Chocolate Frosting

Thick, rich, and extra chocolatey basically everything you want in a frosting!! Made with melted chocolate and cocoa powder for a chocolate punch this fudgy frosting recipe is perfect on cakes, cupcakes, brownies, and more! Step-by-step photos show you how to make this chocolate fudge frosting recipe!

Let me start by saying I have been making this perfect chocolate frosting recipe for years. The recipe comes from the ever so trusted Cooks Illustrated Kitchen. It's so delicious. This frosting reminds me the most of a store-bought frosting but like ten times better. But that texture of the fudgy chocolate frostings in the can.

This chocolate frosting is perfect on top of brownies, cakes, layer cakes, cupcakes, cookies, the options are endless. The texture is thick and fudgy so it sits pretty.

Ingredients

For this fudgy frosting recipe you will need:

• Chocolate. I beg you to please use good quality chocolate. I've made this recipe many times and I prefer using dark chocolate for some cakes and milk chocolate for others. Or you could use a combination I use the Callebaut chocolate callets. They melt easily but are not full of additives like most "chocolate chips" you find at the market.
• Butter. I often use unsalted butter to control the amount of salt in the recipe but I have used salted butter and reduced the amount of salt slightly and had no issues. You must though make sure your butter is softened to room temperature.
• Confectioners Sugar. Also known as powdered sugar or icing sugar this will help sweeten the frosting.
• Dutch-process Cocoa Powder. Dutch-process cocoa powder has been washed to create less acidic cocoa powder. This type of cocoa is also much darker in color. Dutch-processed cocoa powder also has a much more mellow, smoother flavor than regular cocoa powder. My favorite is Bensdorp Dutch Cocoa Powder.
• Salt. Trust me!
• Light Corn Syrup. This gives the frosting its thick glossy texture and appearance.
• Pure Vanilla Extract. Vanilla brings out chocolate notes, so don't skip it. And make sure to use the real stuff!

Instructions

To ensure we get a great chocolate flavor we are going to use cocoa powder and melted chocolate. But we want the chocolate to be slightly cooled so lets start with melting the chocolate first.

You can use a bain marie or microwave. Be careful you don't want to accidentally burn the chocolate.

To use a Bain Marie take a small pot with a little water over low heat place a bowl with chocolate in on top of the pot making sure the bowl does not touch the water- the steam from the water will cook/melt the mixture.

If you use a microwave melt the chocolate at 50% power in 15-second increments. Be careful not to burn the chocolate, once 75% of the chocolate is melted I take it off of the heat and mix it to fully melt everything.

Let cool for 5-10 minutes before starting on the rest of the recipe.

In a large food processor add the butter, confectioners sugar, cocoa powder, and salt then pulse a few times.

This shouldn't take long you just want to go until everything is combined.

Now add in the corn syrup and vanilla and pulse to combine again.

Scrape down the bowl to make sure everything is getting mixed in evenly.

Finally, add in the melted chocolate, mix for another 30 seconds to a minute to ensure everything is evenly incorporated.

Use the chocolate frosting immediately or store in the fridge for up to 5 days but let sit at room temperature for an hour before remixing and using.

I love to make a double chocolate cake with this or double chocolate cupcakes for the chocolate lovers in my life.

Can you make ahead of time

This frosting can be made a few days in advance and stored in the refrigerator. When you want to use the frosting let it sit at room temperature for an hour to warm up and then remix it.

Can you double

Depending on the size of your food processor you could most certainly double the recipe!

More frosting recipes

For another chocolate frosting recipe try my chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream frosting.

This strawberry frosting is naturally gorgeous and delicious too!

Coffee buttercream is one of the most popular recipes on my website, for good reason!!

Peanut butter buttercream is absolutely delicious and not overly sweet!

★★★★★ Please let me know if you make this recipe by leaving a star rating and comment below!

Make sure to join our Newsletter and follow us on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter.

Print

Recipe Card