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.
Mary says
Gonna be honest, I had the worst time mixing the butter with the milk. I just completely went off recipe after that and mixed the cocoa and sugar straight in with the butter. Only added the milk to get a nice consistency (1/3C was wayyy too much anyway) I feel like this was a more straightforward approach than what the recipe states.
Rita Wingfield says
This frosting was amazing!!! I’m not usually a big fan because frosting is typically so sweet but this frosting was fluffy with the perfect amount of sweetness and rich chocolate flavor. Definitely saving this recipe to use again! Also my 12 year old made it!
ene says
i am 12
Olga says
Ene, did you make it too:)?
Bhavishya says
Hi, Can we use chocolate sauce (Hershey’s), instead of cocoa powder?
Olga says
I would only use a powder, not the sauce – it would make the frosting too watery.
Kristy Singer says
This is truly the best frosting. My daughter loved it..
Sonia Delgado says
This frosting recipe is excellent!!! I made some adjustments due to not having the butter needed. I used 1/2 cup salted butter and 1/2 cup shortening. I used a pinch of truffle salt to make up for lack of flavor in shortening. IT TURNED OUT AMAZING!!!! Even the color was just right! This will now be my go-to recipe for chocolate frosting,Thanks for sharing!!!!
Olga says
I’m glad you appreciated the color. I think it’s an important element.
Mehrjot says
I make this with all of my chocolate cakes as I am a cake decorator, this is to die forrrr!!! Yummy just add a little less awesomeness next timeee
Olga says
I wish I were a cake decorator on the weekends:)
Caroline says
It was perfect, enough for my two layer cake..
thank you for sharing, will make again.
Olga says
That’s great, Caroline!
Tracey says
I rarely leave comments, but I have to tell you this icing is truly delicious! I substituted lactose-free milk and vegan butter for a dairy-free icing and it still tastes gourmet!! Thank you for publishing this easy yet scrumptious recipe.
Olga says
I’m so glad you tried it with lactose-free milk and vegan butter! Dairy free icing – amazing!
Alejandra Bernal says
Can you refrigerate the frosting?
Olga says
Yes, definitely!
Laurie says
This frosting was delicious. My husband said it was the best he’d ever tasted. There are only three of us in the house and the cake was gone in two days.
Olga says
Amazing! Two days is the maximum here too:).