Ever wanted to know how to make your own chocolate frosting?
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Ever wanted to try your very own chocolate icing recipe?
You’re not alone. Learning how to make chocolate frosting is something so many of us want to do. I used to be the one going to Pinterest to try to figure it out, but then when the time comes….well, life gets busy! Let’s face it: how often do you go to look things up on Pinterest just to run to the store and grab the fastest thing off the shelf?
I want to make sure we stop that today! Learning how to make your own chocolate frosting is so much easier than you think!
Why should you keep a chocolate icing recipe handy instead of simply buying a jar from the store?
I think that chocolate frosting is just as important to making a delicious cake as the cake recipe itself.
Actually, I may even say that a chocolate frosting recipe is more important than the cake recipe.
That’s right!
We often try to find the perfect cake recipe, just to put store-made icing on the cake. But if you want to really wow people at a birthday or another party, it’s the frosting or icing that will grab their attention!
(Trust me. As amazing as this small chocolate cake recipe is, people always want to know about the frosting!)
Is learning how to make your own chocolate frosting actually easy?
You bet it is! I’m definitely not for false advertising. How many times do we go to Pinterest to try to look up “easy ________ recipes”, just for there to be complicated ingredients that we have to go on some crazy scavenger hunt at the store to find?! (Or we used to before Amazon. Now I just use Amazon Prime to go on my crazy scavenger hunts, LOL!)
But when I say that this is one of the easiest chocolate frosting recipes to make, I mean it. It usually only takes me about 10 minutes to whip this incredible chocolate icing together.
On top of that, the chocolate frosting flavor is beyond excellent. The texture is smooth and soft. It melts in your mouth in the most incredible way.
Just be warned: everyone and their neighbor is going to ask you for this recipe.
Rich chocolate frosting (Homemade!)
Just how much frosting does this chocolate frosting recipe make?
This recipe we have here is designed to make two cups of frosting. I love the recipe this way because it is just enough to frost a 13×9 inch cake.
Of course, you can always cut this recipe in half if you are making a 9-inch cake. Win-win situation!
One thing to note though:
If you decide to make a layer cake, I would recommend to either make one and a half batches or to double the recipe. You want enough chocolate frosting to frost the inside layer, the sides, and the top.
The secret ingredient to this chocolate icing recipe…
There is one secret ingredient to the recipe.
Okay, it is not secret at all, but the secretive part is it is what makes the flavor richer than any other chocolate frosting you have had in the past!
This is the ingredient that will make people wonder: What is different about this recipe compared to other chocolate frosting recipes?
To add the special touch to this recipe, you want to make sure to find really good unsweetened cocoa when making the chocolate frosting. (Click that cocoa link if you want to avoid that in-the-store scavenger hunt we were just talking about! Again, I want to make this as easy as possible for you!)
You want the chocolate flavor to be rich and amazing. Homemade Chocolate Frosting has the richest chocolate flavor!
Anything else I need to know about this recipe before I begin?
Nope! It’s literally that easy. Unless you need to know the obvious: the chocolate frosting literally glides across the surface of the cake. You’re going to be obsessed with this recipe- you’ll never want to go back!
You are going to love how simple this chocolate frosting is to make. Why buy prepackaged when you can make homemade? You will be the hit of any party and will be able to surprise people when you are able to tell them that the chocolate frosting was made from scratch. Make sure you pin below for later so you can share it with anyone who asks how your chocolate frosting was so delicious. Enjoy!
How can you say no to such delicious looking chocolate frosting?!
PIN IT FOR LATER
If you looking for more delicious homemade chocolate recipes from Bunny’s Warm Oven try one of these !
Chocolate Bottom Banana Cake...Oatmeal Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Bars…Homemade Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting…Orange Milk Chocolate Cupcakes...Almond Joy Chocolate Torte
Homemade Chocolate Frosting
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup butter
- 2/3 cup cocoa
- 2 - 2/3 cups powdered sugar
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1 Teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a small sauce pan over low heat. Add the cocoa, stir until the mixture is smooth and thick. Remove the pan from the heat and place the cocoa mixture into a medium size bowl. Let it cool slightly.
- Add the milk and vanilla alternately with the powdered sugar to the bowl and beat with an electric mixer or whisk until you have the spreading consistency you desire.
Video
Looking for more frosting recipes? Try these from other bloggers.Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe…. White Chocolate Cream Cheese Buttercream
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Hi can I replace the butter for Ghee butter in this recpe? Also can I substitute the milk for any other type of milk(like Soy Milk)?
Was planning on using this recipe for a cake this Friday for a Lactose Bday Boy. Any suggestion is greatly appreciated.
Thank you!
I’ve never made any substitutions in the recipe but I think you could get away with using another milk but I’m just not sure about the Ghee butter Lily. I’ve never used it.
Awesome recipe! It came out like chocolate silk! Spread across the cake beautifully and tasted divine! I increased the recipe by half and it was more than enough to frost a two layer cake. The fact that it was fast and easy was a bonus. I’ve always used canned frosting but found myself without any. I’m so glad i found your website! Not only was the chocolate frosting better than any I’ve used before but I’m excited to try some of the other recipes on here. Thank you Bunny!
Fantastic Mary! Homemade is so much better and this recipe really is quick and easy, I’m glad you tried it and loved it sweetie!
This looks AMAZING! Is it possible to sub the milk with almond milk? No big deal I just only have it in my fridge lol Can’t wait to make for my husbands birthday tomorrow with my twin 3 year old helper bakers! ❤️
Kayla, I’ve never used almond milk but if you do come back and let me know. I think it would be ok though.
YUM!! Thank you, I searched everywhere for a simple but amazing frosting, and this is it!! I used really good cocoa (Scharffen Berger unsweetened, 100% cacao) and less than 12oz of powdered sugar… it was perfect!! I’m going to use this recipe every time.
Wonderful Kate, it is just that isn’t it, simple an absolutely delicious! Thank you for taking the time to come back and tell me.
I made the frosting again. Hubby wanted another cake because he only got a small piece of the last one I made. Still delicious!
Tee your going to spoil him LOL! Happy he got a piece and the frosting was delicious the second time around. Thank you Tee for coming back to tell me!
I never comment in websites but the bible says give honor to whom it is due. Loved the recipe!!! Thanks a lot. God bless you😚❤
Thank you so much Julie. I can’t think of anything better than to be blessed and that’s what happens every time someone comes here and makes a recipe and loves it. Thank you so much, God Bless YOU!
I didn’t have my electric mixer so I just wisked by hand and I can’t get rh consistency right. I’d love to know where I went wrong. It just hasn’t thickend up like I imagined it would.
It really is best to use the mixer for this recipe, it smooths the frosting wonderfully. Did you add the amount of milk in the recipe? I normally have to add just a tad more but not much. If it’s loose, add a tad more powdered sugar, if it’s too thick, add a tab more milk. Does it have lumps in it? I wish I could see it so I could help you more
I wish it would let me add an image. It’s really smooth not any lumps and I tried gradually adding the powdered sugar as to not make it lumpy and try to keep the consistency right but it still would up a bit on the runny side. Seemed he more powdered sugar I added the sweeter it got but really didn’t do much to make it thicker.
I’ve never made homemade frosting and found your recipe. It came out perfectly! Now, the cake was overcooked but the frosting was a big hit :). Thank you!!
Hi Liz, you can’t go wrong with this one! Thank you for coming back to tell me, I appreciate it!
My frosting was a liquid how should I fix this
Did you add the powdered sugar?
Same here 😔
Bunny – never commented on a recipe before, but this frosting was perfect! However, I am making my son’s 5th birthday cake this week and need some white frosting to color for grass and other things. Do you have a vanilla frosting recipe like this that I could use for grass and some minor decorations on a “race car” birthday cake? Thank you in advance! Amy
Amy I don’t have a white frosting recipe but I did look online for you and found this one. If you read the blog post you’ll see this woman use to make wedding cakes and this is the recipe she used and still uses. http://savorysweetlife.com/2010/03/buttercream-frosting/
Thanks so much! I tried this and it was a bit too sweet for what we wanted. Ended up using this instead and it wasn’t quite as sweet: http://www.bostongirlbakes.com/2017/09/07/the-best-buttercream-frosting/ It definitely needed to be freshly whipped before icing, but was very light and held shapes well!
Is powdered sugar the same as “icing sugar” in Australia?
Thanks
Yes Ria powdered sugar is icing sugar. It’s fluffy and white and used to make icing.
This was an AMAZING recipe it tastes sooo good!
Thank you so much Bliss!!
Does this only turn out right if you have an electric mixer? I just mixed mine by hand and it was way too thin and was horribly bitter. I did everything the instructions inquired me to do, besides use an electric mixer. Don’t bake enough to spend that much money on something I’ll only use once a year.
Rhianna yes it works best with an electric mixer or at the very least a whisk.
Hi, please I want to know what type of milk you used for this recipe. Thank you.
Whole milk Eva.
We made it with a very high quality unsweetened almond milk (Califia Farms) and it was fabulous.
This is a very good frosting. I’m always looking fr new things to try. I think if it is homemade it’s best.. And this frosting is Best. 🙂
Thank you Audrey!
Yum- I made a cake from ingredients I had in the house and then found your frosting recipe which also had ingredients I happen to have, so easy and tasty- thanks for helping a sweet tooth/sugar addict out! Only change was I used coconut almond milk since I don’t drink cows milk. Worked out great!
I love it Jennifet, the cake , the frosting all from ingredients you had at home. Can’t beat homemade sweetie. You did awesome!
Thank you for this wonderful recipe! I tried it when I had only put 1 cup of powdered sugar in it, and it was still so good, even without extra sugar! However, it was not the right consistency, so I added 1/2 a cup extra. I can’t wait to use it on the cake I have in the oven right now! Thank you!
lol just realized how many explanation points I put into the comment
Your welcome Diana! And …I think I use more !!!! than you do LOL!
My frosting came out a little runny what do I do ???
Stephanie, add a little more powdered sugar until you get it the consistency you want it.
This recipe was really easy to make but it was a little bitter. We added extra sugar buy it never got to that yummy chocolate-ness.
If I’m making a 3 layer 9” cake and and am putting a border top and bottom do I need to double recipe?
TJ I don’t know a whole lot about decorating cakes but I’d double it if I were you. It frosts a 13×9 in cake nicely with the frosting recipes as is. You have 3 layers either make a batch and a half or just double it.