Only the best homemade chocolate frosting! Spread on cake, brownies or cookies! So good and definitely chocolaty!
This is hands down the best chocolate frosting.
It’s pretty amazing how just butter, powdered sugar, cocoa, vanilla and milk can make something so magical. Speaking of cocoa powder, have you ever tried unsweetened cocoa on its own? It’s disgusting.
Once when my girls where littles, they wanted to try it because it looks and smells really good. How could you blame them? After all, curious minds want to know. I told them that it’s missing sugar so it will taste awful, and of course they didn’t believe me so I let them try a little. And they quickly spat it out into the sink. Maybe now they’ll finally start listening to me?
Doubtful.
This frosting recipe is great because it’s so adaptable. You can change it up by using different extracts such as; mint, almond or coconut. I have made coconut before and the almond reminds me of my mom’s frosting when I was a kid. Vanilla is more universally liked and the one I use the most, especially for homemade brownies.
To Make This Homemade Chocolate Frosting Recipe You Will Need:
- unsalted butter [softened to room temperature]
- powdered sugar
- unsweetened cocoa powder
- milk
- pure vanilla extract.
Over a large bowl, sift 3 cups of powdered sugar.
Next, sift 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder.
Sifting the dry ingredients will insure a velvety smooth frosting.
Add 1 stick unsalted butter to a mixing bowl or bowl of your stand mixer.
Cream the butter on low speed until smooth.
Then add one cup of the sifted cocoa/sugar to the butter/vanilla mixture.
Next add 1 cup of the cocoa mixture into the bowl with the butter and then 1 tablespoon of milk.
Alternate adding the cocoa mixture and milk until you’ve used up all of the cocoa/sugar mixture and the frosting has reached a desirable consistency.
Scrape down the sides as you go. Lastly, add in 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract.
That’s it! Perfect chocolate frosting!
What To Do if Frosting is Too Thin:
Simply add a little more powdered sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is reached. I like a thinner frosting for cakes.
What to do if Frosting is Too Thick:
If you find your frosting on the thick side, add a small splash more milk, about 1 teaspoon at a time until you get the consistency you want. I like thicker frosting for brownies.
This is my favorite frosting for brownies! It’s so chocolate and perfect. I never really liked store bought frosting, homemade is totally where it’s at.
So so incredibly good!
Click Here For More Homemade Frosting Recipes!
When my kids were little, they would circle around like vultures hoping I’d give them each a beater. I always give in. 😉
Enjoy! And if you give this Homemade Chocolate Frosting recipe a try, let me know! Snap a photo and tag me on twitter or instagram!
Homemade Chocolate Frosting
Ingredients
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
- 5 to 6 tablespoons whole milk, more or less depending on how thin or thick you like it
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a mesh sieve set over a large bowl, work in batches and sift the sugar and cocoa. Set aside.
- Next, add the butter to another mixing bowl and mix until smooth.
- Add 1 cup of the cocoa mixture and 1 tablespoon of milk. Mix to combine.
- Alternate until all of the cocoa/sugar mixture is combined adding a tablespoon of milk after every cup of the mixture until the frost reaches a desired consistency.
- see notes for adjusting consistency.
Notes
Buy the Cookbook: Simply Scratch : 120 Wholesome Homemade Recipes Made Easy Now available on Amazon »
THANK YOU in advance for your support!
Yummy, I had 3 brownies yesterday with this frosting.
I just found your site while looking for a recipe. I'm glad I found you. I too love to cook and I too have been on a mission to make as much from scratch as possible. I do make my own pasta. I used a manual pasta maker for a year and this past Christmas I got an electric pasta maker that I just LOVE! I get excited when I find something that taste good and is homemade.
Sandra
Sandra~ I would love to know whta pasta maker you have… would you mind sending me a link? Thanks!!
I could dive head-first into a vat of this frosting, I do believe!
That's my favorite chocolate recipe as well! I actually melt the butter though and it still turs out fabulous every time!!
Amen Wendy!
Evan ~ never thought to use melted butter… hmmm I should try that!! 🙂
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A flippin’ AMAZING! This is delish and my very, VERY picky eaters (husband included) LOVED this. Thank you!!!!!!!
my wife try’d this frosting for a homade cake this evening and must have done something wrong because it had the texture of wet sand but…. and i must say it was awsome she really tried and i love her for it!!!! KUDOS for trying
This is a bit too late but it may help others…
You need to use room temperature butter. It has to be somewhat soft, because if you just toss in a stick of butter from the refrigerator and it was not given enough time to sit out and reach room temperature, the icing will come out chunky because the butter is hard. But if the butter is soft, it comes out perfect and creamy.
thanks so much for sharing! I just whipped this up. It was a lifesaver for a recipe disaster! Ended up with peanut butter cookie pie with this chocolate icing…yuuummm!
Yay! I’m so glad Katie! That sounds DELICIOUS!
Yay!
I have long searched for a basic delicious chocolate frosting recipe.
I like ganache and I have a great cooked/cracked fudge like frosting recipe, but sometimes a from scratch birthday cake calls for a better-than-the-can simple recipe.
This is it!
My six kiddos are giant fans already after licking the beaters.
And – uh – there was a perfect amount leftover that I stashed in the fridge and have been sneaking spoonfuls of – incredible!
Thanks!
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This is my first time making scratch frosting and it came out AWESOME, the ingredients and directions are easy to follow and it taste great per my family!!!! Thanks for making my homemade frosting a success.
I’m so glad Marlena! You are SO welcome 🙂
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Can you use fat free milk? Only because I never have whole in the house….
Hi Hillary! I don’t see why not, go for it! 🙂
Fat free worked fabulously! Only had 2 cups powdered sugar so cut everything back and still had enough to frost double layered banana cake. And the best thing of all, the entire thing is 100% organic!! New favorite go-to icing recipe!! Gonna try adding some peanut butter next time for chocolate peanut butter iced chocolate cake.
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Do you know about how many cupcakes this recipe will ice? I am planning on baking about 200 and just trying to get an idea. Thanks so much!
USED SOUR CREAM INSTEAD OF MILK (BECAUSE OF COURSE I WENT TO GET THE MILK AND THE KIDS USED IT ALL) TURNED OUT WONDERFUL! 🙂
LOVE TO MAKE MY FOODS FROM SCRATCH
THANK YOU
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I make this icing myself and for a different spin for a mocha flavor you can use coffee for the liquid. Or you can use it for half the liquid to taste.
This is the best icing recipe ever! Everyone loved it and it was very simple! Thanks for sharing!
Oh my goodness….this is one of the best recipes I’ve ever done….I totally flopped on the last fudge icing recipe (the cooked kind). This was so easy and turned out fabulous. I did alter the recipe just a tad…..I started making it and realized I didn’t have any vanilla extract so I substituted almond extract and it worked great…..I did melt the butter as I had seen someone post that you could do that and it did work better for me and my arthritic hands. Thank you thank you thank you…..LOVE this and will be making this regularly…..or as much as I can get away with. 🙂
Yayyyyy! Thanks for coming back and leaving a review Michelle! So glad it worked for you!
Tastes great, thanks for a superior recipe 😀
Keeping it over night once cake is frosted do I need to keep in fridge for next day or can I keep cake frosted at room temp.overnight?
Hi Darlene! If it were me, I would leave it out after the one night. But you could do either. 🙂 Enjoy!
Making microwave cake needed frosting this recipe is great and easy to do my my grgrands will love it
That’s great to hear, Roberta! Thanks for taking the time to make the recipe and leave a comment!
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Very good frosting.
Thank you, Gloria!
Do leftovers have to be refrigerated?
Hi Nicholas! Because of the milk in it, I would. 🙂
Made the frosting with my sons for wife/mom’s birthday cake. Used half/half and had that smooth milk chocolate taste. Very good.
Hello,
I made your chocolate icing it was delicious!
I followed the directions carefully! Triple checked even. The texture of the frosting was too thick to spread on the cake it was after adding additional oil and heating the icing for one minute was I able to get the icing to spread. The broke apart in some places but was absolutely delicious.
The recipe may not have accurate information please review so accurate measurement on ingredients can be adjusted.
Hi Donald! I’m so glad you enjoyed the frosting recipe! The ingredients are indeed accurate. As stated in the post and recipe: if ever a frosting is too thick, try thinning out with a little bit more milk until it reaches a desired consistency. I think adding oil is why it broke in spots. Thanks for taking the time to make and review this recipe, it’s greatly appreciated!