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
- 1/2 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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Erin says
I made this last night to go with your favorite vanilla cake! Haven’t tried the cake yet because it’s for someone’s birthday. BUT..I did get to help myself to a spoonful of icing. So yummy! Thanks for always giving out wonderful recipes with the easiest instructions!
Sugar Spun Run says
I am so glad that you enjoyed the recipe and found the directions easy to follow, Erin! I hope that the person you are giving it to has a wonderful birthday! Enjoy the cake! 🙂
Lindsey says
Can you make this the day before you want to frost the cake? How long will it keep?
Sugar Spun Run says
Hi, Lindsey! Yes, it can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 1 week. 🙂
Rita Johnson says
Finally I found the perfect recipe for chocolate icing! Thank you so much ,my family loves it 💕
Sugar Spun Run says
I am so glad that your search is over and your family loved it, Rita! Thank you for commenting. Enjoy! 🙂
shekinah says
best frosting ever!!!
my little brother says he could eat the whole bowl:)
Sugar Spun Run says
I am so glad that the frosting was a hit, Shekinah! Thank you for commenting. 🙂
Tammy says
This is so delicious….my family loved this frosting….probably more than the cake.
Sugar Spun Run says
I am so glad that it turned out delicious and that the frosting was a big hit, Tammy! Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Joyce says
I used this to make a birthday cake for my daughter , I used a full 12 oz of semisweet chocolate chips and a full box of confectioners sugar and about 1/4 cup of cream along with the cup of butter . It made plenty to ice three layers with some left over . I didn’t have an electric mixer so I had to beat by hand 😂. Hope it tastes as good as it looks ❤️👍
Sugar Spun Run says
Thanks for trying my recipe, Joyce! I hope that the birthday cake is a hit and that your daughter has a wonderful birthday. Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Harley says
Yummy! I was wondering if you don’t have chocolate that would work, could I just use cocoa powder to get the chocolatey taste?
Sam says
Hi Harley! I do think you could, I would start with 1/4 cup of cocoa powder and then add more to taste as desired. You may need to use a bit more heavy cream to get the proper consistency, too. I hope that helps!
Susan A Linn says
I am confused about your weight for the powdered sugar. 1 Cup of powdered sugar weighs 120 grams, so 2 cups would be 240 not 320. Which is correct? The weight or the cup measurement? Thank you.
Sam says
Sorry about the confusion, Susan! This recipe was written before I standardized my cup measurements to weights. At the time that I made it, I weighed 2 cups of powdered sugar to be 320g and that is what I would recommend using. I hope that helps!
Nilda says
If I don’t have heavy cream can I substitute it with regular milk?
Sugar Spun Run says
Hi, Nilda! 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! 🙂
Anna K says
Hello! can you use a dark chocolate instead? or do you have a recommendation on how to get a darker brown color? I am looking for a darker brown chocolate for frosting (it is going to be a football).
Thanks!
Sugar Spun Run says
Hi, Anna! Yes, dark chocolate will work just fine. I hope that your football cake turns out perfectly! 🙂
Deb says
I made this to frost vanilla cupcakes and used 4oz of semisweet chocolate and 2oz of bittersweet cacao 60%. Yummy! Thanks for a keeper of a recipe..
Sugar Spun Run says
I am so glad that you enjoyed the chocolate frosting, Deb! I hope that you enjoy your cupcakes. Thank you for commenting. 🙂
Julia says
Hi! I wanted to know if this is a buttercream icing ? Thank you!
Sugar Spun Run says
Hi, Julia! Yes, it is! I hope that you enjoy it. 🙂