This is my all-time favorite chocolate frosting recipe, and I think that once you try it it’ll be yours, too! This is a simple chocolate frosting that needs just 6 ingredients — it will easily frost a 2 layer 8″ or 9″ cake or generously ice a dozen cupcakes!
I’ve been using this chocolate frosting recipe for a while, but I’ve never shared it on its own yet. You may have spied it on my favorite chocolate cake, vanilla cupcakes, or my marble cake, and in the picture above it’s covering a cake that I’ll be sharing with you on Wednesday (can you guess the flavor!?).
This is my favorite chocolate frosting because it’s so incredibly smooth and silky thanks to the use of real melted chocolate (rather than cocoa powder) and two tablespoons of heavy cream.
Whipping the heavy cream into the frosting gives it an incredibly light texture that keeps this luxuriously rich chocolate frosting from feeling too heavy. Instead, it’s silky smooth and melts in your mouth, and the hardest part about making it is mustering up the willpower to keep from eating it all with a spoon before it makes it onto your cake or cupcakes!
Because we’re using melted chocolate in this recipe you will have to pay careful attention to the temperature of the chocolate (don’t worry, no actual thermometer is required), and I offer some tips below on how to make chocolate frosting using melted chocolate.
While I’ve written this recipe using semisweet chocolate bars, I also include tips on how to make the frosting using chocolate chips, instead. I’ve made this frosting both ways plenty of times and the frosting always tastes great regardless of which I use.
Tips on How to Make Chocolate Frosting:
- Be sure to coarsely cut the chocolate into pieces that are roughly the same size. When microwaving (regardless of whether you are using chocolate bars or chocolate chips), pause to stir your chocolate frequently (every 15 seconds), otherwise the chocolate can become too hot and seize.
- Allow your chocolate to cool at least 10 or 15 minutes before adding it to your butter. If it’s too hot, it will melt the butter and the sugar and you’ll just have a runny mess on your hands!
- Your butter should be at room temperature. If it’s too cold, some of your chocolate will harden as your ingredients are being combined and you will have chocolate pieces in your frosting rather than a smooth chocolate frosting.
- This recipe calls for unsalted butter (and you can read my post on salted vs unsalted butter to better understand why), but if you only have salted butter on hand you can still make this chocolate frosting, just leave out the salt that the recipe calls for.
This chocolate frosting recipe will frost one 8″ or 9″ 2-layer cake or will generously frost 12 cupcakes (see above photo of my vanilla cupcakes). If you’re more sparing with your frosting you could frost 2 dozen cupcakes.
Enjoy!
Chocolate Frosting Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 oz semisweet chocolate** chopped into small pieces of roughly the same size (170g)
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature (226g)
- 2 cups powdered sugar (320g)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt***
- 2 Tablespoons heavy cream (30ml)
Instructions
- Place your chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir well. Return chocolate to microwave and heat for another 15 seconds and stir again. Continue heating chocolate for 15 seconds, stirring after each, until chocolate is completely melted and smooth.
- Allow chocolate to cool for at least 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. You want chocolate to cool so that it is not hot to the touch, otherwise it will melt your butter and sugar and the frosting will not turn out.
- While the chocolate is cooling, place butter in a separate bowl and use a stand mixer or electric mixer to beat until creamy.
- Add melted, cooled chocolate and stir well.
- Gradually add sugar, scraping down the sides and bottom of bowl occasionally so that ingredients are well combined.
- Sprinkle in salt and vanilla extract, stir well.
- With mixer on low, gradually add heavy cream to frosting. Gradually increase speed to high and beat for 30 seconds.
- Pipe or spread frosting onto prepared, cooled baked good.
Notes
Nutrition
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Sue says
Hi think I over whipped the cream and frosting has set solid in fridge, how can I loosen it up to spreading consistency?
Sam says
Hi Sue! Just let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes until it softens. You may need to stir it again when it warms up a little bit. 🙂
Boon says
Hi Sam,
Will this chocolate buttercream frosting taste well on carrot cake?
Thanks,
Boon
Sam says
Hi Boon! That is purely personal preference. When I think of a carrot cake frosting I think more of a vanilla/cream cheese frosting, but just because that is the classic way to make carrot cake, it doesn’t mean you can’t do chocolate if you’d like. 🙂
Supriya Laknidhi says
Hi there! Can I make this a 3 layer cake (by increasing the ingredients 1.5 times)? My daughter is turning 4 and really wants a 3 layer chocolate cake! 😉
Sam says
If you increase this frosting by 50% yes it will cover a three layer cake. 🙂
Aditi says
By powdered sugar do.yiu mean icing sugar?
Sam says
Hi Aditi! Powder sugar is the same thing as icing sugar. 🙂
Suree says
Hi! I tried this recipe. Can you tell me why i feel the grain of sugar in my frosting?
Sam says
I’m really not sure what is going on here. Powdered sugar should not leave you with a grainy texture. Is your powdered sugar bad/clumpy for some reason?
Nity says
Hi Sam I was wondering about the actual ratio I should since I also messed up and bought 100% cacao powder. How much cacao powder and sugar should even out what the 6 oz of chocolate should be. Thanks!
Sam says
Your best bet would be to use my chocolate buttercream here if you have cocoa powder. 🙂
Lisa says
Hello! I just tried this recipe and taste tested- Delicious 😋!! Should I refrigerate while waiting for the cake to cool? I was concerned it would harden but not sure how long I should let it sit out. Thank you ~
Sam says
Hi Lisa! It will be fine to sit at room temperature while the cake is cooling unless its very hot/humid where you are, then you would probably want to refrigerate it just to keep it from melting.
Anusha says
Can i use dark chocolate?
Sam says
Hi Anusha! That will work just fine. 🙂
stella says
can i use regular whipping cream since i don’t have heavy whipping cream
Sam says
Hi Stella! That will work just fine here. 🙂
Tia says
I mistakenly bought the 100% cacao unsweetened chocolate, is this what you are using in your recipe?
Sam says
Hi Tia! That is a much more bitter chocolate than what i use (semisweet is usually around 55% cacao I believe). You could try using less chocolate and keep in mind you may need to add more sugar.
Tia says
Thanks I appreciate the help. I don’t want to not ever use it and my daughters birthday is coming up!
Tia says
Hey Sam! Omg! Thank you so much for your tips I really appreciate it. I only used a 4 oz bar and a 1/2 cup more sugar than the recipe calls for and it came out amazing!
Sam says
Fantastic, I’m so happy to hear it! Thank you for letting me know how it turned out for you, Tia!! 🙂
Marian lupo says
I don’t have heavy cream can I use 2 % milk?
Sugar Spun Run says
Hi, Marian! You could use milk (use a bit less as it’s thinner) or you can omit (the frosting will just be a bit thicker). I hope that helps! 🙂
LKF says
Fab! I made this chocolate buttercream frosting last night to go with the best chocolate cake! First time scratch baking! Asked my family if it was worth the extra work, as opposed to boxed mixes and canned frosting? Unanimous yes!
Sam says
That’s so awesome to hear!! Thank you so much for commenting! 🙂