want tall bakery swirls on a layer cake.
Usually the milk went in all at once or the final whip was skipped. Add the milk in three stages so the powdered sugar dissolves evenly, and always finish with the full 3 minute whip on medium high. If it is still grainy, add a teaspoon of milk and whip another minute.
Yes, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week or freeze it for up to 3 months. Bring it fully back to room temperature, then re whip it for a minute or two before frosting so it regains its fluffy piping texture.
Excellent. The 3 minute whip gives it enough structure to hold rosettes, tall swirls, and borders. If your kitchen is warm and the frosting softens, chill it for 10 minutes and give it a quick re whip before piping.
Yes, just leave it out and add one extra tablespoon of cocoa powder for body. You will have a classic chocolate buttercream. That said, malted milk powder is cheap, keeps forever, and is the whole reason this version tastes like a chocolate malt, it is worth grabbing a jar.
Made this Chocolate Buttercream Frosting? Leave a comment and a star rating below, and tell me what you piped it on!
For an autumn twist on your frosting game, my whipped maple frosting is made with real syrup.
For a vanilla cupcake built to hold a big frosting swirl, try my Valentine’s Day cupcakes.
When the cake calls for tangy and warm instead of chocolate, my cinnamon cream cheese frosting answers.
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting (Malted)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup salted butter softened
- 4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 6 tablespoons milk
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup malted milk powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In the body of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, add the butter and whip until smooth.1/2 cup salted butter
- Add in half of the powdered sugar, stir to combine.4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- Add 2 tablespoons of the milk, stir to combine.6 tablespoons milk
- Add the cocoa powder, stir to combine.1/2 cup cocoa powder
- Add an additional 2 tablespoons of milk, stir to combine.
- Add the malt powder, stir to combine.1/2 cup malted milk powder
- Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of milk with the vanilla, stir it in so everything is combined.1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Turn up the speed to medium-high and whip for 3 minutes. Use immediately.
Notes
- Room Temperature Butter: Make sure your butter is at room temperature before starting. This ensures that the frosting mixes smoothly and doesn’t have lumps.
- Scrape the Sides of the Bowl: While mixing, stop occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure all the ingredients are evenly incorporated.
- Adjust Consistency: If your frosting is too thick, add a little bit more milk, one tablespoon at a time, until you reach your desired consistency. If it’s too thin, add more powdered sugar.
- Whip for Lightness: Whip the frosting on medium-high speed for about 3 minutes to make it light and fluffy.
- Use Immediately: For best results, use the frosting right after making it. If you need to store it, bring it back to room temperature and whip it again before using.
- Pipe or Spread: This frosting is perfect for piping onto cupcakes or spreading on a sheet cake. Use a piping bag with your favorite tip for beautiful designs!
Nutrition
Love This Recipe?
Follow @ThisSillyGirlsKitchen on Instagram and @danadevolk on Pinterest for more!
Made this for my husband and his coworkers. All raved about how good this frosting was! Definitely a keeper. I like a generous amount of frosting. This iced brownies I made in a 11-inch long x 7-inch wide x 2-inch deep Pyrex dish (I know, it’s a weird size). If I were using a 9-inch wide x 13-inch long pan, I’d probably make 1 1/2 times this recipe.
These cupcakes look right up my alley! Thanks for linking up with What’s Cookin’ Wednesday!
Oh, how I love anything malt! I really should use it more, it’s so underrated! This looks so delicious 🙂
Dana,
Thank you for sharing these yummy looking cupcakes at my party today.
Blessings,
Linda
YUM…these look amazing. Thanks for posting!
Beautiful pictures. I’m sure these are delicious 🙂
This looks absolutely delicious!
Hi! Stopping by from the Kitchen Fun and Crafty Friday link party. All of your cupcakes look SO good! Thank you for sharing the recipe! Great photos too, by the way.
These look incredibly wonderful.