This recipe is so hard to share. Not because it's a treasured family recipe passed down through the ages, but because I can't seem to settle on the best version. What I know for sure is I love the addition of sour cream to basic American style buttercream, so I'm calling this Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting.
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Sour Cream Chocolate Frosting
This one is a spinoff of the old Hershey's frosting I made as a kid. It had 6 tablespoons of butter, 2 ⅔ cup of sugar, 4-5 tablespoons of milk and offered a range of cocoa powder amounts based on how dark chocolate you want it to be. You could go as low as ¼ cup or as high as ¾ cup. This version has ¾ cup, but totally different ratios. And then of course you've got the sour cream. I use 2 tablespoons, but sometimes add even more.
The old Hershey's recipe offered a range of cocoa powder, but this recipe offers a range of sugar instead. Start with 2 cups just to get things going, add a third cup, gradually add the remaining cup. I usually stop at around 3 ½ cups total or a little less than a box of confectioners' sugar.
Recipe
Favorite Chocolate Frosting
Ingredients
- 2 sticks of unsalted butter, softened (228 grams)
- 3-4 cups confectioners' sugar
- ¾ cup natural style cocoa powder, sifted to remove lumps
- 1/16 teaspoon tiny pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons of sour cream (not too cold)
- 2-3 tablespoons whole milk plus more as needed
Instructions
- Make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature and that the butter is softened.
- In a stand mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and just 2 cups of sugar until creamy. Add the cocoa powder and beat until blended
- When everything is sticking together, add the vanilla, sour cream and a little of the milk. Increase mixer speed and add another cup of sugar. Add the the last cup of sugar gradually, stopping when you feel the frosting is sweet enough. Usually 3 ½ cups of sugar works, but you may want more.
Sue says
Thanks for linking to this from FB. It’s nice having both recipes in one spot depending on what ingredients you have on hand.
Anna says
Glad you like it, Sandra! Thanks for saying so :).
Sandra says
This frosting is awesome! Thanks for sharing such a great recipe 🙂
Anna says
Hi Jennifer, this is a great frosting for that cake! I hope you like it. Email me and let me know, because this is one of my favorites. It makes a lot of frosting and you *should* have enough for that size cake.
Just remember to keep you ingredients at room temperature. If you had cool butter to the chocolate mixture, the chocolate might lump up a little bit.
Jennifer says
Anna,
Hi. I'm going to make Shirley Corriher's Magnificent Moist Golden Cake for Easter (decorated with yellow peeps to look like a sunflower.) And want to frost it with chocolate frosting. Do you think this recipe would be a good choice for that? I am going to make either 2 or 3 nine inch layers... Would I need to double the recipe?
Thanks,
Jennifer