Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

This is the only chocolate buttercream frosting recipe you’ll ever need!

As anyone who knows me at all can tell you, I need little to no provocation for making sweets. So when my son received gummy eyeballs and orange striped cupcake liners from Grandma for Halloween, it took me all of two minutes to decide to have a cupcake party in Halloween’s honor.

Did he go for it? Of course he did.

Could I have bought six plain cupcakes at the grocery store and let him slap the eyeballs on them? Sure.

Would it have been a better idea than making two different kinds of cupcakes and three different flavors of frosting for three adults and one four year old? Well I suppose that depends on what your definition of “better” is. For me, it was totally better trying a bite from every frosting/cupcake option and watching Wyatt mix all three buttercreams (vanilla, chocolate, and orange) together to make a “witch’s brew”.

Anyway, this chocolate buttercream is delicious and insanely easy. You don’t even have to plan ahead by softening the butter! It’s just a matter of melting a couple things together then using your mixer for a couple minutes. Its flavor will directly reflect the chocolate chips that you decide to use. I used semi-sweet chips for the Halloween cupcakes and it was great. I’m sure that milk chocolate would make a wonderful frosting as well, just expect it to be sweeter. Of course if you really wanna go to town try using some expensive chips or chunks… chocolate really is one of those items that you get what you pay for.

I promise if you try it once, you’ll make it over and over again!

Chocolate Buttercream Recipe

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Ingredients

• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 12oz chocolate chips (one bag)
• 8oz sour cream
• 4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

Step 1

In a microwave safe bowl, melt the stick of butter.

Step 2

Stir in the bag of chocolate chips until thoroughly coated in the melted butter. Heat another 30 seconds in the microwave, then remove the bowl and stir again.

Step 3

You want the chips to completely melt into the butter and become luscious, shiny, and smooth. It may be necessary to heat everything another 30 seconds to get the desired results.

Step 4

Scrap the melted chocolate mixture into the bowl of your mixer and allow to cool for a few minutes (2-3) before adding in the sour cream. Mix on medium speed with the paddle attachment for around 2 minutes, or until the sour cream is thoroughly incorporated into the chocolate.

Step 5

Mix in about half of the sugar on the lowest speed until just combined. Add the rest of the sugar and mix in on low again until just mixed.

Step 6

Scrape down the paddle and sides of the bowl and pour in the vanilla. Turn the mixer on high and allow to mix, fluff, and expand for three minutes.

Step 7

You're left with a rich and delicious chocolate frosting that works for everything!

Step 8

Obviously we were having a Halloween cupcake party.

Step 9

As you can see, we piped the chocolate buttercream onto chocolate cupcakes and vanilla Halloween funfetti cupcakes...

Step 10

and topped them with fun decorations.

Step 11

Don't just save this chocolate buttercream recipe for Halloween... once you taste it you'll want it all the time!