This classic fudgy homemade chocolate cream cheese frosting recipe is rich, smooth, and absolutely perfect for covering chocolate cakes, cupcakes, or eating by the spoonful.
The completely delicious chocolate cream cheese frosting is everything you could ever want in a chocolate dessert.
If you’re looking for an easy frosting recipe that turns out perfectly with just a few basic ingredients, this is definitely the one to try because it is super thick and creamy!
The frosting can quickly be whipped up ahead of time and piped into stiff peaks. And it includes vegan, gluten free, and keto options too.
Also be sure to try this Chocolate Banana Bread
Above, watch the chocolate cream cheese frosting recipe video
Chocolate cream cheese icing ingredients
For the chocolate: this recipe uses regular cocoa powder to get that classic chocolate frosting flavor. If you add the optional 2 ounces of melted chocolate, it becomes even more deliciously dark, rich and chocolatey!
For the sweetener: powdered sugar (or erythritol for keto chocolate frosting) adds sweetness and texture to the icing, so it thickens and forms stiff peaks when whipped.
If you want frosting without powdered sugar, try this Healthy Chocolate Frosting.
The cream cheese: feel free to use your favorite regular cream cheese. For vegan frosting, you can make your own cashew cream cheese. Or use a brand such as Tofutti, Trader Joes, or Kite Hill.
The other ingredients include milk of choice, butter (once again, vegan versions can easily be used for frosting without butter), and pure vanilla extract.
For something completely different, this Chocolate Hummus also makes a great chocolate frosting!
Chocolate Frosting Recipes
Coffee Chocolate Frosting: Whip half a teaspoon of instant coffee into the frosting recipe below. Or use brewed espresso instead of the milk.
Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting: Omit the cocoa powder, decrease the pure vanilla extract to one teaspoon, and only add the milk if needed.
Chocolate Coconut Cream Cheese: Use coconut milk as the milk of choice, and add a handful of shredded coconut and optional one eighth teaspoon of coconut extract.
How to make cream cheese chocolate frosting
Let the cream cheese and butter come to room temperature.
Beat all ingredients with an electric mixer or or stand mixer. It can also technically be mixed by hand, but that version won’t have as much of a whipped and fluffy texture.
If the chocolate frosting is too thick, very slowly add more milk. Or if it’s too thin, beat in more powdered sugar until it reaches your desired thickness.
The recipe does not need to be refrigerated if you’re only leaving it out for a few hours at a party in a cool room or while transporting a frosted chocolate cake to an event.
Due to the perishable ingredients, I recommend covering leftover frosting and storing leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Shown above, on this Keto Cake Recipe
Forget the store bought chocolate frosting, ganache, and buttercream. You’ll want to put this chocolate cream cheese frosting over everything!
Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- optional 2 oz melted chocolate
- 8 oz cream cheese or vegan cream cheese
- 1/4 cup butter or vegan butter
- 1 1/2 – 3 cups powdered sugar, or erythritol for keto
- 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 – 4 tbsp milk of choice
Instructions
- Let cream cheese and butter spread come to room temperature. Beat all ingredients with an electric mixer or stand mixer (or by hand, which won’t be as whipped and fluffy but still works). If too thick, very slowly add more milk of choice. If too thin, add additional powdered sugar. Cover and refrigerate leftover frosting for up to a week.View Nutrition Facts
Video
Notes
Ways to use chocolate frosting
Is it possible to just eat this without any actual cake? Ha, ha, ha!
How can you go wrong with chocolate and cream cheese. Win, win!
We definitely have eaten it straight with a spoon 🙂
Will this recipe make enough for a double layer 8in round cake? Or would we need to double the recipe?
I just made this last night and it made plenty to frost a two-later 8-inch round chococolate cake (Katie’s recipe). Of course, if you want an extremely generous frosting with lots of decorative chocolate frosting flowers piped, for example, you may need to scale this recipe up a bit.
5 stars;)
Good Frosting. Thank you!
Thank you so much for making it 🙂
I’m on a keto diet and made this for a friend who just had a baby. I licked the spatula and it was DELICIOUS! Like… DECADENT! I did have a little trouble with the frosting being a smooth consistency. I think perhaps I didn’t bring my cream cheese to room temperature all the way. There were little lumps throughout. But that was my mistake. Flavor is 1000%! I can’t wait to make the keto chocolate cake and frost it with this later tonight! So indulgent! Thank you!!
I found this happened to me too, and my easy fix was to pop the bowl (I used a glass bowl) into the microwave at lowest power (200 W, in my case) for about 30 seconds. I did this a couple of times until I could see that the frosting visually appeared a bit “softer”, and then when I whipped it up again, it was perfectly glossy, just like in the pictures here 🙂 I hope this helps!
Love the flavor of this frosting!!! I have a question about the Erythritol. The recipe says 1 1/2-3 cups of powdered sugar or erythritol. Is the amount for erythritol the same as the powdered sugar? I put in 1 1/2 cups. It seemed like too much when I was pouring it in, but it tasted delicious!!!
Hi, many people do find erythritol a bit sweeter than sugar. Thank you so much for making it!
Why can’t i get tne receipt for the brownies or any of these receipts
I am new to keto baking. Is swerve confectioners the same as erythritol?
That works!
Made for a birthday cake & it was a hit! Mine was not as chocolatey dark but very yummy cake! The frosting is delicious did add a tad of butter and good enough to eat it from the bowl but still had enough for the cake. Thanks! So hard to find good tasting food without the flour or sugar. 🙂
This vegan chocolate cake is my absolute fave. This time I did try oat flour, I liked it also. When I make this cake I cut it into slices and freeze then. Desert is always near !!!
Just made it…delicious!!!
Hi ! This sounds delicious and since my husband is sticking to keto now want to surprise him on his bday with something yummy was wondering how far in advance can I make this cake ??
Hi! You can treat it like a regular cake and make it one to two days in advance if you wish 🙂
We love this cake but only on the next day. It is our favorite recipe and the only reason why I am not giving it max stars is that it doesn’t taste good at room temperature. It taste good after a whole day in fridge! Also it does have a little heavy aftertaste but considering that on keto it’s hard to get a really good birthday cake – this is our favorite so far!
Do I have to turn the monk fruit sweetener into powdered sugar or use as is? Super excited to make this!
Flavor and consistency turned out great, but it left a peppery burn in my mouth that wasn’t very appealing. Not sure what went wrong. Any idea?
Hi Carrie, this is made with just basic ingredients so it sounds like an issue related to a specific brand you used. What type of sweetener did you use?
I had this issue and used Natvia sweetener (with erythritol). My daughter said it made her throat feel funny.
This made too much for a one layer cake, so Ieft the rest in the fridge for several weeks, having a spoonful when I craved something chocolatey and sweet. Excellent recipe.
I’m so excited to make this. Did you use salted or unsalted butter?