Chocolate Whipped Cream Frosting is as light and fluffy as whipped cream but includes a small amount of cream cheese to stabilize it for spreading and piping.
With just four ingredients and a not-too-sweet flavor, chocolate whipped cream frosting / icing is the perfect frosting for all of your cakes, cupcakes, and snacking cakes. This is a chocolate version of my most popular frosting recipe - Vanilla Whipped Cream Frosting. I received many requests for a chocolate version and today is the day!
How to Make Frosting with Heavy / Whipping Cream
The key to making a frosting with heavy / whipped that will hold its shape is to add something to stabilize it. Fresh whipped cream on its own is very light and fluffy, but when you beat in softened cream cheese it has a sturdy texture that will hold its shape. Here’s how to make it:
- Beat softened cream cheese until smooth. This will make it easy for the heavy cream cheese to combine with the cream.
- Add powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Beat these into the cream cheese until combined. This mixture will be very thick and pasty.
- Slowly add whipped cream. With the mixer running, slowly add in the heavy / whipping cream. You want all of the ingredients to be well combined before you turn up the mixer speed.
- Beat until peaks form. Crank up the speed on the mixer until your frosting is thick and fluffy and holds stiff peaks.
- Adjust as needed. If you over beat the frosting and it is too thick, just add in some more cream and continue beating until your frosting reaches your desired consistency.
The thing about frosting is that you want to adjust the consistency based on how you’ll use it. For a snacking cake like the peanut butter version photographed here, the frosting can be very light and spreadable - it doesn’t need to hold any solid shape. If you’re going to pipe this frosting onto cupcakes, beat it a bit longer until the whipped cream is sturdy and will hold its shape.
More Frosting Recipes and Cakes to Serve with Them
- Peanut Butter Snacking Cake
- Vanilla Whipped Cream Frosting
- (my favorite) Chocolate Cake Recipe
- Easy Vanilla Cake
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Snack Cake
- Nutella Cream Cheese Frosting
FAVORITE TOOLS
- Stand or Hand Mixer
Chocolate Whipped Cream Frosting
Equipment
- Stand or Hand Mixer
Ingredients
- 3 ounces Cream Cheese, softened to room temperature
- ½ cup Powdered Sugar
- 3 Tablespoons Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 1 ½ cup Heavy / Whipping Cream, chilled
Instructions
- Place cream cheese in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on low-medium for 1 minute until the cream cheese is smooth.
- To cream cheese, add powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Turn the mixer on low and then slowly increase speed to medium until the dry ingredients are mixed into the cream cheese (it will be very thick).
- With the mixer running, slowly pour the heavy cream down the side of the bowl. When all of the heavy cream is added, increase speed to medium-high and beat until stiff peaks form. If the frosting is too thick to spread with a spatula, add more cream a bit at a time.
- Refrigerate until ready to use.
Christine Krug
How far in advance can I make this frosting?? Today is Wednesday, the party is Saturday. I was going to ice the cake either tomorrow or Friday. I hope that makes sense.
Thanks
Jess Smith
Today will be fine! You may have to give it a really good stir or use the hand mixer to get it nice and fluffy again before frosting the cake.