Classic Chocolate Fudge Frosting
This classic Chocolate Fudge Frosting is rich and creamy, making it ideal for topping cakes, cupcakes, cookies, and brownies. It spreads like a dream and adds a nostalgic, homemade touch to any dessert.
My mom has been making this classic Chocolate Fudge Frosting for as long as I can remember. She puts it on her mom’s Cocoa Drop Cookies and frosts chocolate cakes with it. If she had leftover frosting, she’d spread it between graham crackers and put them in the freezer for a sweet treat after school for my brother and me.
The recipe is from her 1978 edition red Betty Crocker cookbook, but I’ve spotted it in recipe books going back to 1950. I’ve made the frosting dozens of times myself, including on this classic Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake and for jazzing up boxed brownie mix.
It’s smooth and creamy, with rich chocolate fudge flavor. It’s easy to make, very forgiving, and gets rave reviews (especially from chocolate fans). I hope you enjoy this one as much as my family does!
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Ingredients
- The key to this frosting is a box of unsweetened chocolate. I always use Baker’s brand, which is widely available.
- Any type of milk (skim, 2%, whole) works just fine here. It’s a small amount so the fat content doesn’t make a huge difference in the final product.
- If you’re using salted butter, skip the salt. If it’s unsalted butter, you’ll want to add a pinch to balance out the sweetness.
How to Make Chocolate Fudge Frosting
- Place the unsweetened chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30 second intervals until melted, stirring after each interval. Let cool to room temperature.
- Add the softened butter, powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt to the melted chocolate. Beat with a hand mixer until smooth and fluffy. (The bowl pictured in #2 needs a splash more milk to make it creamier!)
Frosting Troubleshooting
While this is easy to make, the consistency can vary slightly based on how you measure the powdered sugar and how much milk is used.
- If the frosting is lumpy, keep beating until it is smooth. Be sure to use softened butter before starting. Here’s a tutorial on how to soften butter quickly.
- If the frosting is grainy, add more milk. Start with 1–2 teaspoons at a time, and add more if needed.
- If the frosting looks wet, add more powdered sugar. Start with 2–3 tablespoons at a time, and add more if needed.
Kate’s Tips and Tricks
I like using an offset spatula (pictured above) for spreading the frosting. It spreads so much more easily than using a butter knife.
I use the “small cake” instructions in recipe card for frosting cookies (like Cocoa Drops) and a 9×9-inch pan of brownies. I use the “large cake” instructions for frosting 13×9-inch cakes and two-layer cakes.
The frosting will keep at room temperature for several days, so you can store frosted cakes and frosted cookies on the countertop, tightly covered.
The frosting by itself will keep in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for several days. Beat it with a hand mixer again before frosting your baked goods.
📖 Recipe
Classic Chocolate Fudge Frosting
Ingredients
For a large cake (13×9-inch or 2-layer)
- 4 oz unsweetened chocolate
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2–3 tablespoons milk
- Pinch of salt
For a small cake (9×9-inch cake or batch of cookies)
- 3 oz unsweetened chocolate
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2–3 tablespoons milk
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Place the unsweetened chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30 second intervals until melted. Let cool to room temperature.
- Add the softened butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and 2 tablespoons milk into the bowl with the melted chocolate.
- Use a handheld mixer to mix until the frosting is light and fluffy. Add an additional tablespoon of milk if the mixture looks too stiff or grainy.
- Spread the frosting over cake, cookies, brownies, etc.
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