Fudgy Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

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This is such an easy chocolate buttercream frosting recipe! Made with both chocolate chips & cocoa powder, this chocolate buttercream has the best of both worlds. It’s a rich chocolate frosting that’s perfect for piping onto cakes, cupcakes and more!

THE BEST CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting is a classic that can be used in so many ways. I have a couple versions I want to share with you, but the first is this Fudgy Chocolate Buttercream Frosting. There’s no doubt that the classic chocolate buttercream made with cocoa powder is wonderful, but there’s absolutely something to be said for adding melted chocolate. It makes the best chocolate buttercream frosting!

This frosting is absolutely perfect because it uses both cocoa powder and melted chocolate chips (you could also use something like Ghirardelli chocolate). It gives the buttercream a rich chocolate flavor like no other. The majority of the flavor comes from the melted chocolate, but the cocoa gives it that little bump to take it over the top. It’s like eating soft chocolate fudge and it’s totally addicting!

HOW TO MAKE CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

To make this Fudgy Chocolate Buttercream Frosting, you’ll start by melting the chocolate chips. I melt them in the microwave, but you could also melt them over the stove. For the microwave, heat them for about 10 seconds at a time, stirring well between each interval so that the heat is evenly distributed and the chocolate melts evenly.

Fudgy Chocolate Buttercream Frosting piped into a clear glass jar
Fudgy Chocolate Buttercream Frosting on a beater blade

Set the melted chocolate aside to cool a bit while you move on.

Next up is the butter. The recipe calls for unsalted butter, which gives you more control over the amount of salt added to the buttercream frosting. A buttercream that is too salty is no good.

Beat the butter until it’s smooth, then add the cocoa powder and mix until well combined and smooth. You could use regular cocoa or even a dark cocoa. It simply depends on the flavor and color you’d like to have.

Add half of the powdered sugar and mix until well combined and smooth, then add the melted and cooled chocolate. Stir until well combined.

Once the chocolate had been added, add the salt and 3-4 tablespoons of heavy whipping cream and mix until well combined.

Finally, add the remainder of the powdered sugar and mix until well combined and smooth. You can add additional heavy cream, as needed, to get the right buttercream frosting consistency. You might want something a little more stiff if you’re going to be piping it onto cupcakes or using it with my tutorial for frosting a smooth cake, or you might want it a little softer. Your call, but you’ll control that by adding more or less cream to the mixture.

Fudgy Chocolate Buttercream Frosting piped onto a chocolate cupcake
Fudgy Chocolate Buttercream Frosting piped onto a chocolate cupcake, into a clear glass jar and on a beater blade

HOW TO USE CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

The ways you can use this Fudgy Chocolate Buttercream Frosting are pretty much unlimited, but here are some things that I love to use it with:

Homemade Moist Chocolate Cupcakes
Best Moist Chocolate Cake
Raspberry Chocolate Cake
Moist Vanilla Cupcakes
Moist Vanilla Layer Cake
Chocolate Coconut Cheesecake Cake

Fudgy Chocolate Buttercream Frosting piped onto a chocolate cupcake

More frostings you might enjoy:

Cream Cheese Frosting
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Print
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Fudgy Chocolate Buttercream Frosting piped onto a chocolate cupcake
Recipe

Fudgy Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

  • Author: Lindsay
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: No Bake
  • Cuisine: American

Description

An easy chocolate buttercream frosting recipe! Made with chocolate chips & cocoa powder, this buttercream is perfect for piping onto cakes & cupcakes!


Ingredients

12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips*
1 1/4 cups (280g) unsalted butter, room temperature*
3 tbsp (22g) natural unsweetened cocoa powder*
5 cups (575g) powdered sugar
1/4 tsp salt
58 tbsp (75-120ml) heavy whipping cream


Instructions

1. Add the chocolate chips to a medium sized bowl. Heat in 10 second increments, stirring well between each increment, until the chocolate has melted. Set aside to cool.
2. Add the butter to a large mixer bowl and beat until smooth.
3. Add the cocoa powder and mix until well combined.
4. Add about half of the powdered sugar and mix until well combined and smooth.
5. Add the cooled melted chocolate and mix until well combined.
6. Add the salt and 4 tablespoons of the heavy whipping cream and mix until well combined.
7. Add the remaining powdered sugar and mix until well combined and smooth.
8. Add additional heavy whipping cream as needed to get the right consistency of frosting. If you’d like to use this frosting on cupcakes, check out my tutorial for frosting cupcakes. If you’d like to use it to frost a cake, check out my tutorial for frosting a perfectly smooth cake with buttercream.


Notes

1. You could also use something like a Ghirardelli chocolate baking bar. Both would work very well.
2. Salted butter would also work fine, just be sure to leave out the additional salt.
3. Feel free to use regular or dark cocoa powder, depending on your preference.

To make the frosting ahead: You can make this buttercream frosting 2-3 days ahead and store it in an airtight container in the fridge. Bring it to room temperature before using, as it’ll be very thick when cold. This can also be made and frozen for 2-3 months. Thaw in the fridge, then bring to room temperature and give it a good stir before using.

This recipe makes enough buttercream frosting to frost about 16 cupcakes. To frost a 2 or 3 layer 8 inch cake, you’ll want to double the recipe.

Keywords: chocolate buttercream frosting, chocolate fudge frosting, chocolate buttercream, chocolate frosting, chocolate buttercream frosting recipe, how to make chocolate frosting

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19 Comments
  1. Cassie

    This was super easy & DELICIOUS!!! I’m not someone who bakes from scratch much, but this was so easy & so good!!! Only difference I made was that I used milk chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet.

  2. Lin

    Thank you so much for this delicious recipe! I don’t usually like chocolate frosting but, this! I can’t get enough! Yum!

Lindsay
About Lindsay

I'm a wife and a mom to twin boys and a baby girl! And I've got a serious sweets addiction! Bring on the treats!

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“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:28-29