This is my all-time favorite chocolate frosting recipe, and I think that once you try it it’ll be yours, too! Just 6 ingredients needed and it will easily frost a 2 layer 8″ or 9″ cake or generously ice a dozen cupcakes!
The Best Chocolate Frosting
Maybe you’ve seen this chocolate frosting recipe around here before. It’s made quite a few appearances, on my chocolate cake, vanilla cupcakes (pictured above), and my vanilla cake (just to name a few), and finally it’s getting its own place on the blog.
Use it to top off your favorite cake or cupcake recipe, or just enjoy by the spoonful (you’ll get no judgement from me!).
What makes this the best chocolate frosting:
Well, you’re going to love it because it:
- Is richly chocolatey, without being too rich. The chocolate flavor complements whatever you put it on without being overwhelming!
- Is soft, smooth, and creamy.
- Uses less sugar than classic buttercream frosting or chocolate buttercream, perfect if you think most frosting recipes are too sugary or sweet!
- Absolutely melts in your mouth.
- Pipes beautifully, or frosts a cake smoothly.
What You Need
Here’s what you need:
- Chocolate. Real melted chocolate gives my chocolate frosting its incredible flavor and firm but fudgy consistency once it’s cooled. Chocolate bars (my preference) or chocolate chips will work fine.
- Powdered Sugar. This thickens and sweetens the frosting. One thing I love about this frosting is that it uses less sugar than your average frosting recipe.
- Butter. I use unsalted then add a pinch of salt for best flavor. Your butter should be at room temperature. If it’s too cold, small bits of the chocolate may harden as your ingredients are being combined and you will have chocolate bits in the mix rather than a smooth chocolate frosting.
- Vanilla Extract. Added for flavor! Any good chocolate is enhanced with a splash of vanilla to add depth of flavor.
- Heavy Cream. The small amount of heavy cream is the other part of what gives this chocolate frosting its smooth texture and rich flavor.
SAM’S TIP: You can use dark chocolate, semisweet, or milk chocolate for this frosting. If you want to use white chocolate, see my white chocolate buttercream recipe instead
Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe and all details, please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Chocolate Frosting
- Chop chocolate into small pieces (only if you’re using a bar, no need to chop if you’re using chips) and melt in 15-30 second increments, stirring in-between, until completely melted. semi-sweet chocolate into same-sized pieces and place in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat the chocolate in the microwave for 30 seconds and stir. Let the chocolate cool until it’s no longer warm to the touch (but not re-solidifying) before continuing.
- Beat butter until creamy, then drizzle in melted (cooled) chocolate. Make sure the chocolate’s cooled, or the butter will melt and you’ll have a greasy chocolate frosting!
- Add the sugar in small amounts, stirring after each addition. Thoroughly stir in salt and vanilla.
- Drizzle in heavy cream and gradually turn up your mixer speed to high. Beat for 30 seconds for a light, silky smooth frosting!
Frequently Asked Questions
Make sure that your chocolate hasn’t begun to re-solidify before you add it to the butter. If this happens, small pieces may harden and you’ll have flecks of chocolate throughout the frosting. This will make piping the icing especially difficult.
If you heat the chocolate too quickly in the microwave, it could seize, giving it a grainy, rather than smooth, appearance. If this happens, toss out the chocolate and start over or your frosting will be pebbly.
While heat can make a frosting soft, melt-y, and even runny, with this recipe the culprit is usually that your chocolate was too hot. Stir it occasionally as it cools and make sure if you touch the melted chocolate or the bottom of the bowl it doesn’t feel warm to the touch.
Unfortunately I don’t recommend using cocoa powder for this recipe. If you’d like to use cocoa powder, see my chocolate buttercream instead.
More Recipes You Might Like
Enjoy!
Let’s bake together! Make sure to check out the how-to VIDEO in the recipe card!
Chocolate Frosting Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 oz (170 g) semisweet chocolate² chopped into small pieces of roughly the same size
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 2 cups (250 g) powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt³
- 2 Tablespoons (30 ml) heavy cream
Recommended Equipment
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.6 oz (170 g) semisweet chocolate²
- 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.1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter
- 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.2 cups (250 g) powdered sugar
- Sprinkle in salt and vanilla extract, stir well.½ teaspoon vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon salt³
- With mixer on low, gradually add heavy cream to frosting. Gradually increase speed to high and beat for 30 seconds.2 Tablespoons (30 ml) heavy cream
- Pipe or spread frosting onto prepared, cooled baked good.
Notes
¹How many cupcakes/how much cake will this frost?
This recipe will modestly cover 24 cupcakes or generously (as seen in the photos above) cover 12 cupcakes. You can also cover an 8″ or 9″ cake or a 9×13″ sheet cake. If you want to use the frosting for decorative borders around the cake, increase the recipe by 50%.²Chocolate
If you don’t have semisweet chocolate bars you can use 1 cup (170g) of semisweet chocolate chips instead.³Butter
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.Making in Advance
This frosting may be made in advance. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator with a piece of plastic wrap pressed firmly against the surface. When ready to use, let it come to room temperature then remove the plastic wrap and stir again to regain that smooth consistency before using.Piping Tip
I used an Ateco 848 piping tip to pipe the cupcakes seen in the photos above.Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
This recipe was originally published January 8th, 2018. While the recipe remains unchanged, I’ve updated the text of the post photos and added a how-to video.
Jill Bakke
Do I need to store the cake in the frig now that it’s frosted?
Sam
Hi Jill! You don’t need to refrigerate the cake. 🙂
Nav
Hi does the chocolate frosting set hard in fridge?
Sam
It will become pretty stiff in the refrigerator. 🙂
Idelle
Delicious and easy and not overly sweet. Only one issue when frosting is piped: A small hardened piece of chocolate can get lodged in the (large) tip making the piped frosting difficult to form into rosettes. [Butter is at room temperature and beaten before cooled chocolate is added].
Sam
Hi Idelle! I’m so sorry this happened! To avoid this next time, make sure to mix the chocolate in really well and make sure it isn’t starting to re-solidify. If the bowl isn’t scraped down thoroughly sometimes you can get some clumps of chocolate forming on the bowl. I hope this helps and it comes out completely smooth next time. 🙂
Sharon
Hi Sam, now that I have tried your cheesecake, oatmeal cookies & the worst chocolate chip cookies (to die for), I am going to attempt to make your vanilla cake. I love Dunkin Hines milk chocolate frosting – which one of your frosting recipes is most like that one? Please let me know your thoughts.
Sam
Hi Sharon! I think this chocolate frosting is probably the closest. 🙂
Lori
Can this be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for a few days?
Sam
Sure thing! You will just want to let it come to room temperature to make it easier to work with and maybe stir it briefly if needed. 🙂
Vanessa
First time making chocolate frosting that wasn’t on the back of the Hershey’s cocoa box. This chocolate frosting tastes better and it’s not nearly as diabetic coma sweet. I wasn’t sure this would be enough to frost my cake, but it was. I’m a lover of frosting. Since I started making my own frosting I haven’t used tub frosting.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Vanessa! Homemade is always better if you ask me. 🙂
Layne
Thank you for posting these recipes, this was very fun to make.
Kimberly
If this question has been asked and answered, I apologize for asking again. Can milk chocolate chips be used instead of semi-sweet chocolate? Thank you!
Sam
Hi Kimberly! You can use milk chocolate it will just be sweeter. 🙂
Jacob
The frosting tastes amazing but some of the chocolate hardened after I added it to the butter. I might have let it cool too long, I didn’t want to melt the butter or sugar. I ended up with more of a chocolate chip type frosting but it’s still excellent on the vanilla cake recipe!
Sam
Hi Jacob! I’m glad you still enjoyed it! Make sure your butter is at room temperature next time to ensure your chocolate doesn’t harden when added. 🙂
Lenore Scully
I don’t have heavy cream, can I use milk or almond milk instead?
Sam
Hi Lenore! I would try the milk, but you will need less of it here. 🙂
Rach
Beautiful and delicious, perfect consistency and absolutely plenty of frosting for 2 9” rounds.
Sarah
I’ve never commented on here before, but just had to on this one, in regards to the previous comment about this recipe not being enough to ice a full cake. I made the recipe exactly as written and had plenty to frost two 9″ layers, with enough left over for adequate sampling 🙂
Kerri Egan
Can you leave out the chocolate for a vanilla buttercream frosting? I want to frost my cake white. Also, is it good for piping?
Sam
Hi Kerri! See my vanilla buttercream frosting for making this vanilla, and yes both of these pipe well. 🙂
Janice Rose
Tastes good but cannot believe you ever tried to ice a whole cake with this. No way is there enough icing to do that.
Sam
Glad you enjoyed, Jancie! The cake in the photos was entirely iced with a single batch of this frosting (it’s my vanilla cake).
Sugar Spun Run
I am sorry that you did not have enough to frost your cake with just one batch. I can use one batch to frost a 2 layer 8″ or 9″ cake. Regardless, I am so glad that you enjoyed the recipe, Janice! 🙂
Daniela Tudoran
Fantastic recipe and easy to make. I used good 60% semisweet chocolate and it was fabulous. Thanks!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Daniela! 🙂
Karen
I like so many of your recipes!!
Thank you! Merry Christmas
Tamar
Hi Sam, excited to try this receipe for my sons birthday cake. I have MINI semi sweet chocolate chips on hand. Would i use 1 cup for those as well?
Sam
Hi Tamar! That should work just fine. 🙂
Tamar
awesome. Thank you so much!
Suzanne
Usually love your recipes but greasy icing is not my thing. This chocolate frosting was creamy but it was like licking a stick of butter, I don’t know what I was thinking making a recipe with so much butter proportionally. I was very disappointed and scraped off the icing once I tasted it on the cupcakes.
Sam
Disappointed to hear this, Suzanne. Could the chocolate have been too hot when it was added? That could cause a greasy icing that seemed too buttery. I truly LOVE this recipe, so I’m so disappointed you didn’t have the same result! 🙁
Suzanne
No I cooled the chocolate, and the consistency was beautiful but thank you.
Shelly
This was THE most amazing recipe. Love the slight taste of the butter coming through. Like Italian meringue buttercream in that it was not overly sweet. Unsure why others are getting a skewed end result.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Shelly! 🙂