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 it’s 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
A simple chocolate frosting recipe that will easily frost a 2 layer 8" or 9" cake or generously ice a dozen cupcakes!
By Sam -- SugarSpunRun.com
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
- 1/2 teaspoon salt***
- 2 Tablespoons heavy cream (30ml)
Instructions
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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.
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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.
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While the chocolate is cooling, place butter in a separate bowl and use a stand mixer or electric mixer to beat until creamy.
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Add melted, cooled chocolate and stir well.
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Gradually add sugar, scraping down the sides and bottom of bowl occasionally so that ingredients are well combined.
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Sprinkle in salt and vanilla extract, stir well.
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With mixer on low, gradually add heavy cream to frosting. Gradually increase speed to high and beat for 30 seconds.
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Pipe or spread frosting onto prepared, cooled baked good.
Recipe Notes
*This recipe will generously frost 12 cupcakes, I used it to frost my vanilla cupcakes (see pictures in link). If you don't frost your cupcakes as heavily you can definitely frost 2 dozen.
**If you don't have semisweet chocolate bars you can use 1 cup (170g) of semisweet chocolate chips instead.
***I recommend using unsalted butter, but if you only have salted on hand you can use that, just leave out the salt in this recipe.
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Chip says
My step daughter requested vanilla cake with chocolate frosting for her birthday. I tried your recipe and it was a total hit with her and her friends. Couple minor changes. One by mistake; added an extra half cup of butter to the cake (so I added a little baking time), and one on purpose; added a 1/4 tsp vanilla bean to the cake. Very happy with how it came out.
Sam says
Can’t go wrong with vanilla bean!! So glad the cake and frosting were a hit, thank you for commenting, Chip!
Rachael says
What can I sub for the vanilla extract? I’m out. Thanks
Sam says
If you don’t have it I suppose you could leave it out, it just won’t be quite as good. I don’t really recommend any substitute.
KN says
You can use Rum.
Katie says
Can you freeze this frosting, as in freezing a whole frosted cake or cupcakes, and will it thaw correctly?
Sam says
It should be ok if it’s already on a cake, but I have not tried it with this particular frosting.
Carol says
How long can the frosting be in the fridge?
Sam says
I think it would be good for up to 5-7 days.
Brigitta Horvath says
Hi,
Is it possible to make this in advance and freeze it?
Thank you
Rose says
Will the powder sugar completely melt or will it be grainy? Because whenever I try to make butter cream frosting it turns out grainy. I first thought that it may be because I’m using hand mixer but apparently that’s not the case…
Sam says
It doesn’t melt, it’s creamed in with the butter and should be smooth. Powdered sugar isn’t grainy to start with so I’m not sure why your frosting would be grainy, I’m wondering if maybe it’s something else? If you’re worried about grain from the salt you can leave that out and use salted butter.
Lauren says
What can I replace the cream with? We have a dairy allergy in the family.
Sam says
You can leave it out, the frosting will just be a bit thicker, or you can use a milk substitute like almond or coconut milk, just start with just 1 Tablespoon as the substitutes are often thinner than cream and you don’t want to thin out the frosting too much.
Karen H says
The best frosting I’ve ever had. Made it without the heavy cream bc I was out of it. This turned out perfect and so good! Great recipe! Thanks for sharing!
Sam says
I am so glad it turned out for you Karen! 😃
Marlene says
Can you frost a layer cake
Sam says
Yup 😃
Katia🐾 Kristich🐩 says
I love this frosting. I made a cake for my dad happens to be sugar spun run too. My dad LOVES the frosting so much, he says that it isn’t to salty or to sweet. I rate this five stars ⭐️! Awesome 👏🏻! Just to let people know, I don’t have a microwave, but melting it a little will work. So yummy 😋
Sam says
I am so glad everyone enjoys the frosting! It’s definitely one of my favorites! ☺️
Ann says
Hi Sam
I’ve made a lot of frostings which include melted chocolate, but I find they harden very quickly. What is the texture of this one like, after finishing it, while frosting, and then while sitting out, either at room temperature or in the fridge?
Thanks
Sam says
It is a very silky frosting, after you make it, it will crust a little bit if it chills. While it’s sitting out, it really depends on the temperature. It could be soft of it could crust a little bit.
Sareena says
Can I leave out the heavy cream??
Sam says
You can, but the frosting will be thicker. You could also substitute milk, but start with less and add more if needed to get the right consistency.
Sareena says
Can I substitute the heavy cream with milk and cornstarch or will it be better to just skip the cream adding part?
Sam says
You can substitute milk for the heavy cream, but start with less (like a tablespoon) and add more as needed.