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This unbelievable homemade Chocolate Frosting Recipe is made with only 4 simple ingredients. It starts off as a rich ganache, and then it’s whipped into a fluffy, spreadable consistency you’ll absolutely love.
There are many ways to make chocolate frosting, but this whipped ganache method is my favorite. Whether you’re using dark chocolate or milk chocolate, you can easily whip up a batch of delicious frosting that is light-years beyond store-bought frosting.
Using this delicious, easy frosting recipe on cakes, cupcakes, cookies, bars, and even graham crackers (am I the only one that did that as a child?). It’s light, fluffy, and best of all, fast.
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Bittersweet chocolate: Pick a high quality dark chocolate that is around 60% to 70% cacao. The tastier the chocolate, the better the frosting.
- Heavy cream: You want heavy cream or heavy whipping cream so the frosting sets up. Unfortunately, the recipe won’t work with half-and-half or whole milk.
- Salt: A pinch of salt really makes the chocolate flavor pop.
Step-by-step instructions
- Set a glass or metal bowl over a pot of gently simmering water to create a double boiler (do not let the water touch the bowl). Add heavy cream to bowl and heat until the cream feels hot to the touch (140 to 150 degrees). Add chocolate and melt, whisking until smooth. Remove the bowl from heat and place in refrigerator to cool, stirring occasionally, about 2 hours (see note 4 for how to use an ice bath).
- Stir in the vanilla and salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer fit with the whisk attachment, or with an electric hand mixer, mix on medium-high speed until mixture is firm enough to hold a soft dollop, about 1-2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. The frosting texture will continue to firm up as it sits.
Recipe tips and variations
- Ice bath: Speed up the process of cooling the chocolate frosting and use an ice bath. Place the bowl in a slightly larger bowl of ice water, stirring constantly, to chill the ganache quicker.
- Yield: One recipe makes 4 cups of frosting, which should be enough for a 9-inch cake with 2 layers or at least 2 dozen cupcakes. You can halve or double the recipe depending on how much frosting you need.
- Storage: Use right away, or cover the unbeaten ganache in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. When ready to use, whip with an electric mixer until fluffy. Chocolate frosting is best enjoyed at room temperature, but may soften if your house is too warm.
- Make ahead: After beating, the frosting will thicken up and may need to be beaten again before using.
- Freezer: Freeze the cooled (but not whipped) ganache for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, and beat until fluffy when completely thawed.
- Keep it dry: Don’t let even a drop of water or moisture get into the chocolate and cream mixture. It can cause your chocolate ganache to seize up and turn hard.
- Use glass or metal bowls: Avoid plastic mixing bowls which can make the consistency grainy.
- Glaze: Make a simple Powdered Sugar Icing for your muffins. In a medium bowl, add 2 cups confectioners sugar and 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract. Add water or milk (start with 3 tablespoons) until you reach your desired consistency to drizzle.
- Cream cheese frosting: Cakes, cupcakes, cookies, and bars disappear in minutes when slathered with a thick layer of homemade Cream Cheese Frosting. This fluffy favorite only needs 4 ingredients and a few minutes to make. Use the paddle attachment of your mixer on low speed to start, then increase to medium speed until fluffy.
- Homemade whipped cream: By hand or by mixer, I’ll teach you How to Make Whipped Cream (so much better than canned!) with 3 ingredients and in 5 minutes! Use this homemade whipped cream in shortcakes, pies, sundaes, and so much more.
Frequently Asked Questions
Many chocolate frostings, but not all, are buttercream. Chocolate buttercream frosting is made with butter, shortening, powdered sugar, vanilla, and unsweetened cocoa powder. You can make it quickly and it pipes perfectly on cakes and cupcakes. Beyond buttercream, chocolate frosting could have a base such as whipped cream (like this recipe) or cream cheese.
Appearance-wise, Dutch process cocoa powder usually has a darker hue than natural cocoa powder. Baking-wise, natural cocoa powder is acidic and Dutch process cocoa powder is not. What does that mean?
The acid in natural cocoa powder will react with alkaline leavening agents such as baking soda to and make baked goods rise.
Dutch-process cocoa powder is not acidic and will not naturally react with alkaline leavening agents such as baking soda to help them rise. Therefore, you must use baking powder in those recipes. Baking powder is neutral and will react with the Dutch-process cocoa powder to produce the rise.
In recipes where there is no “rising” of baked goods, such as in Hot Cocoa, Flourless Chocolate Cake, or this chocolate frosting recipe, the type of cocoa powder doesn’t matter.
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Chocolate Frosting Recipe
Ingredients
- 10 ounces bittersweet chocolate finely chopped (see note 1)
- 2 ¼ cups heavy cream (see note 2)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt optional (see note 3)
Instructions
- Set a glass or metal bowl over a pot of gently simmering water to create a double boiler (do not let the water touch the bowl). Add heavy cream to bowl and heat until the cream feels hot to the touch (140 to 150 degrees).
- Add chocolate and whisk until smooth. Remove the bowl from heat and place in refrigerator to cool, stirring occasionally, about 2 hours (see note 4 for how to use an ice bath).
- Stir in the vanilla and salt. In a standing mixer fit with the whisk attachment, or with an electric hand mixer, mix on medium-high speed until mixture is firm enough to hold a soft dollop. The frosting will continue to firm up as it sits.
Notes
- Bittersweet chocolate: Pick a good chocolate that is around 60% to 70% cacao. The tastier the chocolate, the better the frosting.
- Heavy cream: You want heavy cream or heavy whipping cream so the frosting sets up. Unfortunately, the recipe won’t work with half-and-half or whole milk.
- Salt: A pinch of salt really makes the chocolate flavor pop.
- Ice bath: Speed up the process of cooling the chocolate frosting and use an ice bath. Place the bowl in a slightly larger bowl of ice water, stirring constantly, to chill the ganache quicker.
- Yield: One recipe makes 4 cups of frosting, which should be enough for a 9-inch cake with 2 layers or at least 2 dozen cupcakes.
- Make ahead: After beating, the frosting will thicken up and may need to be beaten again before using.
- Storage: Use right away, or cover the unbeaten ganache and refrigerate for up to 5 days. When ready to use, beat until fluffy. Chocolate frosting is best enjoyed at room temperature, but may soften if your house is too warm.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
I made only a quarter portion of this for micro-baking and it was AWESOME. Will definitely be book marking this and using it a lot.