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READY IN 15 mins

Chocolate Cheese Frosting

Read Reviews (169)

"Dark chocolate frosting. The cream cheese cuts the sweetness and gives it a wonderful tangy flavor. Perfect with the Dark Chocolate Cake." — Carol

Ingredients Edit and Save

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Original recipe makes 3 - 1/2 cups Change Servings

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
4 tablespoons milk
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened

2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

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Directions

In a bowl, beat together the cream cheese, 3 tablespoons milk, confectioner's sugar, butter, vanilla, cocoa, and cinnamon to a spreadable consistency. Beat in additional milk if necessary. For a darker frosting add more cocoa or up to 4 ounces melted chocolate. Spread onto cooled cake.

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PREP 15 mins
READY IN 15 mins

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Perfect. Some tips: beat the cream cheese and butter together until light, fluffy and free of lumps. Sift the powdered sugar and cocoa powder together before adding - again, to ensure no lumps or bumps. Finally, I'd suggest not adding ANY milk until the end, and then do so little by little! Particularly if you're going to pipe this frosting, as I did, you won't want to use the full amount! I wanted a pure chocolate frosting so I didn't add the cinnamon and this is exactly what I was looking for. Smooth, richly chocolate, and the cream cheese makes this a not-too-sweet frosting. I used this to frost "Lori's White Bread Cake," also from this site (a little plug for that lonely but exceptional recipe!) and it was like gilding the lily!

—naples34102

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Dec 18, 2011

The taste was both satisfying and intriguing; *chocolate* cream cheese was new to me! I used both the cinnamon as well as 1/2 teaspoon cayenne and only 3 cups sugar as opposed to 4 and only 3 T milk. I whipped the cream cheese, butter and vanilla first, per folks' suggestion. My disappointment came with the texture, which is really just personal preference and not anything the recipe ever promised to be: thick, sticky and a bit too cocoa-powdery, even after 12 hours. I haven't made too many homemade icings in my time so wasn't sure what to expect and had hoped for a little more fluffiness. I think next go I would whip some heavy cream first into soft peaks and try folding it in. The recipe produces plenty -- I had about 3/4-1 cup left after icing a 9*13.

—Taryn

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195 Ratings

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Mar 03, 2004

This is an excellent frosting and I have made it a few times in the last few months before writing this review (wanted to give it a fair shake). I have found that if you eat it the same day you make it, the flavors have not had time to "blend," and the powdered sugar can destinctly be tasted. So, frost and wait a day to allow the cream cheese and sugar to meld together. A lovely, rather expensive-tasting (so be sure the cake deserves it!) frosting.

—Lara

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Nov 11, 2003

YUM! YUM! YUMMY!!! I was tempted to just eat this out of the bowl! Tangy, sweet, and awe-inspiring. I used it to frost the "Deep Dark Chocolate Cake," and the combo was amazing! I did tweak it a bit though: Only 3 cups of powdered sugar (4 seemed like too much), and I ditched the cinnamon completely. It's a good recipe that can be adjusted to suit your personal taste.

—JADEDPLASTIC

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Aug 29, 2002

Very good. I used regular cocoa and less conf. sugar..

—Rebslo

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Feb 07, 2005

Very good recipe, but agree with previous reviewer that it is important to let the frosting set for a bit. I made this recipe with a little added melted semisweet chocolate and slightly less sugar than called for. I tried it about an hour after I made it and hated it - the flavors didn't go well and the sugar stood out. About 5 hours later guests started eating the cake and raving about the frosting. The bowl with the extra frosting was the most popular item in the kitchen. I tried the frosting again and agreed it was actually very good - so make sure that you plan ahead when making this.

—A Cook

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Apr 19, 2006

AMAZING. The texture and consistency of this frosting is incredible! It is dense, thick and creamy which makes it a breeze to frost a cake. The taste is amazing; not too sweet and perfect on a dark chocolate cake. I would recomend using half the required sugar and then tasting it before adding the rest, as i found it to be perfect with only 2 cups sugar. My new favorite!

—TIGURRBABY

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May 12, 2007

Excellent recipe I used for a base. I omitted one cup of sugar and the cinnamon - I then added 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper. I then let it sit overnight and WOW! Throw away the cake and eat this frosting!

—Cookin' Canuck

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Nutrition

Calories
268 kcal
13%

Carbohydrates
42.7 g
14%

Cholesterol
31 mg
10%

Fat
11 g
17%

Fiber
1.2 g
5%

Protein
2.3 g
5%

Sodium
86 mg
3%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Chocolate Cheese Frosting

Serving Size: 1/12 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 12
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 268
Calories from Fat: 99

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 11g 17 %
Saturated Fat 6.9g 34 %
Cholesterol 31mg 10 %
Sodium 86mg 3 %
Potassium 88mg 2 %
Total Carbohydrates 42.7g 14 %
Dietary Fiber 1.2g 5 %
Protein 2.3g 5 %
Sugars 39.6g
Vitamin A 8 %
Vitamin C < 1 %
Calcium 4 %
Iron 7 %
Thiamin < 1 %
Niacin 4 %
Vitamin B6 < 1 %
Magnesium 7 %
Folate 2 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.