The Best Chocolate Frosting
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!
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!
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:
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- 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 ;-)
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!
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!
If You Like This Chocolate Frosting, Try These:
- 7 Minute Frosting
- Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting
- Mocha Cupcakes with Espresso Buttercream Frosting
- Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Frosting
Four years ago: Overnight Chilled Plum-Oatmeal Pudding
Six years ago: Peach Coffee Cake
Ten years ago: Panzanella
Eleven years ago: Samoas Brownie
The Best Chocolate Frosting
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
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.
This sounds wonderful! I’m definitely going to give it a try!
I totally trust your judgment! Bookmarking this for future use! Thank you!
You and I both have chocolate on the brain today. I just posted my favorite chocolate ganache recipe. Heck both the frosting & ganache would go great on your cupcakes!
I will HAVE to try this! It looks so delicious!
This was delicious! I saw the recipe this morning, thought about it all day, then made the icing to top your mocha cupcakes…and indulgent treat for Friday night…everyone loved them. Thanks! Theresa
Oooh yay, I love that you made them so quickly! So happy to hear the mocha cupcakes and this buttercream was a hit!
I just posted my cupcakes (which, are, of course, your cupcakes (and icing too)) http://www.foodbuzz.com/blogs/2876394-mocha-cupcakes-with-chocolate-buttercream
Thanks for the great icing…it’s a keeper!
I’m all about frostings people are ready to call the best of :) I totally want to make a chocolate chip cupcake and top it with this frosting! Yum!
mmm that frosting looks so rich and chocolatey! yummm
I love that your buttercream has no shortening in it. Great looking frosting.
Lovely cupcakes!!!!!
They look decadent!
OMG does this look delicious. I love buttercream frosting. There used to be this cake at Ebinger’s Bakery when I was little that was Strawberry Buttercream. My mom would buy one every once in awhile and we would all be in heaven. They also had a Maple Buttercream, if I’m not mistaken, too.
Thanks for the recipe. Next time I need a buttercream frosting, I know where to go. Making me so hungry. Dinner isn’t until 8!
My favorite combination is definitely peanut butter and chocolate! This recipe looks delish, but I just wanted to point out that it’s not technically a buttercream. I don’t mean to be all nerdy and OCD about it, but “buttercream” tends to scare a lot of people off since they don’t like the taste of it. A true buttercream has either a base of an Italian meringue or pate a bomb with butter (and flavorings) added. It makes for a super sweet, buttery frosting that isn’t always everyone’s cup of tea (or cupcake with frosting). I wouldn’t want anyone to write off this recipe just because it’s called a “buttercream” because it looks like the perfect, classic chocolate confectioner’s icing!
Hi Morgan, I have definitely seen (and made a couple of times) Swiss and Italian style buttercreams, but I have many cookbooks that also refer to recipes such as this one (butter + powdered sugar and flavorings) as buttercream as well.
Hello from frosty Germany,
I totally love this blog and I just wanted to give you my point of view on the Buttercream topic. German buttercream is a mixture of butter and vanilla/chocolate pudding. I was more than surprised when I first encountred american buttercream and american frostings because they both are different from the ones we make here in Germany!
:D
ANJA
This is an American Buttercream.
My sister always makes cupcakes, so this recipe would be perfect for her and so much tastier than the canned frosting we’ve been using all this time. By the way, I just made your pumpkin pie bars and loved them. They’re just what I’ve been looking for in a pumpkin blondie and I will save the recipe to make time and time again. Thank you for sharing such a winner.
Oooh yes Lisa, much tastier than the canned frosting! So happy you enjoyed the pumpkin pie pars!
I’ve never made buttercream frosting but I absolutely love the taste of it. I usually just stick to cream cheese frosting. I’ll have to give this a try!
Love chocolate buttercream. Such a simple elegant recipe.
I always love a good and simple frosting recipe. I will be trying this one.
Looks wonderful…and one of my favs too; heck if we’re in the mood, frosting on a graham cracker works for me!
My most favorite frosting is an espresso mocha buttercream with mascarpone cheese. The espresso cake I make it for is really good too; but it’s really just a vessel for that frosting which you could, and I have…eaten with a spoon.
You just may be my frosting savior! I have a great classic vanilla frosting but have failed so many times at the perfect chocolate frosting that is as delicious as it is the perfect consistency to pipe with. Without a doubt, I will be trying this…and very soon!
Sounds fabulous! I’ll definitely be trying this recipe!
The frosting looks perfect! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
You read my mind! I’ve tried a couple chocolate buttercream recipes but none of them were good enough to make again, I can’t wait to try this one out! Quick question, how can you make this milk chocolate instead? Just use milk chocolate chips?
Hi Melissa, Yep! Use milk chocolate chips or a milk chocolate baking bar like Ghiradelli or Lindt.
This sounds divine — and because I can’t help myself…I think instead of vanilla, I’ll add a bit of strong brewed coffee , and a teeny bit of salt, just to amp it up. :)
These are stunning, Michelle, and so rich looking! If I stop by your neighborhood with a pumpkin pail in hand this Halloween, will you give me a few of these? ;)
Absolutely! Come on by!
This looks amazing! I made your chocolate peanut butter cupcakes last month and was just thinking the other day how I wanted to find a good chocolate frosting to pair with the cake portion (not that the PB frosting wasn’t awesome!) I’ll probably try this soon!
This certainly does look like a good buttercream recipe! Mmmm.
I how I love buttercream and those cupcakes look fantastic!
We use this recipe for our cupcakes and we LOVE it! It has the perfect amount of chocolate and still tastes buttery at the same time! Great job!
These look fantastic and I’m going to have to give them a try
I dont know what is it with me and fronstings but I havent been able to make one that works for me. And to this day, I think I don’t like buttercream. Maybe I havent tasted the right one…
-Amalia
http://buttersweetmelody.wordpres.com
Amalia, This Kittencal is the best chocolate buttercream frosting I’ve had. It’s very smooth and doesn’t even taste like buttercream. I usually make the medium level. I could eat that all day!
Just note that you will need to double it to frost a cake. https://www.google.com/#q=kittencal+chocolate+buttercream+frosting
MMM buttercream…I have a wickedly sweet tooth and you may not get rid of me after today. Chocolate buttercream? Yes PLEASE! Oh I bet these just melt. I have to try to make these.
My favorite combo was a chocolate cupcake with a coffee frosting that was so light and rich I actually ate it slowly to really enjoy it. I would jump up and down if I could find a recipe like that so I could make something like that for myself.
Hi Dionne, I actually made mocha cupcakes with espresso buttercream not too long ago. Here is the link:
https://www.browneyedbaker.com/2010/08/13/mocha-cupcakes-with-espresso-buttercream-frosting/
I bet you would love them!
I’ve used that mocha frosting recipe and it’s amazing!!!
Hey i used this recipe on a cake .. i don’t like the way it turned out i added Heavy cream just too thin it out i think they forgot that in the recipe .
First of all, the buttercream sounds delicious!!! Second of all, the photo is unreal… I’m drooling just looking at those! I am adding this to my “attempt” list. Thank you for sharing the recipe!