Chocolate Whipped Cream Frosting
This airy chocolate whipped cream frosting is whisper-light yet very stable. Great as a filling or topping too, you can even pipe it!
My whipped cream frosting recipe has been hugely popular, and I’ve gotten a lot of questions about how to make a chocolate version. So today, I’m sharing a dedicated post to chocolate whipped cream frosting, as a definitive answer!
This recipe whips up every bit as light, airy, and just sweet enough, but with the addition of chocolate. Just like the original, it’s more stable so you can make it ahead without worrying about it slumping or weeping. And it’s easy as can be!
Since we can never get enough frosting recipes, you may also want to check out my royal icing, chocolate glaze, and marshmallow frosting too.
But first, read on to learn all about the best, easiest, and most foolproof way to make chocolate whipped cream!
Table of Contents
- What is chocolate whipped cream frosting?
- Why this is the best chocolate whipped cream recipe
- What does it taste like?
- Ingredients
- Special equipment
- How to make chocolate whipped cream
- How to serve
- Expert tips
- Frequently asked questions
- A few more of my favorite chocolate frosting recipes
What is chocolate whipped cream frosting?
I’m always surprised to learn that so many people don’t realize that “whip cream” is actually cream that’s been whipped. More than once I’ve been whisking up a bowl only to have someone ask what I’m doing, and when I tell them, they’re like “Ohhhhh!” Lol!
I think we all know and love what whipped cream is, am I right? It’s airy and light and just a little sweet while also being creamy and rich.
This is the same idea, it just has some cocoa added in to give it a chocolate-y flavor.
Why this is the best chocolate whipped cream recipe
- Tastes amazing: It’s everything you love about whipped cream, plus chocolate!
- Few ingredients: You’ll only need a handful of pantry staples to make it.
- Easy to make: It comes together in about 15 minutes and the mixer does most of the work.
- Versatile: You can use this as a frosting, a filling, a topping, or just indulge in it by the spoonful!
What does it taste like?
This chocolate whipped cream tastes just like the whipped cream you already know and love, but with a rich, chocolate-y flavor.
Ingredients
Sugar: Powdered sugar melts really easily into the other ingredients, for a satin-smooth consistency. It doesn’t have any other effect on the recipe other than to sweeten it, so you can add more or less according to your personal taste.
Cocoa: Unsweetened cocoa powder provides the chocolate flavor. It doesn’t matter if you use regular cocoa or Dutch-processed cocoa powder. I like regular because to me it tastes more authentically of chocolate, while Dutched cocoa has that almost hazelnutty flavor like an Oreo.
Cream cheese: Use full-fat cream cheese in block form, if possible. This is the thickest kind out there. It has less water and air added to it than the spreadable kinds of cream cheese that come in a tub. This is important because it’s this ingredient that helps the chocolate whipped cream to be stable enough to last for a longer period of time. Don’t worry, the final result won’t be overly tangy or cream cheese-y. There’s so much cream it overpowers any of that.
Vanilla: Compliments the chocolate and adds a sweet perfume.
Cream: This is the main ingredient! Make sure you are using heavy whipping cream. Light cream won’t work, and neither will half and half. You need that high fat content for things to whip up nice and stiff. If you live outside the US, this product may go by the name “double cream.”
Special equipment
- Measuring cups and spoons: Follow my guide on how to measure ingredients.
- Bowl: You’ll need a large mixing bowl; this makes a lot.
- Mixer: A stand mixer or a handheld electric mixer fitted with the whip attachment makes easy work of this recipe.
- Silicone spatula: For scraping down the sides of the bowl and making sure all the ingredients get fully incorporated.
How to make chocolate whipped cream
This easy recipe comes together in 4 simple steps.
Step 1: Combine the dry ingredients
Powdered sugar and cocoa go into the bowl first.
Give them a quick stir to get them combined.
Step 2: Add cream cheese and vanilla
Next, add the cream cheese and vanilla extract.
Work these ingredients together until they’re nice and smooth.
Step 3: Drizzle in cream
Now start adding in the cream, a little at a time.
Keep the mixer at a relatively low speed, and stop often to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl. This will incorporate any thick cream cheese that’s clinging there, and make sure it gets blended in smoothly so there are no lumps.
Once all the cream has gone in you’ll have a runny mixture that looks like this.
Step 4: Whip
Gradually increase the mixer speed until you’re up to medium-high, and allow the frosting to whip until it doubles in volume and looks very thick. You should see deep tracks from the mixer. It should be able to hold stiff peaks.
Stop whipping as soon as you reach this stage. You’re done!
How to serve
Use this chocolate whipped cream as a frosting for cakes and cupcakes, or as a topping for just about any dessert. You can also use it as a filling, like I did here with my yule log cake.
You could even serve this alone, it’s very much like a mousse.
Expert tips
Use cold ingredients: Everything will whip up much faster and stiffer if the cream cheese and cream are cold. Take them straight from the fridge to the mixing bowl.
Use block cream cheese: It’s thicker and therefore it will make your chocolate whipped cream frosting more stable.
Scrape, scrape, scrape: Taking the extra time to make sure no cream cheese is clinging to the sides or bottom of the bowl will ensure a lump-free result.
Keep chilled: The colder you keep it, the longer it will last without losing its volume.
Frequently asked questions
You could, but the result won’t be as stable.
Cream cheese makes this topping thicker, so it holds its shape better without deflating or weeping.
To me, the taste is barely perceptible. But if you’re really sensitive to it, you could try swapping it out for mascarpone. This Italian-style cream cheese has a milder flavor, but it may not be quite as thick.
It can, if you have strong arms!
This frosting doesn’t crust and harden in the same way as American buttercream, but it will form somewhat of a skin, similar to what you’d get on top of homemade pudding.
If you whip this for too long, the friction could cause it to warm up and go liquid again. The cream cheese shouldn’t be overwhipped.
As soon as you see deep tracks in it from the mixer, and it can hold a stiff peak, shut off the mixer and either use it or put it in the fridge.
This topping will last for at least 24 hours in the fridge.
If it starts to deflate or separate, you can usually bring it back by re-whipping it.
If it’s on a cake, that shouldn’t be much of a worry because any liquid that comes out of it is just absorbed by the cake. What’s left is still very stiff and should hold its shape well.
You can leave it out for a few hours on a buffet line or whatever, but it’s best if its kept cold as much as possible.
I have not yet tried freezing it so I’m not sure if that would work or not, but I’m going to give it a try and report back. So stay tuned!
Because it can be used in so many different ways it was hard for me to narrow down an exact serving size. If you use it on cupcakes that would be 24 servings, but if it’s on a sheet cake it would probably be more like 12.
So the nutritional info in the recipe card below is for the whole batch. You can work it out with a calculator by how many servings you’re dividing it into.
Also, be aware that there’s plenty in the batch for a big cake! There are specifics in the notes section of the recipe card.
A few more of my favorite chocolate frosting recipes
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Chocolate Whipped Cream Frosting
Ingredients
- 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup (21.5 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 8 ounces (226.8 g) cream cheese, cold
- 1 teaspoon (4 g) vanilla extract
- 2 3/4 cups (654.5 g) heavy whipping cream, cold
Instructions
- Place the powdered sugar and cocoa in a large bowl and stir to combine.
- Add the cream cheese and vanilla, and blend together with the whip attachment until smooth, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed to incorporate.
- Slowly drizzle in the cream while continuing to mix, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed to incorporate.
- When all the cream has been added, gradually turn the mixer up to medium-high speed and whip until stiff.
God bless you Richly
Your recipe are all easy and delicious 😘
Thank you so much.