After learning about Russian buttercream earlier this year, I fell in love with this incredibly simple and delicious frosting! I knew I wanted to work on a chocolate Russian buttercream recipe, and I finally got around to it this week.

Despite being made with pretty much just butter and sweetened condensed milk, Russian buttercream frosting isn’t overly sweet or heavy.

The addition of a bit of baking cocoa helps stabilize this frosting and adds a wonderful depth of flavor.

The chocolate pairs so well with the sweetened condensed milk, which gives this frosting a hint of caramel flavor.

I know it sounds crazy, but you’ll understand once you try it. Trust me on this one!

What Is Russian Buttercream?

Russian buttercream is a frosting that’s used on a lot of Russian and Eastern European cakes. It’s an insanely simple recipe that really is just butter and sweetened condensed milk.

To make chocolate Russian buttercream, I add in a hefty portion of cocoa powder. This not only adds a ton of flavor, it also makes the frosting a bit thicker and easier to work with.

I also like to add in a touch of vanilla extract and salt to elevate the overall flavor, but that part is optional.

Making this chocolate Russian buttercream is even easier than my American buttercream recipe, which I didn’t think was possible.

You simply whip the butter up until it’s light and fluffy, carefully mix in the cocoa powder, then slowly incorporate the sweetened condensed milk.

And voila! I love that there’s no powdered sugar involved, because it makes the process a lot less messy.

You do have to be careful mixing in the cocoa powder though! If you try to mix it in too quickly, you’ll end up with chocolate clouds exploding out of your mixing bowl.

Do I Really Have to Whip the Butter for That Long?

The key to creating that delicately fluffy texture is to beat the heck out of the butter.

I’m talking at least 5 minutes at a medium-high speed with a whisk attachment or hand mixer. This incorporates a ton of air into the butter.

The butter should actually change color by the end of the whipping process and look very white in color like the photo below.

All the air that’s incorporated into the frosting gives it that silky smooth texture, and a very light mouth feel.

This also helps the frosting taste a lot less sweet and rich. If you’re used to American buttercream, get ready for an entirely different texture and taste.

It’s kind of like a hybrid between Italian meringue buttercream and American buttercream.

Reasons Why Your Russian Buttercream Might Separate or Be Too Thin

While it is insanely easy to make a batch of this chocolate Russian buttercream recipe, that doesn’t mean that things can’t go wrong.

The main issue that I ran into while recipe testing was soupy, thin frosting.

Reason #1: The Butter is Too Warm

This can happen for a few different reasons.

If your butter is too soft/warm, it won’t whip up as well and will have trouble incorporating all the sweetened condensed milk. This can lead to super soft, thin frosting that won’t hold its shape.

While the frosting in the photo below looks fluffy, you can see it isn’t really thick enough to hold its shape on the whisk attachment.

Right after this photo was taken, that blob of frosting fell back into the bowl. That’s when I knew my butter had been too soft.

I recommend taking your butter out of the fridge an hour before you plan to make this frosting, to ensure it still can hold its shape.

Butter that is properly room temperature shouldn’t be super soft to the touch.

You should be able to make an indent with your finger if you apply pressure, but the butter should still feel pretty firm to the touch.

Reason #2: The Butter is Too Cold

On the other hand, if your butter or kitchen is too cold, it might also throw off the texture of your frosting.

The key is that the butter and the sweetened condensed milk are at the same temperature.

Reason #3: The Sweetened Condensed Milk Was Added Too Quickly

Your frosting might also separate if you try to mix in the sweetened condensed milk too quickly.

It’s super important that you gradually mix it in.

I like to pour it in 3-4 additions, to allow the butter lots of time to incorporate all that sweet goodness.

How to Fix Separated Russian Buttercream

If your frosting does separate, it’s ok. We can easily fix it!

My kitchen is usually pretty warm, so a lot of time my frosting separates because my butter gets too soft.

If my buttercream is broken or soupy after I add the sweetened condensed milk, I pop my mixing bowl into the fridge for 20-30 minutes to cool it down.

Then I whip it up again, and it usually comes together right away. If that doesn’t do the trick, continue to repeat this process until it thickens up and comes together.

On the other hand, if you think your butter might have been too cold or your kitchen is cold, I suggest taking a different approach.

Scoop out about a half cup of frosting and place it in a separate bowl. Heat it up in the microwave for 5 seconds, then give it a good stir with a rubber spatula.

Repeat until the little bowl of buttercream is smooth again. Be sure to heat in small increments, so that the frosting doesn’t get too thin!

Add this back into your bowl of frosting, and try whipping it again. Repeat this process until your frosting comes together and is smooth.

How Long Does Chocolate Russian Buttercream Stay Good?

As I’m sure a lot of you know, I am all about making buttercream in advance! This chocolate Russian buttercream is less finicky than my original Russian buttercream recipe, and it keeps well.

If you want to work ahead on a baking project, you can make this frosting in advance.

It can last in the fridge for up to a week, or the freezer for up to a month in an airtight container.

While it can be made in advance, you will need to re-whip it with your stand or hand mixer once it comes to room temperature to get it back to the right consistency.

Adding This Frosting to Cakes or Cupcakes in Advance

Adding this chocolate Russian buttercream to a cake or cupcake the day you plan to eat it is best.

However, you can frost a cake or cupcakes in advance!

If you add it to a cupcake or cake ahead of time and chill it in the fridge, it will keep its shape and consistency.

I don’t recommend letting frosted baked goods sit out at room temperature for more than a couple hours, as the sweetened condensed milk is perishable.

I’ve made layer cakes with this chocolate Russian buttercream and let it sit in the fridge for a few days. The frosting still tasted great, and it didn’t change in texture at all.

One thing to note, this frosting never gets super firm to the touch, and does not crust.

Tips for Making the Best Chocolate Russian Buttercream:

• Use room temperature butter! I suggest taking your sticks of butter out of the fridge about 1 hour before you plan to make the frosting.
• Whip the butter until it becomes lighter in color.
• Slowly add in the sweetened condensed milk to prevent the frosting from breaking.
• Use the frosting shortly after making it.
• If the frosting seems a bit soft, pop it into the fridge for 30 minutes to make it easier to spread on cakes or pipe with.
• This buttercream is stable enough to be piped onto cupcakes, to fill and frost a layer cake, or to pipe onto cookies!

Let Me Know What You Think!

If you try this chocolate Russian buttercream recipe, I’d love to hear what you think of it! Please share a comment and rating below.

And don’t forget to tag me @chelsweets and use #chelsweets so that I can see your delicious creations!