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}
Nancy Bennett says
Silly question.. do you use salted or unsalted butter in this frosting recipe?
Mary Younkin says
Hi Nancy! I use salted butter in all of my recipes.
Cee Rose says
This. Was. Amazing! It didn’t make enough to frost a two layer 9” cake, so I did it naked cake style. HOWEVER, this is 100% a keeper. Not too sweet, a beautiful fluffiness, and just enough chocolate-richness. Thanks for this. This is the first recipe I’ve tried of yours, and I’m eager to try your other recipes.
Mary Younkin says
I’m so glad that you like the frosting, Cee!
Rayne says
OMG!!! This is the BEST frosting I have ever tasted. I made a chocolate devils food cake and used this frosting to top it, and the cake didnt last even two days before my family devoured it. Usually my cakes end up going moldy. Other frostings I have used, including the store bought ones are just way way too sweet. This will be my go to recipe for chocolate frosting for the rest of my days!! Thank you so much for sharing this gem with the rest of the world.
Do you have a similar recipe for vanilla frosting? If I can find a vanilla frosting as good as this, my frosting problems are over forever.
Mary Younkin says
I’m glad that you like it so much, Rayne! I am working on a vanilla one, but haven’t found one that equals this one yet.
Kathie Chmiel says
Easy to make and so fluffy and buttery! Awesome recipe- will make this again. Thank you!
Mary Younkin says
Glad you like it, Kathie.
Sally Pratt says
So true! Fluffiest frosting I’ve ever had. Excellent!
Mary Younkin says
So glad you like it!
Cheryl Frances Valentine says
1 CUP of butter seems like a LOT for such a small amount of frosting. Is this amount correct? 🙂
Mary Younkin says
Yes, that’s correct. This makes a good bit of frosting, Cheryl.
I.M says
No joke, this is the best chocolate frosting I’ve ever made!
I ended up adding an extra half cup of powdered sugar to make it a little bit thicker for piping, and it worked like a charm. It’s super rich and decadent without being overly sweet. This will 100% be my go-to recipe from now on!
Mary Younkin says
I’m thrilled that you’re loving it!
cindy says
Just made this today (Feb 10/2021) to go on my husband’s birthday cake.
It is DELICIOUS and super simple!
I was a little leery seeing is was still made with all that powdered sugar, however the semi sweet chocolate made all the difference.
I will now be my go to recipe for a not-so-sweet chocolate frosting!
Try it, you won’t be disappointed.
Thanks for posted it!
Mary Younkin says
I’m so happy to hear that you love the frosting, Cindy!
Lacey says
Can you make it with milk chocolate chips?
Mary Younkin says
I’m guessing that will work fine, Lacey. I haven’t tried it myself though.
Tracy says
Very good recipe .made more so I could eat it by the spoonfuls!!🤣
Mary Younkin says
So glad you like it, Tracy!
Dylan says
OMG, this frosting is so good, my only problem is that it didn’t make enough for all of my cupcakes but that was my fault for making so many, it was well over 2 dozen, so no issue with the recipe.
Mary Younkin says
I’m glad you like the frosting, Dylan.
Mara B says
No. Just way too much of everything. The only good was the fluffy part.
Mary Younkin says
Too much of everything isn’t super helpful, Mara. If it was too sweet for your tastes, you can probably reduce that a bit and tweak it to work for next time.
Kim says
Great chocolate frosting! Biggest plus is it’s not too sweet but creamy & light. Made it up for a birthday cake order, very happy to ice & hand to my customer.
Mary Younkin says
I’m so glad you like the frosting, Kim!
Erika says
Loved it. I used salted butter and dark chocolate still perfect. Fluffy and not extremely sweet. Loved it.
Mary Younkin says
I’m so glad you like the frosting, Erika!
Alicia says
I made this frosting for my sons birthday cake and it turned out great. I wanted something easily spreadable and fluffy but not as sweet as American butter cream and this did the trick. One question though, can you refrigerate this frosting? I made a frosting that used real chocolate in the past and it completely hardened in the fridge and was a weird consistency.
Mary Younkin says
This can be refrigerated, however, you are correct that it will not be quite the same. It should still soften at room temperature.
Phoenix Smith says
Can I let this frosting sit at room temp? I need to put an edible image on this frosting and the image cannot be refrigerated. If so, how long? Thank you! 🙂
I haven’t tried this yet, but will definitely update you once I have tried it out. I have never put melted chocolate in ABC frosting, but I am more than willing to give this a shot!
Mary Younkin says
This will be fine at room temperature.
Rachel says
Stop looking for a new chocolate frosting recipe because if your seeing this review, you’ve landed on the most delicious, fluffiest and easiest chocolate frosting you’ve ever had/made! I’m not a buttercream frosting fan at all so I’m always hesitant to try new recipes that don’t include cream cheese lol but y’all, let me tell ya, this is DANG good! I’m never googling or Pinterest searching for another chocolate frosting recipe again!
Just a little tidbit, if you plan to make an 8 or 9 inch layered cake and want some extra to decorate, definitely double up(:
Thank you for sharing Mary!
Mary Younkin says
What a great review! I’m thrilled that you love the frosting, Rachel.
Julia says
I read lots of reviews saying it wasn’t very sweet but to me personally it was very sweet and very “buttery” Ive made tons of plain/vanilla frostings that don’t taste buttery however I have not found a chocolate frosting that doesn’t taste like that. If you like/ don’t mind that taste then the recipe would be amazing but i personally don’t like that taste so it was ok. The consistency was very nice is was very fluffy which i like. It also only made about one piping bag (12″) worth of frosting which was not enough so i had to change my plans design wise.
Heidi Sanders says
You could sub half the butter for shortening if it’s too buttery and add a little bit of lemon juice to kill some of the sweetness.
Sheila seddon says
Love the recipes I’ve tried thank you for sharing your talent
Mary Younkin says
I’m glad you’re enjoying the recipes, Sheila!
Jordan says
I use this for most of my cakes and I have used white chocolate and milk chocolate. I always make way more than I need so the batch that I am thinking of usuing today is frozen. It has been frozen for a few months now. Should I defrost it and use it, or just start again? I love this recipe so much, thank you!
Mary Younkin says
It’s worth a shot defrosting it, Jordan. It will likely take a while to thaw to stirrable consistency.