The Best Homemade Chocolate Frosting You’ll Ever Taste
Homemade frosting has become a lost art. Sad, but true. Those cans of frosting are quick but not nearly as delicious as a homemade frosting. Plus, with a homemade frosting, you know exactly what you are getting – no artificial ingredients! This is why I love, what I truly believe is, the best homemade chocolate frosting recipe you’ll ever taste.
Growing up, my Mom traditionally made buttercream frosting. We could pick the color. I recall a lot of green for some reason. I still like buttercream, but my mother-in-law’s easy chocolate icing recipe is a new favorite of mine. Of course, she told me that she got it from the Hershey’s cocoa container but I still consider it hers – and it’s good.
This simple chocolate fudge frosting recipe makes rich icing that spreads perfectly on cupcakes, cakes or cookies. It’s my go-to chocolate frosting for cupcakes and cakes!
I realize I’m speaking boldly by saying this is the best homemade chocolate frosting. I’ve tasted a lot of frosting. I prefer frosting over the cake any day. So, when I say it’s the best, that is my humble opinion. You’ll have to try it and let me know if you agree. It’s the best homemade chocolate frosting that I have ever tasted. Nothing else compares!
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Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla (I’ve bought this vanilla in Texas for years, and it’s the only vanilla I’ll use!)
Directions:
Melt butter and stir in cocoa. Add vanilla.
Alternate adding milk and powdered sugar to the cocoa mixture. Beat on medium speed with a mixer to get frosting to a spreadable consistency.
Now, frost whatever your heart desires! Frost a cupcake or frost a cake. Frost a saltine (salty) or frost a graham cracker (sweet). Or, if you love a good frosting as much as I do, enjoy a spoonful of frosting all by itself! Try this once, and I guarantee you’ll love it.
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Best Homemade Chocolate Frosting
A delicious recipe for what is truly the best homemade chocolate frosting. You’ll never buy store bought frosting again!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter
- 2/3 cup cocoa
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Melt butter and stir in cocoa. Add vanilla.
- Alternate adding milk and powdered sugar to the cocoa mixture. Beat on medium speed with a mixer to get frosting to a spreadable consistency.
- Now, frost whatever your heart desires! Frost a cupcake or frost a cake. Enjoy!
Was searching for an easy choc frosting recipe and came upon this one- just made it and it was not only very easy and quick but also delicious- thanks!
Hi! I added 1cup of miniature marshmallows and 1cup of chopped walnuts to put on top of brownies. Rocky Road Brownies! Thank you for sharing this frosting recipe.
Oh, I love this idea, Kimberly! Thanks for sharing! And I’m so glad you like the frosting as much as I do!
Help! I don’t know what I did wrong. I thought I follow the directions exactly how they said but my icing turned out separated. It almost seems like it’s oily and the consistency is it fluffy and smooth. What did I do wrong?
Hmm. I don’t know! Did you use margarine instead of butter? That is the only thing I can think of but even that shouldn’t make too big of a difference, I wouldn’t think.
Can you recommend a good cocoa powder? Can’t wait to make this for an upcoming graduation party:)
I have made this with Hershey’s cocoa, Nestle’s cocoa and generic Aldi’s cocoa. No matter which cocoa I use, the frosting is always delicious! I hope you enjoy it too!
Thank you!! I have Hershey’s and Nestle in my pantry – yay! I get so confused by the Dutch cocoa powders and the regular. Thrilled to find your recipe!!
Mary
This frosting came out beautifully! Thank you for sharing your recipe. I have failed at making frosting a couple of times and gave up completely. Well Im glad I tried again with this recipe! Success!
Yay, Maryanne! This is one of my favorite recipes, and I’m glad you fell in love with it too! Yay for delicious (and easy!) frosting!
Thanks for the recipe, you mentioned putting extra in the fridge – just wondering how long it might keep in the fridge or if you have ever tried to freeze it. Waiting for our second baby to come and would like to use it on some cupcakes after it’s arrival. Thanks!
Hmm. I have not tried freezing it but I have frozen different frosting before…so I would guess it would work. It will also keep in the fridge for several weeks, if you can keep from eating spoonfuls of it! 🙂 Congratulations on the new baby, and I’m thinking of you as you wait!
Hi Kristen! My hand mixer is broken and I have no stand mixer sadly. I’ve been searching the internet high and low for an icing recipe that can be made by hand but there doesn’t seem to be anything decent. Do you think this recipe would work using a good old fashioned whisk?
Hi, Mindy! I certainly do think you could make this frosting with a whisk or wooden spoon. It will be a bit more time consuming, but stir away and give it a try! Good luck!
My familiy loves when I make this, and don’t open a can; it does taste SO much better!
I’m so glad your family loves it as much as we do! 🙂
Hi Kristin!
Quick question, after frosting cake or cupcakes, do they need to be refrigerated? I don’t particularly like my baked goods cold, but wasnt sure if it is safe to leave the frosted cupcakes in a sealed container without refrigerating them…. thanks!
Hi, Tracey! Good question. If you are eating the frosted baked goods within a day or two, you’ll be just fine! If I have leftover frosting, I do refrigerate it until I’m ready to use it again, letting it soften on the counter, just before frosting again. I hope that helps…And enjoy the frosting!
This is by far the easiest and best tasting homemade chocolate frosting. I will never use canned frosting again. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe.
Oh, I’m so glad you like it, Karen! It really is amazing, isn’t it? I have been known to eat it by the spoon, it’s so good! 🙂
Can you share your mom’s buttercream frosting recipe? I would love to try it.
Thanks for sharing. I am going to try this soon! I don’t make frosting very often (I’m more of a pie person) but I really don’t like the canned frostings very well, so this will be a good alternative.
I agree, Addy! I will make pie or cookies or brownies before I ever make cake. That said, if and when I do make cake or cupcakes, this is my go-to frosting. It is ten times better than any of the canned frostings, and comes together so quickly! I hope you enjoy it!
Hi, is the cocoa in this recipe unsweetened?
Yes it is! I only use unsweetened cocoa in my baking. I hope you enjoy the frosting!
Hi!
I found your website and I am going to try this out soon, for I don’t like can frostings lol…since my husband keeps eating from them I figure to try it out by scratch!. It looks easy and not a long list of ingredients too! I will let you know 🙂
Hi, Teresa! I hope you enjoy this frosting recipe. Since my mother-in-law made it for me, it has become one of my favorites. It really is simple, and quite delicious with a very rich chocolate flavor. I’ll be curious to hear what you think!
Oh my goodness I just made this frosting for the first time yesterday! I needed frosting (truthfully, I usually use the can stuff but was out) and found this recipe on the back of the cocoa can. It IS the best ever, and I will never use canned chocolate frosting again! It was so easy to make and the chocolate flavor was amazing. Plus, it does not use a ton of butter, only one stick, which helped yesterday as I was low on butter:) Great recipe!
That is too funny, Barb! It really is life changing, though, isn’t it? 🙂 I’m praying for you as this hurricane draws close to you all!