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With over 2 million views and counting since 2013, this Chocolate Frosting Recipe is my most popular frosting recipe on my website. Using simple ingredients, it’s simple to whip up and the best frosting for any kind of cake, especially birthdays!
There are thousands of homemade chocolate frosting recipes out there. This is the one that continues to be requested for every birthday, special occasion or just because! Just take a look at the 600+ reviews in the comment section at the bottom of this post and you’ll see that it’s a favorite for many others as well. Be warned, this frosting is so gosh darn delicious it may disappear before you even get to frost your cake! Move over store-bought frosting because this recipe is about to knock your socks off.
Homemade Chocolate Frosting ingredients
This Chocolate Frosting recipe is essentially a chocolate buttercream because it’s made with:
- softened butter – salted or unsalted will be just fine
- powdered sugar – sifted
- cocoa powder – sifted
- vanilla extract
- milk – amount to be adjusted to your liking. f you’re going to pipe this recipe, you’ll want it more stiff so it holds its shape, if you’re wanting to frost a cake, you’ll want it slightly thinner and more easily spreadable.
Pro Tip: Before you get started, make sure you are using very soft butter, sifted powdered sugar, sifted cocoa powder and be prepared to adjust the thickness of the frosting with a little more milk or a little more powdered sugar.
How to make Chocolate Frosting
I assure you this is one of the easiest recipes in the entire world you can make. I promise you can do it!
- Whip butter and cocoa powder together until smooth in large bowl.
- Stir in vanilla extract and powdered sugar.
- Slowly stream in milk until frosting reaches desired consistency.
- Scrape sides and whip again until light, fluffy and smooth, 1-2 minutes.
Need more chocolate in your life? Try these tasty treats: Actually Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies, Chocolate Cake Extreme, Chocolate Cobbler, Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars.
Can I make this Chocolate Buttercream Frosting ahead of time?
Absolutely! This chocolate frosting will last for one week in the fridge as long as it’s in an airtight container. If you plan on using it to frost a cake, you’ll want to bring it to room temperature for 3-4 hours first and then whip it for a quick 20 seconds to get it light and fluffy again before using.
Chocolate Icing Tips and Tricks
Time and time again, I get comments on this recipe saying it was either way too thick or way too thin to use. Here’s the secret though: not everyone measures cocoa powder or powdered sugar exactly the same. So all the frostings you make using the exact same recipe will vary and you will have to make minor adjustments.
- If your frosting is too thick, slowly add in milk little by little to get the consistency you want.
- If your frosting is too thin, add a little extra powdered sugar little by little to get the consistency you want.
- If you want to use this frosting to cover a whole cake, run a butter knife through the finished frosting. If it holds its shape but is still really easy to spread, it’s perfect. I’d highly recommend using an offset spatula for frosting a cake.
- For pipeable frosting that holds its shape, you want to make sure the frosting will hold its shape and not fall, so slightly stiffer than for frosting a whole cake. These disposable piping bags are great! Also, this 1M Wilton frosting tip is the one I use to get those gorgeous mountains of frosting on top of cupcakes.
This frosting is too sweet!
Friends, frosting is supposed to be sweet! I know when you see 5 cups of powdered sugar, your eyeballs jump out of their sockets, but trust me, it will be just fine. Especially since this chocolate frosting recipe makes a ton: enough to frost an entire 9-inch cake with leftovers or 24 cupcakes.
If you find that the frosting is too sweet, try to sprinkle in a little salt. If you want to reduce the powdered sugar by 1-2 cups, you are welcome to do so, but know you will have to reduce the milk as well.
How to use Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
Besides licking this right from the spoon, I have lots of cakes and cupcakes recipes to make with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting.
- Classic Chocolate Cake
- Chocolate Cupcakes
- Flourless Chocolate Cake
- Chocolate Candy Cane Cake
- Vanilla Cake – this combo is to die for!
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting FAQ
No, not at all. Cocoa powder is notoriously lumpy and it definitely helps to sift, but not totally necessary. You might not even have a sifter available to you, which is fine! Also, powdered sugar has cornstarch mixed into it to help prevent lumping. As you whip the ingredients for the frosting together, most of the lumps should come out. *Should* come out. They might not, which is all the more reason to sift. But again, don’t lose sleep over this if you can’t sift.
Yes! I actually prefer using salted butter for all my desserts and baked goods. I know, I know, sacrelig! Either unsalted or salted butter is absolutely fine to use interchangeably in this recipe.
Love Cake Decorating? Try these other frosting recipes:
- Vanilla Buttercream
- Cream Cheese Frosting
- Royal Icing
- Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting
- Whipped Chocolate Ganache Frosting
- Cream Cheese Frosting
- Lemon Mousse Frosting
More Favorites from Lauren’s Latest
So, there you have the easiest, tastiest chocolate frosting recipe! Hope you absolutely love it! Be sure to pin, save, bookmark and share this recipe because it’s a good one! Have a great day, friends!
If you make this recipe, I would really appreciate it if you would give it a star rating and leave your review in the comments! If you have a picture of your finished dish, post it on Instagram using the hashtag #laurenslatest and tagging me @laurens_latest.
Chocolate Frosting Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter softened, both salted or unsalted work fine
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder sifted
- 5 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3-4 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Whip butter and cocoa together until smooth in large bowl. Stir in vanilla extract and powdered sugar.
- Slowly stream in milk until frosting reaches desired consistency. Scrape sides and whip again until light, fluffy and smooth, 1-2 minutes.
- Frost your cake or cupcakes*!
Video
Notes
- If your frosting is too thick, slowly add in milk little by little to get the consistency you want.
- If your frosting is too thin, add a little extra powdered sugar little by little to get the consistency you want.
My mum said that i could not make it.
i love the recipe, cant wait to try
Sounds yummy!
I love this recipe! My daughter was wanting chocolate frosting on her graham cracker but I didn’t want to have to run to the store. I had everything on hand for this recipe so I gave it a shot. It is sooo good. Its been in the fridge for 3 days and it’s not hard at all, still as silky smooth as the day I made it! I love that I don’t have to microwave it to be able to spread it. Thanks for sharing!
How long does the icing last? I am making it for my dad on Father’s Day and I am planning on making it the day before.
The icing was delicious, but at 3-4 tablespoons of milk, it was barely wet at all. I added probably about double the milk (little by little) to get it to the right consistency.
[…] zero problems making {and eating} this frosting. It’s almost as good, if not better than, my best and easiest chocolate frosting {which is forever more trending on […]
I just made your frosting and it turned out wonderful! I halved the recipe then just eyeballed extra sugar/milk until it became the consistency I was looking for. This will defiantly be the only chocolate frosting recipe I’ll use in the future!
Hello, I wanted to know if you use the sweetened cocoa or the unsweetened?
This frosting looks amazing. Just wondering if you can help me with conversions. Im from the Uk and we use gramms or ounces. Any help with what the recipe woukd look like converted would be fab. Thanks. Cant wait tontry this for my partners birthday cake.
I love your blog! Can’t wait to try the recipe! By the way, I am a lemon freak , too!
You have the best blogs ever, so upbeat, I smiled the entire time I was reading it. Now to make this cake!
looks delicious, hope it turns out like this when I make it. thanks
Thanks for sharing this recipe. My children are lactose intolerant. Can I replace the butter with something else?
I taught my son this very recipe when he was in 3rd grade. Told him it was way more impressive to use than can frosting. He uses it still.
I’m going to try this recipe tomorrow, thanks.
Looks good and easy, where can i get the recipe casue i saw the clip on facebook they so the ingredints but not of how much i must put in
Hello from Iowa ???? Will this chocolate frosting and cake work well in a 9×13 cake pan ?❗️ Thank you… Marilyn.????
I like chocolate,but in moderation.I love plain old yellow cake with chocolate icing. My favorite birthday cake. I like sweet but some are just tooo sweet.Anyone else like me? Love cheesecake, no toppings needed,just straight up. This icing sounds so good.My daughter is the one that would eat the first batch herself,then make a batch for the cake. (And lick the bowl ,
I like dark chocolate so much more than milk chocolate. What could I do to get this frosting dark?
This frosting recipe looks amazing! Can’t wait to try it! How long did you bake the Pioneer woman cake in the 9 inch pans? Gonna use that too!
hi.i just want toi ask if icing mixture is the same with powdered sugar?and when i make butter frosting is a thick one when i put in the cake it gets tough when i put in the fridge and it get melted when i bring out on the fridge,why is it like that?thanks
Does a cake with this frosting on it need to be refrigerated?
Thanks I needed this my frosting is terrible
I would the recipe for the chocolate cake. My family are big chocolate lovers. Great birthday cake. I love your family . You are a lot like me I loved cooking and baking for my family and friends. But my girls are grown. But I have beautiful grandkids. I’m going to use the chocolate Frosting so easy can’t wait to use it. I hope you put out more recipes. Thank you
Does the frosting need to be refrigerated? I am making our cake the night before the party Just in case the cake doesn’t look like anymore after I’m done with it! ????
Very good! And I even made it vegan by substituting Earth Balance dairy free butter and rice milk. Used only 4 cups of powdered sugar. Covered a large double layer heart shaped cake.
Hi, does this recipe use unsweetened cocoa powder, or sweetened?
I just made this frosting I sifted all the dry ingredients together and added a bit more vanilla. Thank you Lauren for the sweet recipe I give it five yummy stars!!!!!
I just made this but I sifted all the dry ingredients to make that fluffier. Also added a dash more vanilla. This recipe gets five yummy stars Lauren thank you!!!
I just made this frosting and sifted the powdered sugar in the Coco and edit a little bit more vanilla yummy yummy yummy thank you Lauren
Lauren, you are an absolute life saver!
I got a divorce, and my husband wouldn’t give me my recipes. Even though its an easy recipe, something wasn’t just jiving right .
So, I put in the search engine “totally easy chocolate cake icing” and low and behold, it was a ‘aahhh haaaa’ moment! My recipe, right in front of my eyes!!!( except for sifting the cocao).
Thank you so much for creating your “laurenslatest” site!! I’m sure you help women like me everyday!!!
And whatever you do, please don’t stop posting all your recipes, and I’ll be back!
Thank you!
Beth O.
Do you use Ree’s recipe for your cupcakes as well? Or just the cake?
I absolutely love baking cupcakes and ive always wanted to have the perfect chocolate frosting on top however ive always failed to find the right recipe.
Just yesterday I came across your recipe and it looked nice & easy so I dared to try it ..:P
It was soooo good! I loved it! Always going to use this recipe …THANK YOU 🙂
I need this recipe to frost a chocolate cake for my pastors birthday hope all comes out great
Does frosting need to be refrigerated?
Just made this, absolutely delicious! Halved the recipe for cupcakes, still had a lot left over.
<3 the frosting! I have a question about the cake though. Do you add the baking powder to the egg mixture or the flour mixture?
I halved the recipe since I only had a dozen cupcakes, and ended up with WAAAAY too much of the frosting. Can I freeze it? Or how long will it keep in the fridge? It’s delicious, by the way. Thanks!
It should freeze just fine!
I was wondering if you could do blog on how you frost the cupcakes with a piping bags. Your cupcakes look so pretty and I just can not get them to match so I know I am doing something wrong. 🙂
Thanks!
Perfect! Thanks for posting this creamy, rich, & easy recipe!!
This is by far the easiest recipe for frosting i have come across, just made it, turned out perfectly. Thank you.
Hi when you write 5 cups powdered sugar…do you mean 600gr?
its sounds a lot of sugar..
help please! 🙂
Can I make this into vanilla frosting by omitting the cocoa and just adding more powdered sugar?!
Can I double the ingredients? If so how much powdered sugar would be best.
I googled easy chocolate frosting and it got me here. My frosting came out flat though. I wonder what I did wrong… i whipped it for 1 min then 2. It kinda fluffed up but not anywhere like yours. After 4 min I gave up and just left it like it was. My husband loved it though! First frosting I’ve made where he actually wanted to lick the spoon! So still a win!
Can you freeze the leftover frosting & use later?
BEST frosting ever. Making it now for the second time -last time hubs’ birthday, this time son’s. Thanks for the recipe!
Hey!
this frosting looked absolutely delicious by the picture, but when i made it, it was too much sweet and the sugar particles were coming in my mouth.
why did this happen?
please tell me asap.
What is powdered sugar in australian terms? My guess would be pure icing sugar.