Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

Don’t ask me how this is possible.  How it’s possible that I’ve withheld a recipe from you for over 2 years…withheld possibly one of my absolute favorite recipes from you for over 2 years.  It somehow slipped by me, I swear!  I’ve made this chocolate cream cheese frosting recipe so many times that I just took it for granted that I must have shared it with you already.  I distinctly remember taking photos of 3 (THREE) different types of cupcakes and yet the recipe never made it here.  And one of those photos (this one) has been sitting in my Flickr photostream, unloved, unblogged for almost 2 years now.  I’m sorry.

I’m not sorry, however, about how this frosting will change your life.  That’s a big assertion, but it will.  It’s rich and deeply chocolatey, thanks to the drizzled-in addition of melted chocolate rather than cocoa powder, and it’s super creamy.  As some cream cheese frostings can be cloying with cream cheese flavor (or at least Kyle thinks they are), this one allows the chocolate to take center stage and it keeps the cream cheese as more of a background flavor (or understudy?).  It pipes gorgeously onto cupcakes and is a dream to fill and decorate layer cakes with.  The only problem I have with this chocolate cream cheese frosting is keeping my spoon out of the leftovers.  Utterly impossible.  And I may be guilty of skimping on the frosting a little on a cake to ensure there actually are leftovers.  For shame, I know.

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Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Yield: about 4 cups (enough to liberally frost 12-16 cupcakes). You will need a double batch of this recipe to fill and frost a 9-inch 2-layer cake.

The shortening in this recipe is used to help stiffen the frosting and it works wonderfully when you're making this frosting in warmer months. If you loathe shortening, substitute an equal amount of butter in place of it (so add an extra 1/2 stick of butter to the recipe). I will tell you though, you cannot taste the shortening in this recipe as you can in some frosting recipes and the frosting does not taste artificial at all. Promise.

Ingredients

  • 8 oz cream cheese, softened (room temperature may be a little too cold)
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 4 tbsp shortening (like Crisco - see note above)
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp Kosher salt
  • 3 oz unsweetened chocolate, melted and slightly cooled
  • 4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

Instructions

  1. In the bowl of stand mixer or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter, and shortening together on medium until smooth and creamy. No lumps of cream cheese or butter should remain. Mix in the vanilla extract and salt on low until blended.
  2. With the mixer on low, slowly pour in the melted chocolate and continue mixing until the chocolate is thoroughly combined. Gradually add in the sifted confectioners' sugar one cup at a time, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Once all of the sugar as been added, whip the frosting for 10 seconds on medium-high to make sure the sugar is completely incorporated.
  3. Use immediately, keep refrigerated for up to two weeks, or freeze for later use. It will take a couple of hours at room temperature for the refrigerated frosting to be pipe-able or spreadable, so keep this in mind.

Notes

source: adapted from My Baking Addiction

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