Creamy, Not-Too-Sweet, Absolutely Perfect Fluffy Chocolate Frosting is truly the best chocolate frosting I’ve ever tasted.
Given the chance, I could have done some serious damage to the bowl without even slathering it on the cake. This is everything I wanted in chocolate buttercream frosting.
We are smack in the middle of “birthday season” in our house these days. (We have birthdays in September, October, November, and December.) As you might guess, this adds up to plenty of cake, which means buttercream frosting.
My middle boy turned 9 this weekend and requested his favorite Gluten Free White Cake with lots of “fluffy” chocolate icing.
The Whipped Chocolate Frosting Secret
I played with a couple of different ideas for the frosting before I realized that the flavor I wanted was only going to happen with melted chocolate.
So I ditched the cocoa powder and reached for the good stuff. (I should have remembered that from the chocolate ice cream recipes this summer. Real chocolate makes everything better!)
Not that frostings made with cocoa powder aren’t delicious, but they simply weren’t resulting in the ultimate creamy and fluffy frosting that I imagined.
The melted chocolate chips in this homemade frosting recipe add both flavor and texture. The richness of the chocolate coupled with the creaminess of the butter all pulled together by just a hint of vanilla? Pure heaven.
How To Make Chocolate Frosting
I love when I discover something that’s as easy as it is tasty. This simple homemade buttercream fits the bill on all counts. It’s an excellent staple for all kinds of cupcakes, cakes, cookies or anywhere you’d use buttercream.
If you really want simple, spread a thick layer on top of the super easy Crazy Cake. You’ll have a rich, chocolatey, satisfying, and crowd-pleasing dessert with zero fuss or hard-to-find ingredients.
No one who’s ever tasted this in all its dreamy perfection would judge you for grabbing a spoon and eating it straight from the bowl. Believe me.
This is such an easy frosting, you might wind up grinning every bit as big as I did when you taste it for the first time.
This is going to be my go-to chocolate frosting for years to come.
Homemade Frosting
A sturdy mixing bowl is your best friend for baking and preparing frosting is no different. You’ll want a bowl with sides tall enough to keep your frosting ingredients contained as your mixer whips them to creamy chocolatey perfection.
Use a sturdy, well-powered hand mixer to beat the butter and incorporate the powdered sugar. This helps ensure no powdered sugar lumps ruin the smooth, fluffy texture of your chocolate buttercream. If you’re using a stand mixer, either the flat beater or the wire whip attachment will work just fine.
I recommend a strong, flexible spatula for your scraping needs. You’ll want to get every last drop of that delicious icing out of the bowl and onto your cake. A good flat spatula is also excellent for evenly spreading the finished frosting across your cake.
If you’re feeling fancy, you can also scoop this chocolate buttercream into your pastry bag and go to town decorating your cake or batch of cupcakes. This is especially fun for decorating birthday cakes and other special occasion desserts.
Storing Buttercream Frosting
I’ll be honest. I rarely have any leftovers of this magnificent fluffy chocolate frosting because it’s just that tasty. But if you end up making a little too much than your cake needs–or you want to make an extra-large batch to have on hand for the next time your sweet tooth strikes–it’s incredibly easy to store.
Place your frosting in an airtight sealed container and keep in the fridge for up to a week. Place the container on the counter for an hour or so to bring it back to room temperature before using it to top a cake. You may also want to re-whip the frosting to maintain that lovely airy quality I love.
If you’re looking for a light and fruity version of fluffy buttercream, check out my Fresh Blueberry Frosting recipe and my Fresh Strawberry Frosting recipe.
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Recipe
- Place the chocolate chips in a glass bowl and microwave them for 90 seconds, at 50% power, stir and microwave again for 30 seconds at 50% power. Stir until smooth. (The chocolate can also be melted in a glass bowl over a simmering pan of water on the stove. Use whichever method works for you, just melt it slowly, until the chocolate is smooth.)
- Let cool to almost room temperature, do not skip the cooling step.
- Beat the butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add 1 cup of powdered sugar and beat again. Scrape the sides with a spatula and add the remaining powdered sugar. Continue beating for about a minute, scraping the sides as needed, until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
- Add the vanilla and the cooled chocolate and beat on high for about 2 minutes, scraping the sides as necessary, until the frosting is creamy, smooth, and very fluffy. Spread across the cake of your choice, or just grab a spoon.
Fluffy, Creamy, Perfect Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup butter room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Place the chocolate chips in a glass bowl and microwave them for 90 seconds, at 50% power, stir and microwave again for 30 seconds at 50% power. Stir until smooth. Let cool to almost room temperature, do not skip the cooling step. (The chocolate can also be melted in a glass bowl over a simmering pan of water on the stove. Use whichever method works for you, just melt it slowly, until the chocolate is smooth.)
- In a mixing bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth. Add 1 cup of powdered sugar and beat again. Scrape the sides and add the remaining powdered sugar. Continue beating for about a minute, scraping the sides as needed, until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Add the vanilla and the cooled chocolate and beat on high for about 2 minutes, scraping the sides as necessary, until the frosting is creamy, smooth, and very fluffy. Spread across the cake of your choice, or just grab a spoon. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
{originally published 10/20/14 – recipe notes and photos updated 3/2/22}
Joanne says
My favorite frosting!
Anonymous says
that sounds absolutely amazing! such a simple recipe too.
marilyn s says
Just made this (double batch). Absolutely divine! Thanks.
Anonymous says
do you think this would work if I used white chocolate chips? Where do you think the white chocolate would freeze up on me?
Mary says
I've never tried it myself, but it's worth a shot. Let me know how it works for you!
SO10sUL says
Ugh. Needs 2-3 Tbsp milk – made all the difference.
Mary says
Glad that worked for you! Sometimes a little milk makes all the difference with frosting.
Anonymous says
I used dark chocolate chips! Absolutely delicious!!!
kcooper says
Would this hold up for a 2-tier decorated cake? I would be able to keep it refrigerated until the 2-hr reception starts.
Mary says
This is a light, fluffy frosting and it's very soft and creamy. While I think it might work for a layer cake, I wouldn't try it for the first time for an important occasion. I suspect that it might be too soft for the layers.
Anonymous says
How does this hold up for piping onto cupcakes? Does it melt and disfigure easily?
Mary says
It will pipe fine, but I'm guessing you'll want to keep them refrigerated until serving. It might not hold shape very well at room temperature. That said, my opinion is influenced by a life spent in warm weather, so your experience may be different from mine.
Anonymous says
How much would 1 cup of butter be in grams?
Mary says
There are 227 grams in a cup of butter.
Amanda says
Just made it for my son’s birthday cake. You ate right about wanting to eat it straight out the bowl – it is divine!!! But now i have a problem …. I only used half ( school asks that we limit the frosting😦) . Any idea how long it will keep in the fridge? Have you ever frozen it?
Mary says
I haven’t frozen this frosting, but I’m fairly certain it sure work fine. Just thaw in the refrigerator and stir well when ready to use. It might be a bit less fluffy, but I’m guessing it would work. It should keep for a week or two in the refrigerator without issue.
Amanda says
Thanks. My daughter’s birthday is next week so I will refrigerate til then. It is deeeelicious!
Marj Ketchum says
I might have more success once I’m more experiences making this, but I had a problem with the chocolate chips. I have a powerful microwave and so reduced the time to melt the chips, then waited for the chocolate to cool as instructed. Maybe I waited to long, because I had small bits of chocolate peppered throughout the icing, and a few clumps. I didn’t put a thick layer of icing on. Cutting the cake after refrigerating it is found the icing was quite hard. Not hard as a rock, mind you, but certainly harder than ‘fluffy’. Leaving it out for an hour might help this issue. Did taste great, however.
Kay says
I almost missed it, too – the “still until smooth” part after the melting part.
Amy Frantz says
do you have a recipe for a not too sweet vanilla frosting?
Christy says
Can you use this frosting for cake pops also?? Curious I have tried it yet.
Kay says
Thanks for telling us how much it makes. I always think more is better and double recipes for frosting so there is LOTS, but I won’t with this one. I’m going to putt it on a 9 x 13 pan of brownies!!
Christine says
Curious if this frosting will pipe good stars for monkey and teddy bear cakes?
Mary says
If should work well, you’ll want to plan on refrigerating the finished cake though.
cheryl-lynn burt says
I use cocoa instead of chips and add a little cream or milk .
Elisa says
How much did you add?
Deb Hansen says
Does this frosting need to be refrigerated? Based on the ingredients, I wouldn’t think so., however not sure how it will hold up at room tenpersture. What if I want to pipe it on cupcakes?
Thanks! I love it!
Mary says
The frosting will pipe nicely. It typically holds fine at room temperature. However, for frosting piping with more shape, you could certainly pop the cupcakes in the refrigerator to be certain it will keep perfectly.
Nancy says
Oh my ~~ this looks delish!!!