This easy chocolate frosting recipe is the BEST! Made with melted chocolate, it’s silky smooth, buttery, and not at all too sugary. It’s perfect for cakes, cupcakes, brownies… anything!

Stand mixer whisk attachment with a ton of chocolate frosting.

Where do you fall in the frosting camp? Chocolate or vanilla?

I am squarely chocolate, all day, every day. No question.

At least 10 years ago, I saw vanilla frosting made on a local morning TV segment and I’ve been adapting it ever since. Not long after seeing it, I tried my hand at this homemade chocolate frosting version using melted chocolate; I fell head over heels in love with the insanely creamy frosting with a deep chocolate flavor. Prior to that, I had only made chocolate frosting with cocoa powder and this version blew it out of the water. It’s incredibly easy to make and you’ll never look for another frosting recipe again!

A bowl of melted chocolate.

How Do You Make Homemade Chocolate Frosting with Melted Chocolate?

It’s so easy!

I took my favorite vanilla frosting recipe and adapted it to make the most amazing chocolate frosting recipe you’ll ever taste. These are the simple steps:

  • Melt your chocolate and let it cool to room temperature. I like using semisweet chocolate since it’s sort of “all-purpose”, but you can totally use dark chocolate, milk chocolate, or even white chocolate, if you’d like.
  • Get your butter to room temperature, then whip it with a whisk attachment for a full 5 minutes. This is crucial! It makes the frosting satiny smooth and you don’t get any of that gritty/stiff sugary texture.
  • Then mix in your vanilla and powdered sugar until completely incorporated.
  • Finally, pour in that melted chocolate and whip on medium-high speed for a couple of minutes, scraping as necessary, until totally combined. Try to resist eating it all with a spoon ;-)

A mixing bowl with chocolate frosting in it.

Other Chocolate Frosting Alternatives

This is, without a doubt, my favorite chocolate frosting recipe, but there are some other variations you may want to try:

  • Chocolate frosting with cocoa powder – It’s a stiffer frosting than one with melted chocolate, but my favorite version is Hershey’s perfectly chocolate frosting, which can be found alongside the Hershey’s perfectly chocolate cake recipe.
  • Chocolate frosting with instant coffee – You’re in luck! My mocha cupcakes are topped with an espresso buttercream frosting, which you can easily adapt to make with this base chocolate frosting recipe if you’re looking for a mocha frosting, as well.
  • Chocolate frosting with cream cheese – My chocolate dump-it cake is topped with an absolutely sublime chocolate cream cheese frosting, which I highly recommend if you like a little tang to cut the sweetness of chocolate frosting!

Stand mixer whisk attachment standing upright with chocolate frosting.

Whether you need a chocolate frosting for cake, cupcakes, brownies, cake pops, literally ANYTHING, this is the recipe you want to use, it will never disappoint. It frosts a cake perfectly and pipes beautifully, as well. It’s absolutely the best.

If you’re looking for a fabulous brownie recipe to put underneath this frosting, these better-than-box-mix brownies are my go-to and all-time favorite!

And that cake that’s peaking out? That’s my all-time favorite epic chocolate cake recipe, and I’ll be sharing it later this week, so stay tuned!

Chocolate cake being frosted with chocolate frosting.

If You Like This Chocolate Frosting, Try These:

Four years ago: Overnight Chilled Plum-Oatmeal Pudding
Six years ago: Peach Coffee Cake
Ten years ago: Panzanella
Eleven years ago: Samoas Brownie

Stand mixer whisk attachment with a ton of chocolate frosting.

The Best Chocolate Frosting

This easy chocolate frosting recipe is the BEST! Made with melted chocolate, it's perfect for cakes, cupcakes, brownies... anything!
4.41 (57 ratings)

Ingredients

  • 2 cups (454 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 5 cups (600 g) powdered sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 8 ounces (226.8 g) semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

Instructions 

  • Place the chopped chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30-second increments on 50% power, stirring after each, until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
  • Meanwhile, using the whisk attachment of your stand mixer, whip the butter on medium-high speed for 5 minutes, stopping to scrape the bowl once or twice.
  • Reduce the speed to medium-low and gradually add the powdered sugar. Once all of the powdered sugar is incorporated, add the vanilla, mixing until incorporated. Add the melted chocolate and whip at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed to incorporate all of the chocolate.
  • Use immediately or cover with plastic wrap and keep at room temperature for up to 4 hours before using. The frosting can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 4 days. Bring to room temperature and re-whip before using. The frosting can also be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature before using.

Notes

Nutritional values are based on one cup of frosting
Calories: 1205kcal, Carbohydrates: 143g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 91g, Saturated Fat: 56g, Cholesterol: 197mg, Sodium: 17mg, Potassium: 278mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 134g, Vitamin A: 2290IU, Calcium: 50mg, Iron: 2.9mg

Did you make this recipe?

Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!

This recipe was originally published on October 22, 2010.