Whip up a perfectly creamy Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting in just a few minutes. This is SO good (and happens to be less sweet) and is great frosting for a kid’s birthday cake or cupcakes.
I’ve been trying to master a few classic birthday cake recipes this past year, and this frosting is my favorite to pair with chocolate cake or cupcakes. It’s super easy, just sweet enough, and holds up really well if you want to make it ahead of time.
I love it with my Healthy Chocolate Cake recipe—it’s become our house birthday cake recipe—but it also works with my Easy Vanilla Cupcakes, Vegan Vanilla Cake, and my Strawberry Sheet Cake recipes, too.
You can make this frosting ahead of time for a kids birthday cake and adjust the sweetness as you like.
(You may also like my Graham Cracker Peanut Butter Balls, regular Cream Cheese Frosting, and Yogurt Frosting, too.)
Table of Contents
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Ingredients You Need
To make this chocolate cream cheese frosting recipe, you’ll need to have the following ingredients on hand.
- Cream cheese: Adding cream cheese helps ensure that the frosting is thick enough to hold its shape as a frosting on a cake.
- Unsalted butter: I prefer to use softened unsalted butter in this recipe so I can control the salt level.
- Powdered sugar: You can add powdered sugar, optionally, as a way to sweeten the frosting and to make it a little stiffer. Alternatively, you can add a little bit of honey as the sweetener.
- Cocoa powder: I like using Hershey’s Special Dark or SACO brand unsweetened cocoa powder here for the rich, chocolatey flavor.
- Pure vanilla extract: I usually use pure vanilla extract, but artificial works too if that’s what you have on hand.
TIP: I use a lot less powdered sugar in this recipe than other similar ones (like 2 cups less!) and I find that both the texture and flavor are awesome.
Step-by-Step Process
Here’s a look at how to make this frosting. Scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe.
- Blend up the butter until it’s fluffy.
- Add the rest of the ingredients except the milk or cream and blend.
- Add milk or cream if desired to make a slightly thinner consistency.
- Use or store for later.
TIP: I use a hand-held electric mixer to make this recipe since it’s the easiest way to get the ingredients mixed up in minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can do that and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
I use unsweetened cocoa powder, either SACO or Hershey’s Special Dark.
Best Tips for Success
- Use with my Football Cake, Healthy Vanilla Cupcakes, Easy Chocolate Cupcakes, Healthy Chocolate Cake.
- Be sure that the butter and cream cheese have time to soften at room temperature before you start blending. I usually set them out 2 hours before I plan to start if possible.
- Start with ½ cup powdered sugar and add additional to reach a sweetness you like. (I use 1 cup.)
- Add 1 tablespoon milk or cream at a time at the end of blending to reach your desired consistency.
Related Recipes
I’d love to hear your feedback on this recipe if you try it, so please comment below and leaving a rating!
Easy Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese (softened at room temperature)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (softened at room temperature)
- 1/2-1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I like SACO brand or Hershey's Special Dark)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1-2 tablespoons whole milk or cream
Instructions
- Add the cream cheese to a large bowl and beat with a hand-held electric mixture for about a minute on high speed.
- Add the butter, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, and salt, and beat on low to start, then work up to high speed and beat until thoroughly combined and creamy, about 1 minute.
- Use on cupcakes or a cake. Or store, in an airtight container or in a bowl tightly covered with plastic wrap and placed into the fridge, for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Use with my Football Cake, Healthy Vanilla Cupcakes, Easy Chocolate Cupcakes, Healthy Chocolate Cake.
- Be sure that the butter and cream cheese have time to soften at room temperature before you start blending. I usually set them out 2 hours before I plan to start if possible.
- Start with ½ cup powdered sugar and add additional to reach a sweetness you like. (I use 1 cup.)
- Add 1 tablespoon milk or cream at a time at the end of blending to reach your desired consistency.
- Make ahead and store in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the fridge.
Nutrition
This post was first published Februrary 2021.
YUM! This frosting is SO yummy! The kids and adults at the birthday party seemed to enjoy this with the Healthy Chocolate Cake. And I love that the butter and cream cheese and less sugar slow down the blood sugar spike that often happens with a cake. We will make this recipe again.
Hi I want to try to use this on an ice cream cake. I plan to use your healthy chocolate cake recipe and then wanted to use this for the frosting. Just wanted to make sure that this will freeze well?
Yes!
Should I double this recipe to ice 24 cupcakes? Thanks!
Hi this frosting looks brilliant just what I’m looking for. I’m just wondering if it would work with vegan cream cheese? Thanks so much.
Is it 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract?
Hi, do you know if this works with UK cream cheese? It’s a much softer texture than American cream cheese and easily spreadable from the fridge. Maybe just wouldn’t need the milk?
You could try it without the milk. I’m not familiar with that style, but since we have to let the cream cheese sit at room temp to be very soft, it may actually work similarly?
Hi,
What can I use to substitute the powdered sugar for?
You can leave it out and use 1/4 cup honey if you prefer.
I want to decorate cupcakes ahead of time for a party. Do you know if the shape of the frosting holds up well if it’s put on a few hours before eating? Or would it be better to refrigerate the cupcakes
It should be fine to do it a few hours ahead as long as they don’t sit out in warm weather. Room temperature is fine, or you could pop them into the fridge if that’s an option. Enjoy!
Could this be made to be regular vanilla cream cheese frosting and not chocolate? What adjustments would be needed? Love that it is less sugar!
Yes, you could omit the cocoa powder and make it the same otherwise. It should be fairly similar in the final texture!
Does this frosting go hard/form a crust when refrigerated?
No, not in my experience if it’s covered.