Double Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

A creamy, smooth chocolate cream cheese frosting with a double dose of chocolate. This frosting pipes well and tastes delicious.

4.34 from 30 votes

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 2

Total Time: 12

Servings: cups of frosting

Calories: 86kcal

Author: Dahn Boquist

Melt the chopped chocolate (or chocolate chips) in a microwave or a double boiler and set aside to come to room temperature while you mix the rest of the ingredients.
Place the butter and cream cheese in a medium mixing bowl and beat on medium high speed (with an electric mixer) until it is smooth and creamy. About 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla and salt. Stir them in a bit by hand then use the electric mixer to whip it up until it is smooth and creamy. Start on low speed so the dry ingredients don’t fly out of the bowl, then slowly increase the speed. Stop the mixer intermittently to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Pour the melted chocolate into the mixing bowl and beat until it is all blended in and smooth.

The butter and cream cheese should be at room temperature and soft to touch. If you use them while they are still cold you will get a lumpy frosting and the melted chocolate will clump up and it will not blend in smoothly.
Creaming the butter and cream cheese before adding the rest of the ingredients will also ensure you get a smooth frosting.
For best results, you may want to sift the powdered sugar to remove any lumps.
Make sure the melted chocolate has come to room temperature before adding it to the frosting. If it is too warm, it will melt the frosting.
If you're not a fan of dark chocolate, don’t worry, the rest of the ingredients “tone down” the dark chocolate flavor and make it taste like smooth milk chocolate.
You can freeze this frosting for up to 6 months in a well sealed container. I use a re-sealable freezer friendly plastic bag and press the frosting out flat so it stacks well and thaws faster. Let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then let it come to room temperature before using it. Room temperature frosting will spread easier.
If you want thinner frosting, beat in some water or milk a couple of teaspoons at a time until you get the consistency you want.
This recipe makes 3 cups of frosting which is enough to generously cover an 8-inch, double layer cake or a 9-inch double layer cake.