My Favorite Chocolate Frosting Recipe
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure policy.
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
Equipment
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
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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
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.
Seriously the best chocolate frosting! Everyone goes crazy for it. Thank you!
I’m so happy to hear it’s been such a hit! Thank you for commenting, Jessica! 🙂
I loved the cake but frosting did not look like yours? It was hard to spread but tasted ok. Maybe I mixed it too long? Chocolate chips was heated and stirred every 15 minutes until it cooled down. Frosting looked kind of a sandy texture. Help?
Hi Frances! Was the chocolate a bit grainy when you added it to the mixture? I’m wondering if maybe it seized when you were heating it.
This is the BEST chocolate buttercream ever. I am not a chocolate person at all, I don’t even like Chocolate cake but this is AMAZING! I need to ice a cake but I can’t stop eating it. Great job girl!
Thank you so much, Amy! I am so glad you enjoyed the frosting! I am guilty of having to make more for the cake because I ate too much. 😂
I made this but reduced the butter and sugar by half as I dont like it too sweet. I added about 2 spoons of whipped cream instead. It iced a whole 3 layer cake with lashings to spare and went down a treat. Thanks for a great recipe.
So glad you enjoyed, Rachel!
If you reduced sugar but butter as well, then you actually made half a batch, it might has been even sweeter that the original if you left the chocolate amount intact.. i don’t understand why people like to alter recipes.. is disrespectful if you didn’t even try the original.. the measurments are there for a reason..
This frosting is amazing!!!!! My new favorite go-to. Thanks for sharing!
I’m so glad you enjoyed, Sarah!! Thank you so much for commenting 🙂
Hi! I am about to make this and I was wondering if I could use half and half milk as I do not have heavy cream. Thank you!
Yes that will be fine! Start with a bit less since half&half is thinner and then add more as needed. Enjoy!
I 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. 😢
Hi 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!
I 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
Hi 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.
I’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.
That is really weird. I’m not very familiar with using baking strips so maybe they were the culprit here.
I 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!
Ooops, this review was for the vanilla cake:-)
No 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! 🙂
Will this keep fresh in fridge if I bake and ice it the day before I need it?
Hi 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. 🙂
I 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 🙂
can i put fondant over it
Yup!
Hello, when making the yellow cake should I frost between the two layers before frosting the whole outside? Thanks!!
Yup, I would! Enjoy 🙂
This 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!
You’re very welcome! I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed the frosting, thank you so much for commenting 🙂
I 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
I’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. 🙂
Does this need to be refrigerated since it has heavy cream in it?
Hi 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. 🙂
Great!! 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
I am so glad you enjoyed the frosting, Bea! 🙂
Can I freeze this frosting?
Hi Joanna! You should be able to freeze it without an issue. You may need to stir it up a little bit after thawing. 🙂