Why does my butter and sour cream look curdled together?

After you mix the sour cream into the whipped butter, it may take on a curdled appearance. Ideally, you'll want it to look smooth, but if it doesn't, don't worry. It's just because your sour cream was still too cold when it came into contact with the room temperature butter. As you mix in the cocoa and powdered sugar, the texture of the frosting will smooth out.

Does this frosting need to be refrigerated?

Yes! While traditional buttercream can be stored at room temperature for a few days, this frosting will need to be refrigerated because of the sour cream.

Can you make this frosting ahead of time?

Yes, you can make this frosting a day or two in advance and store covered in the fridge. When ready to use, let it sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes before re-whipping with your electric mixer until smooth and creamy.

Sour Cream Chocolate Frosting

Name: Sour Cream Chocolate Frosting
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, room temperature; 1/2 cup (125g) full fat sour cream (I prefer 18% milk fat), room temperature; 1 1/2 – 2 cups (180g – 240g) powdered sugar, sifted if lumpy (more if desired); 1/2 cup (50g) cocoa powder, Dutch-processed or natural; 2-3 teaspoons milk or cream (optional if you need to thin out frosting)

Description

This Sour Cream Chocolate Frosting is smooth and creamy, made with butter, cocoa, powdered sugar and full fat sour cream. It’s simple to make and you don’t need any melted chocolate for the deep chocolate flavor. Only cocoa is required!

Ingredients

1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup (125g) full fat sour cream (I prefer 18% milk fat), room temperature
1 1/2 – 2 cups (180g – 240g) powdered sugar, sifted if lumpy (more if desired)
1/2 cup (50g) cocoa powder, Dutch-processed or natural
2-3 teaspoons milk or cream (optional if you need to thin out frosting)

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Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, add the butter and beat with an electric mixer until creamy. (You can use a handheld mixer with beaters or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment).
Add in the sour cream and mix together on medium-high speed until creamy.
Add the powdered sugar and cocoa and mix on low speed until the sugar and cocoa are incorporated. (If you set the mixer to high, powdered sugar and cocoa dust will go everywhere).
Increase the speed to medium-high and beat together until the frosting is smooth and turns a lighter color, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Add milk (one teaspoon at a time) for a thinner frosting or add more powdered sugar for a thicker/sweeter frosting.

Notes

The recipe makes enough to pipe frosting onto 10-12 cupcakes. For cakes, it’s enough for a layer of frosting on a 13×9 inch cake or a generous layer on an 8 or 9-inch cake.
If the butter and sour cream look curdled when you start mixing them together, don’t worry. This is because the sour cream was too cold when it was mixed in with the room temperature butter. Once you start mixing in the cocoa and powdered sugar, the texture will smooth out.