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.
Table of contents
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.
- Prepare Chocolate Mixture
Melt the unsalted butter in a saucepan over low heat, then whisk in the unsweetened cocoa powder.
- 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.
- 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!
Recipe Card
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
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
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
Related Recipes
More Easy Flavored Frosting Ideas
Photos used in a previous version of this post:
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 ??
This made me smile. So glad you enjoyed the recipe and thanks so much for the 5 star rating.
Would it work to substitute a bit of the milk for espresso to add a deep coffee flavour to the frosting?
I make w/ reg sugar…. good
This looks great but I don’t have milk. Can I substitute half & half?
Yes 🙂 Enjoy!
Can use sour cream same amount
I have made this frosting many times. It is the best I have ever had.
Yay!! So glad you enjoy it!
Nothing beats a rich homemade chocolate frosting! I could eat it with a spoon!
Sounds like a yummy idea!
This looks so good, I am pretty sure I could eat it by the spoonful!
I like the way you think!
This frosting has the perfect texture! I should try for my next cake!
I hope you love it!
This looks DIVINE! Love how thick and rich it is!
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!! I’ve been searching for a frosting that was this wonderful. Yours is fantastic!!!
Thanks, Chrissie!
Going to give this a try for my daughter’s birthday party; everyone loves chocolate, right?!
It’s always a fan favorite!
Perfectly acceptable to eat by the spoonful, right?! Asking for a friend.
Totally fine idea!