Beautifully piped Chocolate Vanilla Swirl Frosting is a deliciously creamy buttercream frosting that goes great on homemade chocolate cupcakes. Add the broken waffle cone to make it look like ice cream!
Whether you top this frosting on a chocolate cupcake, yellow cupcake, or white cupcake, one thing is for sure…it’s DELICIOUS!
Why This Recipe is Best
Ice cream. We all love it, right? And who doesn’t love getting a zebra or twist cone? A beautiful swirl of chocolate and vanilla?!
Today’s creamy Chocolate Vanilla Swirl Buttercream Frosting recipe is my take on that classic ice cream flavor in frosting form! This sweet, swirled buttercream frosting is delicious, especially when paired with my favorite chocolate cupcake recipe!
- Just 6 simple ingredients
- Only 20 minutes to make
- Makes you look like a baking pro!
Ingredient Notes
- Butter – Unsalted butter works best so you can control the amount of sodium in your frosting.
- Milk – Any kind of milk will do! You can use whole milk, 2%, 1% or even skim milk, whatever you have on hand.
- Vanilla – Always use PURE vanilla extract, as opposed to imitation flavoring. You can even make your own vanilla extract for an even richer flavor.
- Cocoa Powder – Use a good quality chocolate for the best flavor in your frosting. We love Ghirardelli brand cocoa in this recipe.
- Chocolate Syrup – This is the secret to super silky (and extra chocolate-y) frosting. Use our homemade chocolate syrup or your favorite ice cream sundae syrup.
Easy Instructions
Step 1. Make your cupcakes. I love this homemade Chocolate Cupcake recipe but a box mix works just fine, too. Or try this frosting on our Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes! Let the cupcakes cool completely.
Step 2. Make the vanilla frosting. Beat butter with an electric mixer for 3-5 minutes, until fluffy and pale in color. Add in powdered sugar, milk and vanilla. Beat an additional 3-5 minutes until frosting is fluffy. Set aside.
Step 3. Make the chocolate frosting. Beat butter in an electric for 3-5 minutes until fluffy and pale in color. Add in powdered sugar, milk, cocoa powder and chocolate syrup. Beat an additional 3-5 minutes until frosting is fluffy. Set aside.
Step 4. Bag the frosting. Spoon each frosting into its own piping bag and snip off the tip of the bag. Add both bags to a large decorator bag with a Wilton 1M tip attached.
Step 5. Pipe the frosting onto cupcakes. Start with the tip on the outside edge of the cupcake and the piping bag held straight up. Squeeze and begin the swirl around the outside edge of the cupcake then continue squeezing as you spiral to the center to create another layer of frosting. Behold and then enjoy!
Tips and Tricks
- Start with a softened, unsalted butter. This allows you to whip it up nice and fluffy, and you’ll be able to easily pipe it through any decorator bag and tip.
- Add milk slowly. This way you can adjust the frosting to your desired consistency. I like mine spreadable but still nice and thick!
- I prefer to use disposable piping bags for my frosting and add each flavor to a separate bag. (Don’t add tips to the bottom of these bags, just snip off the ends.)
- Stuff both the vanilla and chocolate bags into a LARGE decorator bag. These can be disposable or re-usable bags.
- For the tip, I use Wilton 1M, this reminds me of a soft serve swirl ice cream! Feel free to use YOUR favorite tip!
Recipe FAQs
This recipe yields enough swirl frosting to frost about 24 cupcakes generously. Feel free to halve the recipe if you don’t want as much frosting as pictured on the cupcakes.
Store this frosting, vanilla and chocolate separately, in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days. When you’re ready to use it, let the frosting sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes to let it soften so it can be piped.
Yes, buttercream freezes well. Keep each of the vanilla and chocolate frostings in separate freezer bags for up to 3 months. Let thaw in the fridge overnight before using. You’ll also want to let it soften at room temperature before piping onto your cupcakes.
More Fun Frosting Ideas
- These Hot Fudge Sundae Cupcakes are a fun twist on a classic ice cream treat!
- This creamy Butterfinger frosting is out of this world! Not only are the Frankenstein’s cute, but they taste amazing too!
- Look no further for the perfect chocolate buttercream frosting. Creamy frosting, perfect for all your cakes, cupcakes, cookies and brownies!
- If you love spice cakes, then you’ve got to top them with this Cinnamon Buttercream frosting! I’ve also shared my favorite, from scratch, spice cake recipe!
These Pineapple Orange Cupcakes are an easy, light dessert idea that are nearly guilt free! Less than 75 calories per cupcake!
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Chocolate Vanilla Swirl Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the vanilla frosting:
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- 5 Tablespoons milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the chocolate frosting:
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 4 ½ cup powdered sugar
- ⅓ cup milk
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 Tablespoons chocolate syrup
- 4 waffle cone bowls broken in pieces
Instructions
- Prepare cupcakes according to recipe (or box mix). Cool completely.
- For the vanilla frosting, beat butter in an electric mixer for 3-5 minutes, until fluffy and pale in color. Add in powdered sugar, milk and vanilla. Beat an additional 3-5 minutes until frosting is fluffy, and desired consistency. Set aside.
- For the chocolate frosting, beat butter in an electric for 3-5 minutes until fluffy and pale in color. Add in powdered sugar, milk, cocoa powder, and chocolate syrup. Beat an additional 3-5 minutes until frosting is fluffy, and desired consistency. Set aside.
- Spoon each frosting into a separate piping bag (no tip). Snip off the tips of the bags. Add both bags to a large decorator bag with a Wilton 1M tip attached.
- Using a constant pressure, pipe on the outside edge of the cupcake with the piping bag held straight up. Squeeze and begin the swirl around the outside edge of the cupcake.
- Continue squeezing while you create another layer of frosting as you spiral towards the center. Add your piece of waffle cone to the top and repeat with the remaining cupcakes.
- Store cupcakes in airtight container for up to 3 days. ENJOY!
Notes
- Frosting recipe makes enough frosting to pipe large swirls of frosting onto cupcakes. If you don't like as much frosting as pictured, cut recipe in half!
- Use our homemade chocolate syrup in the chocolate frosting!
Wow! This looks yummy! Can I make it the day before a party? Does it need to be refrigerated?
This frosting looks like my favorite ice cream! I need to practice my piping skills, but can manage the swirls. 🙂
Enjoy. Tastes *almost* as good as ice cream 😉 But, no melting!