Homemade chocolate frosting makes a delicious frosting recipe for birthday cakes, chocolate cupcakes, chocolate chip cookies, and so many more sweet treats! It’s rich, smooth and creamy, and is super easy to whip up. This simple recipe will become a favorite!
Smooth frosting that pipes beautifully, and is the perfect way to finish off all of your birthday cupcakes.
But when I don’t feel like making cupcakes, I simply like to spread a thin layer on a cookie or a graham cracker. And what a mighty delicious sweet treat it is! This is my go-to frosting recipe, and in my opinion, is the BEST Chocolate Frosting ever! I’ve been making it for years so I’m surprised I haven’t shared it before!
Why make your own chocolate frosting?
- First of all, there’s just something about rich and buttery chocolate frosting that is perfect when paired with a vanilla or dark chocolate cake.
- It’s smooth, creamy and not-too-dark.
- You won’t waste your ingredients by knowing exactly how much frosting this recipe produces. It will frost an 1-8 or 9 inch layered cake, or 24 cupcakes. In order to frost a double layered 9 inch cake, with plenty of frosting in between the layers, simply double the recipe!
- No more unhealthy store bought frosting! I gave up on canned frosting a while ago because of many questionable ingredients and oils used there instead of real butter. I felt so guilty feeding my child those questionable ingredients. Making this chocolate frosting puts you in control of what you are feeding your family! Butter is healthy, nutritious and is such a better alternative to all those unhealthy oils in the supermarket frostings!
Should I use salted butter?
- Either salted or unsalted butter will do. I used unsalted butter, but had to add ½ teaspoon of salt to enhance the chocolate flavor.
- If you use salted butter in your frosting recipe, do not add any salt.
What kind of cocoa powder should I use?
- I used unsweetened cocoa powder in this chocolate frosting recipe.
How much sugar is too much?
There are many recipes that add 5 cups and even 8 cups of powdered sugar to the homemade chocolate frosting recipe. In my opinion it’s going way overboard on your sugar cravings. I want to spare my pancreas and liver.
So I can assure you that I successfully made this recipe with 3 cups of powdered sugar and it was perfect! I also used 2 cups once and did not see any difference in texture and appearance. Less sugar here is more!
Our family and friends now use it as their ‘favorite frosting!’ I just wanted to share it with my chocolate friends everywhere! Let’s do it!
How to make chocolate frosting step by step
Add softened butter to a large bowl and mix with milk, vanilla and salt.
Next add cocoa powder by sifting it and whip with a whisk or electric mixer together until smooth.
Now stir in powdered sugar by sifting it into the mixture.
Scrape sides and whip again until light, fluffy and smooth, 1-2 minutes.
You are minutes away from the best chocolate frosting recipe!
How to achieve smooth chocolate frosting
- Make sure to melt your butter on the stove and let it harden as it cools.
- Alternatively, you can also soften your butter at room temperature by taking it out of the fridge the night before.
Store, refrigerate or freeze
- Store in the airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Or, store your homemade chocolate frosting in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
- You can also freeze the frosting for up to a month.
Enjoy!
More delicious chocolate recipes
Double Chocolate Buckwheat Cookies
Best Chocolate Frosting
Ingredients
- 1 cup softened butter
- ⅓ cup whole milk
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ⅔ cup cocoa powder, sifted
- 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
Instructions
- Soften butter by either melting it and cooling it until slightly hardened or taking it out of the fridge the night before.
- Add butter to a large bowl and mix with milk, vanilla and salt. Next add cocoa powder by sifting it and whip with a whisk or electric mixer together until smooth. Next stir in powdered sugar by sifting it into the mixture. Scrape sides and whip again until light, fluffy and smooth, 1-2 minutes.
- This recipe frosts one 9 or 8 inch cake or 24 cupcakes. In order to frost a double layered 9 inch cake, simply make two batches of this recipe, or double the recipe!
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only. This information comes from online calculators. Although whatsinthepan.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
THIS RECIPE WAS ABSOLUTELY HANDS DOWN WONDERFUL!!
Thank you Lavon for this compliment!
Absolutely delicious frosting – we loved it!!!
Haha that’s ok. You’re new here. See
I added a little bit of water and it fixed all my problems!
That’s great! So happy it was such an easy fix!
This recipe was as close to my grandmother’s that I’ve ever found! Thank you so much for it!! It brought back wonderful childhood memories for me. She always made me a chocolate cake with homemade chocolate icing for my birthday. It’s a very easy recipe to follow & was more than enough frosting to cover a round 2 layer 9″ cake. (Again, what my grandmother would make for me.) I had to add a touch more salt for my tastes. I think it’s simply due to my cocoa powder being very close to its expiration date and maybe not as fresh as it should’ve been. Anyhoo, I’ll absolutely be putting this recipe in my special personal cookbook of favorites. Thank you again!!
Thank you so much Lynne for putting this recipe in your personal cookbook!
WHY NOT put the INGREDIENTS FIRST, and instructions AFTER ????
Click “jump to recipe” at the top of page. It will take you to the format you apparently want.
Made This yesterday it tastes awesome thanks for the recipe
Hands down, the best homemade frosting ever! I make extra just to eat it out of the bowl. I think the sea salt is the secret to the great taste. Thanks for sharing i love it!! Totally a perfect 10!
Thank you so much, Nancy! Sea salt is DEFINITELY a must! Good observation:)