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Chocolate Frosting should be rich, sweet, and easy to make. My homemade chocolate icing recipe is easy to make, tastes like fudge, and is perfect for cakes and cupcakes!

This is one of my most popular frosting recipes, along with my Mascarpone Icing recipe, classic cream cheese frosting, and smooth Italian Buttercream.

swirl of homemade chocolate frosting on white plate
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Why this recipe works:

I may have grown up eating store bought frosting from a can, but once you discover how wonderfully delicious homemade frosting recipes can be, you’ll always make them from scratch!

  • This recipe is easy to make and only takes a few minutes.
  • It’s basically fool proof. No cooking experience needed to get perfect results every time.
  • This chocolate frosting tastes like fudge. It’s perfectly sweet with a very rich chocolate flavor. 
  • This frosting turns out thick enough to decoratively pipe onto cakes and cupcakes, yet it is smooth enough to spread with a spatula.
  • Using shelf-stable canned evaporated milk instead of refrigerated milk gives the frosting a smooth creamy texture.

Ingredients needed to make chocolate frosting:

  • Butter 
  • Unsweetened cocoa powder
  • Powdered sugar (confectioners’ sugar) 
  • Evaporated milk
  • Vanilla extract
easy to make chocolate frosting on cake

How to make this fudge-like chocolate buttercream frosting recipe:

  1. Using an electric mixer, cream the softened butter until it’s light and fluffy.
  2. Add the cocoa powder and the powdered sugar and mix on low speed until combined.
  3. Add the evaporated milk and vanilla while the mixer is running.
  4. Increase the mixer speed and mix the frosting until the chocolate frosting is fully mixed and smooth. Add small amounts of additional evaporated milk to thin, if needed.

Recipe tips:

  • Although I use unsalted butter for this recipe, you can use salted butter if you wish. 
  • Be sure the butter is softened before you mix it. You can set it out on the counter or soften it in the microwave on low power.
  • The cocoa powder and powdered sugar do not need to be sifted prior to mixing.
swirls of chocolate icing on cake

If you love the taste of this chocolate buttercream frosting, you’ll definitely want to make my popular microwave chocolate fudge! Here are some of my other favorite frosting recipes.

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Chocolate Frosting

Prep5 minutes
Total5 minutes
Servings 16 servings
Chocolate Frosting should be rich, sweet, and easy to make. My homemade chocolate icing recipe tastes like fudge and is perfect for cake and cupcakes!

Ingredients 

Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email below and I’ll send it straight to your inbox. Plus you’ll get great recipe ideas from me every week!
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Instructions 

  • Add butter to bowl of stand mixer. Using paddle or whisk attachment, beat until light and fluffy.
  • Add the cocoa powder and powdered sugar. Mix on low speed to combine. With the mixer running, add the evaporated milk and the vanilla.
  • Once combined, increase speed to high and blend until fully mixed and smooth. Frosting will be thick. Add additional evaporated milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, to thin if needed.

Notes

Recipe makes enough to frost one double layer 9-inch round cake or 24 cupcakes
  • Although I use unsalted butter for this recipe, you can use salted butter if you wish. 
  • Be sure the butter is softened before you mix it. You can set it out on the counter or soften it in the microwave on low power.
  • The cocoa powder and powdered sugar do not need to be sifted prior to mixing.

Nutrition

Calories: 248kcal, Carbohydrates: 35g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Cholesterol: 33mg, Sodium: 12mg, Potassium: 137mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 30g, Vitamin A: 374IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 33mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you make this? Leave me a comment below

Hi! Iโ€™m Krissy.

I love to create the BEST versions of your favorite recipes. If you love to cook, love to eat, or just have a deep appreciation for good food, you're in the right place! Stick around... I have hundreds of recipes for you to make.

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9 Comments

  1. Soon as I gets home an gets me kit set up imma make a big ole batch of this delicious frosting for my, ummm, errrr, cake yeah!!

  2. 5 stars
    First off let me say, I am not a baker, however, with that said I love chocolate frosting and buttercream even better.

    I wonder, however, if you can use a hot cocoa mix. I think one, in particular, would be fabulous in a chocolate frosting!

    1. Same here, but I keep trying to remind myself I’m now an adult I do need to eat this way, argh!! Help!! It’s not working!! LoL!!