Chocolate Fudge Frosting

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My popular buttercream frosting is enriched with melted dark chocolate and rich cocoa powder, resulting in a decadent, rich chocolate flavor that's absolutely irresistible.

Prep Time10

Total Time10

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 242kcal

Author: Katalin Nagy

Equipment

Ingredients

Chocolate Fudge Frosting

226 g Unsalted butter 82% fat content European-style butter, use it softened
240 g Powdered sugar sifted
50 g Cocoa powder Dutch-processed, sifted
1 tablespoon Vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon Salt
3 tablespoons Heavy cream 36% fat content
170 g Semi-sweet Chocolate good quality eg. Callebaut, Lindt

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

First, bring your butter to room temperature. Buttercream can only be prepared with softened butter, neither cold nor too hot (melted butter) will work.
Prepare a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Alternatively, use your electric hand mixer.
Place the finely chopped chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl and gently melt in the microwave. Let it come to room temperature before using (but do not wait until it sets).
Cream the room-temperature butter at medium-high speed for 3 minutes until it becomes light in color and fluffy in texture.
Add the powdered sugar, tablespoon by tablespoon, on low speed. Then, add the cocoa powder. Turn the mixer back on medium-high speed and whip it for another 4 minutes or until the mixture becomes light, fluffy, and increases in volume.
Now, add the vanilla extract, salt, and heavy cream and continue whipping for another minute until it is smooth and silky.
Lastly, add the melted (but hot) chocolate to the cream slowly while the mixer is on.
The chocolate fudge frosting should have the perfect pipeable fluffy texture, but if, for some reason, it is too thick, add some more cream (1 tablespoon at a time). If the frosting is too thin, add more powdered sugar (1 tablespoon at a time).
Note that the chocolate fudge frosting texture is best straight after making it when the butter is at the right temperature (room temperature), and the mixture is freshly whipped. I like to use the frosting immediately or store it at room temperature in a piping bag for a few hours. If stored in the refrigerator, you will need to bring it back to room temperature before using it, and might need to give it another minute or two to whip in the stand mixer to increase the volume again.

Notes

The recipe above is enough to frost 12 cupcakes generously.

To frost cakes, you will need approximately 2x for a 6-inch cake, 2.5x for a 7-inch cake, and 3x for an 8-inch cake (depending on how much frosting vs. sponge ratio you prefer on your cakes and whether you are using any other filling in between the layers).

Ingredient notes:

Measure your ingredients with a digital scale for accuracy.
To make this frosting, use high-fat (36%) heavy cream, good-quality semi-sweet chocolate, good-quality high-fat (82%) butter, and unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder.
For a vegan alternative, the recipe can be made with high-fat vegan butter, vegan chocolate, and vegan cream; however, the taste will be different compared to using dairy products.
It is key to use high-quality vanilla for the best flavor. Feel free to try my homemade vanilla extract.

Technique notes:

Make sure you read my Expert Tips section above to maximize your success. A short recipe alone cannot cover all the necessary details and science behind baking.
The temperature and texture of the butter are key when making frosting. Wait until it is soft, however, avoid last-minute microwaving.
When adding the powdered sugar and cocoa powder, reduce the speed of the mixer to avoid creating a huge cloud.
It is critical that you don't add the melted chocolate while it is still hot, or it might melt the butter.
I recommend the paddle attachment to avoid unnecessary air bubbles. To get your buttercream fully silky, without air bubbles, mix the cream at the end by hand with a rubber spatula for a few minutes.

Nutrition