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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Karen Hammond says
This frosting was a hit, but frankly tasted salty even with unsalted butter. I’ll leave the salt out entirely next time. Still light, fluffy, and easy to spread.
Sam says
Hi Karen! I’m glad you enjoyed it. I’m sorry it was a little too salty for you but that’s an easy fix for next time. 🙂
Gillian says
Can I freeze this?
Sam says
Hi Gillian! I haven’t tried it but I am not sure I would recommend it. The chocolate in this recipe may make freezing difficult.
Ces says
Hiii!! I’m from the Philippines and we don’t have heavy cream here 🙁 Can I ask what substitute can i use from heavy cream? We only have here whipping cream and ordinary all purpose cream 🙂 Thank you!
Sam says
Whipping cream will work here. 🙂
Ces says
It means 2 tbsp of whipping cream will also be needed? Thank youu! 🙂
Sam says
Yes you will still need 2 TBSP. 🙂
Eden says
Can i use just half of the sugar?
Sam says
The frosting will be very very soft if you do.
Raquel M. says
When I made this chocolate frosting for this first time the cake was gone in 3 days. We are not big cake fans but my husband had asked for a homemade cake with chocolate frosting and I figured if I was going to do a homemade cake I’ll do homemade frosting as well. So far I’ve made this chocolate frosting 3 times in this past month and every time I made it it’s gone within a few days. I usually have to throw out the cake or cupcakes cause no one wants to eat it but because this frosting isn’t super sweet and so delicious and easy to make throwing the cake out is a thing of the past lol. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe with us, I’ll be using it for now on!!!
Sam says
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Raquel! Welcome to the wonderful world of chocolate frosting!! 🙂
JeannieG says
This is the BEST chocolate frosting I’ve ever had. It was so simple to make also. I made this frosting to go with your chocolate cake for my dad’s birthday. Both are so delish!!
Sam says
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Jeannie! 🙂
Carole says
I absolutely love this cake & the frosting too! Came out so fluffy & moist!
Sam says
I’m so happy to hear this! Thank you so much for commenting, Carole!
Uma says
How long can this frosting can be stored? Shelf life? Thank you
Sam says
It will last about a week in the refrigerator. 🙂
Anna D'Angelo says
The choc cake recipe was wonderful!!! Looked messy because I tried a vintage snow peak effect with the frosting but the 37 degree temperatures) made it very melty but somehow that added to the fudgy taste. I put a layer of whipped cream between layers instead of frosting and added chopped walnuts to give it crunch. Put the half leftover in the fridge just between 2 soup dishes. overnight and the consistency was perfect the next day. Maybe I should of done that on the day?
Thank you so much for a lovely and easy recipe Sam 🙏💖
Sam says
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Anna! I always try to decorate the day I need it but it sounds like it still went well for you. 🙂