Rich Chocolate Frosting

24 servings
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes

Rich Chocolate Frosting is creamy and indulgent, made with ONLY 5 ingredients, and ready in just a few minutes! Incredibly EASY to make!

This chocolate Frosting recipe is the perfect balance of chocolaty flavor, richness, and sweetness. It will take your favorite Chocolate Cake to the next level and be a go-to recipe for desserts. For more classic frosting recipes, try my Classic Buttercream Frosting and Cream Cheese Frosting.

Sabrina’s Rich Chocolate Frosting Recipe

Rich Chocolate Frosting is fudgy, creamy, and insanely easy to make in only a few minutes with 5 ingredients. All you need is butter, cocoa, confectioner’s sugar, milk, and vanilla extract. This frosting recipe is richer than your average buttercream, with a stronger chocolate flavor, making it the perfect addition to chocolate cake or brownies.

Chef’s Note: Frosting vs Buttercream

This is not a traditional buttercream, although there are some similarities. Both frosting recipes contain butter, so it’s easy to get confused. However, a typical buttercream frosting calls for softened butter that’s creamed together with powdered sugar (and sometimes egg whites), then with other ingredients like cocoa or vanilla extract. It turns out light and fluffy, with a strong sweet butter taste.

My Chocolate Frosting recipe calls for cooking the cocoa powder and butter together first, which makes a frosting that turns out more fudgy and richer than a chocolate buttercream would be. Since this is a really rich frosting, so you may not be able to get the same fluffy texture as you would from a regular buttercream or cream cheese frosting so it’s great for piping on cupcakes or frosting sheetcakes versus using for more advanced cake decorating.

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups Unsalted Butter: Unsalted butter is the rich flavor in this decadent recipe. It’s important to use unsalted butter to control the salt level in the frosting. If needed, salted butter can be used if you like a bit of saltiness. It won’t ruin the recipe.
  • 1 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: Cocoa powder adds the deep chocolate flavor we’re looking for and gives the brown chocolate color to the frosting.
  • 6 cups Powdered Sugar: Powdered sugar, also known as confectioners’ sugar, is the base of all good frostings. If your frosting is coming out too sweet for your taste, add a quarter teaspoon of salt to help balance the flavor. See the FAQ section below for a powdered sugar substitution idea!
  • 2/3 cup Milk: Milk helps to thin out the frosting for spreading. I’m using whole milk but you can substitute it with other types of milk, like 2%, if needed. You can use half and half which will make it extra rich!
  • 1 tablespoon Vanilla: Vanilla extract is the secret ingredient to many desserts. Use pure vanilla extract for the best flavor.

How to Make

Time needed: 20 minutes.

  1. Prepare Chocolate Mixture

    Melt the unsalted butter in a saucepan over low heat, then whisk in the unsweetened cocoa powder.Rich Chocolate Frosting collage butter in pot and whisking cocoa powder in pot

  2. Mix Frosting

    Transfer the cooled chocolate mixture to a stand mixer bowl. Using the paddle attachment, whip on medium speed while gradually adding powdered sugar and milk ⅓ of each in alternating portions. Add vanilla extract last and let it mix for about a minute. Rich Chocolate Frosting in bowl after adding powdered sugar with paddle mixer

  3. Adjust Consistency

    If the frosting is too thick, add a tablespoon of milk at a time until it reaches your desired spreading consistency. If it becomes too thin, add a tablespoon of powdered sugar and mix until it’s perfect. Enjoy when ready! Rich Chocolate Frosting spreading finished frosting over chocolate cake.

Recipe Card

Rich Chocolate Frosting

Rich Chocolate Frosting is creamy and indulgent, made with ONLY 5 ingredients and ready in just a few minutes! Incredibly EASY to make!
Yield 24 servings
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Author Sabrina Snyder

Ingredients
 

  • 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter
  • 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 6 cups powdered sugar
  • 2/3 cups milk
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla

Instructions

  • Melt the butter in a large saucepan and whisk in the cocoa powder then remove from the heat and let cool.
  • Add the cooled chocolate mix to your stand mixer and whip on medium speed adding the powdered sugar and milk, alternating them ⅓ at a time and finally add the vanilla in last.
  • If the frosting is too thick, add a tablespoon of milk until it has reached desired consistency.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 232kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 5mg | Potassium: 66mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 29g | Vitamin A: 365IU | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 0.5mg

Can This Be Made Ahead?

Yes! This is great to make a couple of days in advance. Just make it normally and store it in the fridge in an airtight container for 3 days. It will last up to a week but will have the freshest flavor if used within a couple of days of making. If you are decorating a cake or cupcakes, you can even make a double batch, because you can never have too much!

Nutritional Facts

Nutrition Facts
Rich Chocolate Frosting
Amount Per Serving
Calories 232 Calories from Fat 108
% Daily Value*
Fat 12g18%
Saturated Fat 7g44%
Cholesterol 31mg10%
Sodium 5mg0%
Potassium 66mg2%
Carbohydrates 32g11%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 29g32%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 365IU7%
Calcium 16mg2%
Iron 0.5mg3%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Tips for Making Frosting

  • You can add more milk to achieve a thinner texture with your frosting but add it very slowly so you don’t overshoot it.
  • This is the perfect frosting to use as a crumb layer before adding fondant to a layer cake.
  • Don’t substitute this homemade chocolate frosting with anything other than butter, because margarine has a lower fat content and the texture won’t turn out right.
  • Unsalted butter is recommended because you can control the flavor, but you can use salted butter if you prefer the salty flavor.
  • If you want an even richer chocolate frosting, substitute the milk with heavy cream or whipping cream.

How to Store

  • Store: Don’t leave the Rich Chocolate Frosting at room temperature for more than 4 hours. Rich Chocolate Frosting can be kept in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week.
  • Freezer: You could also store it in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. The day before you’re ready to use it, let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then bring it to room temperature before re-whipping again briefly for a fresh texture.

Ways to Use Chocolate Frosting

  • This is a great recipe to make with homemade Cupcakes because it’s spreadable, but it can also be piped in swirls. It would taste good with classic cake flavors like chocolate cake, yellow cake, and red velvet cake.
  • Spread this indulgent chocolate frosting over Brownies or chocolate cookies and add toppings like crushed peppermint candies, sprinkles or nuts.
  • Since this frosting stays pretty soft, it works great as a dessert dip for strawberries, graham crackers, vanilla wafers and pretzels.

Frequent Questions

What can I substitute for cocoa powder in Chocolate Frosting?

You can use baker’s chocolate instead of cocoa powder for this recipe, start with 4-6 oz of semisweet chocolate. You may need less milk, to compensate for the added moisture, just watch the texture and add accordingly.

How do I adjust the frosting’s consistency if it’s too thick or thin?

To thin out thick frosting, add milk one tablespoon at a time while the electric mixer is running until it reaches the desired consistency. To thicken up thin frosting, add powdered sugar a tablespoon at a time while the electric mixer is running until it thickens appropriately.

What is the difference between chocolate frosting and icing?

While they are very similar, frosting is thicker, creamier, and used for covering cakes, while icing is thinner, glossier, and often used for drizzling or glazing baked goods.

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Variations

  • Mexican Hot Chocolate Frosting: Add a teaspoon of cinnamon to this chocolate frosting recipe for Mexican-style chocolate. You can also add a dash of cayenne pepper.
  • Holiday Dessert Frostings: Add peppermint extract to this chocolate frosting recipe, then crush peppermint candies on top of cupcakes for a holiday version. Or use orange extract, then after you’ve frosted the cupcakes, top with orange zest for chocolate orange cupcakes!
  • Dark Chocolate Frosting: Substitute the regular cocoa powder for dark chocolate cocoa powder, or Dutch processed cocoa powder. Try adding a teaspoon of instant espresso for an extra dark chocolate frosting.
  • Chocolate Buttercream: To turn this into a chocolate buttercream frosting, start with room temperature butter. Whip the butter for 3 minutes on high speed until fluffy. Add the cocoa powder, vanilla, and milk and beat on low until well mixed. Then increase the speed for 1-2 minutes until it’s light and fluffy.

More Easy Flavored Frosting Ideas

Rich Chocolate Frosting Pin

Photos used in a previous version of this post:

Chocolate Frosting being spread on chocolate cake
Chocolate Frosting steps of ingredients being mixed in
Easy Chocolate Buttercream
Chocolate Frosting mixing and spreading collage
Chocolate Cake Slice on plate with fork
Chocolate Frosting
Rich Chocolate Frosting Collage
Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Frosting
Chocolate Buttercream

About the Author: Sabrina Snyder

Sabrina is a professionally trained Private Chef of over 10 years with ServSafe Manager certification in food safety. She creates all the recipes here on Dinner, then Dessert, fueled in no small part by her love for bacon.

Sabrina Snyder is a professionally trained personal and private chef of over 10 years who is the creator and developer of all the recipes on Dinner, then Dessert.

She is also the author of the cookbook Dinner, then Dessert – Satisfying Meals Using Only 3, 5 or 7 Ingredients, published by Harper Collins.

She started Dinner, then Dessert as a business in her office as a lunch service for her coworkers who admired her lunches before going to culinary school and becoming a full time personal chef and private chef.

As a personal chef Sabrina would cook for families one day a week and cook their entire week of dinners. All grocery shopping, cooking and cleaning was done along with instructions on reheating. As a private chef she cooked for private parties and cooked in family homes in the evenings for families on a nightly basis after working as a personal chef during the day.

Sabrina has been certified as a ServSafe Manager since 2007 and was a longstanding member of the USPCA Personal Chef Association including being on the board of the Washington DC Chapter of Chefs in the US Personal Chef Association when they won Chapter of the year.

As a member of the community of food website creators Sabrina Snyder has spoken at many conferences regarding her experiences as a food writer including the Indulge Food Conference, Everything Food Conference, Haven Food Conference and IACP Annual Food Professionals Conference.

Sabrina lives with her family in sunny California.

Dinner, then Dessert, Inc. owns the copyright on all images and text and does not allow for its original recipes and pictures to be reproduced anywhere other than at this site unless authorization is given. Read my disclosure and copyright policy. This post may contain affiliate links.

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Comments

  1. Wow!,just wow,the most amazing chocolate buttercream I’ve ever had,my customers love it too,so glad I found your recipe.Thankyou so much.X ??

  2. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!! I’ve been searching for a frosting that was this wonderful. Yours is fantastic!!!