This is my go-to chocolate cake frosting. It holds up for professional and home use and is such an easy chocolate frosting recipe. I love it with chocolate cake! I hope you'll love it as much as I do.
Using the paddle attachment on your stand mixer or regular beaters on your hand mixer, beat butter on high speed until it is light and creamy, approximately 8 minutes. (Yes, a long time.)
Add cream cheese and vanilla, beat until cream cheese is well blended and smooth.
Turn off mixer and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, making sure there are no lumps of cream cheese.
Add in cocoa powder and corn syrup. Use your spatula to incorporate the cocoa powder into the butter mixture before turning on your mixer. It will prevent the cocoa cloud. Mix on high until well blended, scraping bowl as necessary.
Add sifted powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, using the spatula to incorporate each cup before turning on the mixer. Beat on high until incorporated.
Add heavy cream 1 Tablespoon, at a time until frosting reaches your desired consistency.
Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl one final time and beat on high for about 30 more seconds.
Keep unused frosting covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container, as it crusts when exposed to air.
You can scale this recipe to make more or less as you please. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for 3 months.
This makes a thick consistency frosting, add more milk or cream 1 T at a time if you would like it thinner.