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
PIN IT:
Stephanie says
June 21, 2019 at 12:18 pmI was just wondering how long this can be stored in the fridge? I threw the extra in an airtight container and it got pushed to the back of my fridge for about 2 and 1/2 weeks. I’m hoping I don’t have to toss it. I might cry to waste such deliciousness. 😢
Sam says
June 22, 2019 at 11:35 pmHi Stephanie! It does firm up quite a bit in the cold, but I’d let it sit at room temperature for 30-60 mins (maybe less time if you’re in a humid environment) and then stir it really well. I hope that helps!
Karen says
June 17, 2019 at 12:28 pmI used your recipe and baked with baking strips for the pans, but the cake came out so light (not as dark as I’d liked). Did using the strips alter the baking? Thanks
Sam says
June 17, 2019 at 1:02 pmHi Karen! Are you referring to my chocolate cake? If so, what kind of cocoa powder did you use? That could alter the color. I don’t think the baking strips would cause an issue.
Karen says
June 17, 2019 at 1:39 pmI’m so sorry, I was referring to your Vanilla Cake recipe. After baking for 35 minutes, the cake came out so light. I put it back in for another five minutes and it didn’t get any darker. And when I flipped it over to put on the rack, portions of it fell in crumbs all over the table. What did I do wrong? I though it might have been because I used baking strips.
Sam says
June 17, 2019 at 9:02 pmThat is really weird. I’m not very familiar with using baking strips so maybe they were the culprit here.
Heather says
June 10, 2019 at 5:51 amI bake … alot. This is indeed the best vanilla cake recipe ever! I used it for both a batch of cupcakes and for a layer cake. Very nice rise, very nice crumb, great flavour, very moist, kept nicely fresh and also froze well. My go-to from now on. Thanks!
Heather says
June 10, 2019 at 5:52 amOoops, this review was for the vanilla cake:-)
Sam says
June 10, 2019 at 7:15 pmNo worries 😉
I added a link for the cake in case anyone was wondering what you were referring to. I’m so glad to hear it was such a hit for you! 🙂
Simone Renfrey says
June 10, 2019 at 10:12 pmWill this keep fresh in fridge if I bake and ice it the day before I need it?
Sam says
June 12, 2019 at 3:07 pmHi Simone! You can make the cake and ice it the day in advance. You can leave it at room temperature. Just make sure it is covered. If you refrigerate it, you will also want to make sure it is covered so the refrigerator doesn’t dry it out. 🙂
Sam says
June 10, 2019 at 7:14 pmI am so happy to hear you enjoyed the cake, Heather! Thank you for commenting 🙂
Just in case anyone was curious, here is the vanilla cake recipe Heather was referring to 🙂
MTR MBENSE says
June 8, 2019 at 9:03 amcan i put fondant over it
Sam says
June 8, 2019 at 3:54 pmYup!
Harmony says
May 24, 2019 at 8:39 pmHello, when making the yellow cake should I frost between the two layers before frosting the whole outside? Thanks!!
Sam says
May 24, 2019 at 8:51 pmYup, I would! Enjoy 🙂
Arrhiannon says
May 24, 2019 at 5:48 pmThis is a very creamy, flavorfilled, chocolate icing. I have never tasted canned that comes close to compare. I did change the recipe a tiny bit. I used 3/4 cup semi sweet organic chocolate chips and 1/4 cup cacao 72% organic dark chocolate chunks. Mmmm…mmmm…good and I don’t really like chocolate very much.
Best of all, my chocolate loving hubby thinks it is FANTASTIC! Thanks so much for sharing!
Sam says
May 24, 2019 at 8:53 pmYou’re very welcome! I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed the frosting, thank you so much for commenting 🙂
Sierra Schwartzq says
May 18, 2019 at 6:16 pmI think an entire cup of butter was way too much 🙁 it turned it a doggy mess that I am currently trying to salvage…. Might have to run out for sure bought frosting :'(. No bueno
Sam says
May 18, 2019 at 10:44 pmI’m so sorry this happened, Sierra! It sounds like your chocolate was probably a little too warm when you added your butter and sugars, which would have melted them. The cup of butter isn’t the issue. I hope this helps. 🙂
Sarah says
May 12, 2019 at 4:55 pmDoes this need to be refrigerated since it has heavy cream in it?
Sam says
May 12, 2019 at 8:11 pmHi Sarah! If you are going to keep it longer than 2 days it would need to be refrigerated, but it will be ok for a couple of days at room temperature in an air tight container. 🙂
Bea says
May 8, 2019 at 5:04 pmGreat!! Super easy and the actual risk is that it probably won’t make it to the cale next time.
I use a little more chocolate, 200grs but it came out perfect
Sam says
May 8, 2019 at 10:03 pmI am so glad you enjoyed the frosting, Bea! 🙂
Joanna says
April 29, 2019 at 5:40 amCan I freeze this frosting?
Sam says
April 29, 2019 at 12:55 pmHi Joanna! You should be able to freeze it without an issue. You may need to stir it up a little bit after thawing. 🙂