I’ll show you how to make thick, creamy chocolate fudge frosting with only 2 ingredients: melted chocolate and butter. It’s smooth, chocolatey, and perfect for frosting cakes and cupcakes.
This is an easy alternative to classic buttercream frosting that’s quick to make and just as versatile. Try my pourable chocolate ganache for another delicious cake topping!
This chocolate fudge frosting is like a whipped, spreadable, pipeable version of chocolate fudge. And you need just 2 ingredients, chocolate and butter, to melt on the stovetop! Since it’s made without powdered sugar, the frosting isn’t overly sweet, and just the right amount of fudgy. Once you’ve made 2-ingredient chocolate frosting, you’ll be hard-pressed to go back to anything store-bought again.
Why This Chocolate Fudge Frosting Recipe Works
- Only 2 ingredients. Traditional chocolate buttercream frosting calls for a short list of ingredients, including heavy whipping cream. But all you need to make this frosting is 1) a package of chocolate chips and 2) plenty of butter.
- Thick, stable buttercream. Melted chocolate thickens this fudge frosting without powdered sugar, for an extra-rich, stable consistency. It holds its shape well, whether you spread it, pipe it, or otherwise. Unlike some whipped cream-based frostings, this chocolate frosting is resistant to melting, leaking, and wilting at room temperature.
- Easy method. You don’t need any fancy tools to make creamy chocolate frosting. A stand mixer makes things easier, but an electric hand mixer works, too.
Ingredients You’ll Need
I’ve included some quick ingredient notes for this chocolate fudge frosting recipe below. You’ll find the full, printable recipe with amounts in the recipe card after the post.
- Chocolate Chips – I recommend semi-sweet chocolate chips. The better quality chocolate you use, the better your frosting will be. You can also make this frosting with chopped chocolate bars (like you’ll find from Lindt, Ghirardelli, or Guittard). You may find that chopped chocolate melts more smoothly than chocolate chips.
- Butter – This recipe calls for a good amount of butter. I use salted butter, but it’s a preference, and you can absolutely make it with unsalted butter if you prefer.
How to Make Chocolate Fudge Frosting
The key here is to not overheat the chocolate and butter, which can cause the chocolate to seize. Melt the ingredients slowly and stir often. It’s worth mentioning that this method also works with white chocolate chips (see my white chocolate frosting). Follow the steps here, and scroll down for the printable recipe card.
- Melt the chocolate. First, combine the chocolate and butter in a saucepan. Keep that over low heat and stir often while it melts. It will look thin from all that melted butter.
- Cool. Once melted, take the saucepan off the heat. Cool the mixture completely, and chill it in the fridge until it’s solid. The butter might separate as it cools, but that’s OK. The mixer will take care of that!
- Whip the frosting. When you’re ready to whip your buttercream, transfer the solid chocolate/butter mixture to your mixing bowl and bring it back to room temperature. Once softened, whip the frosting. It takes about 2 minutes to get it light, thick, and fluffy. That’s it! Your chocolate fudge frosting is ready to use.
Ways to Use It
This recipe makes enough chocolate fudge frosting to fill and frost an 8-inch two-layer cake or 24 cupcakes. Pro tip: Use the “2x” and “3x” options in the recipe card to scale the recipe as needed. And if you need some inspiration, here are a few easy ways to use your fresh, fudgy frosting:
- Cakes. Use this frosting to frost and fill a frosted fudge cake or classic yellow cake.
- Cupcakes. Pipe or spread this frosting over your favorite homemade vanilla cupcakes, or try it in place of the peanut butter frosting in my banana cupcakes!
- Brownies. I think this chocolate fudge frosting would be amazing slathered over a batch of fudgy brownies or buckeye brownies.
- Cookies. Spread your frosting over chocolate sugar cookies or pipe it between two chewy chocolate chip cookies to make a cookie sandwich.
How to Store Homemade Frosting
- Refrigerate. This homemade chocolate buttercream frosting lasts up to 1 week in the fridge. Store it in an airtight container and bring it back to room temperature before you use it. I recommend re-whipping the frosting, too, to bring back the fluffy texture.
- Freeze. You can freeze this frosting for up to 1 month. Thaw it in the fridge and bring it back to room temperature. Again, give the frosting a fresh whip before you frost your cakes or cupcakes.
More Easy Frosting Recipes
Chocolate Fudge Frosting
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 3 cups (approx.) 1x
- Category: Frosting
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Description
This 2-ingredient chocolate fudge frosting makes a thick, creamy, chocolatey frosting that’s perfect for frosting cakes and cupcakes!
Ingredients
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 pound (2 cups) butter
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, melt the chocolate chips and butter over medium-low heat, whisking frequently.
- When melted, cool completely and chill until solid.
- Remove from the fridge and allow to come up to room temperature.
- Put all the chocolate in a mixing bowl and beat on medium for 2 minutes until light in color and fluffy.
Notes
- Makes enough frosting to fill and frost an 8″ layer cake, or frost 24 cupcakes.
- Store refrigerated, but allow to come back to room temperature before serving.
Hello, This looks amazing!! You’re talking to a ‘buttercream connoisseur’ – for the last 10 years since I was 7, my sister and I would make a little tub of buttercream and eat it in front of the TV before mum got home..! Haha. This recipe looks so delicious, definitely trying that tonight on the cakes I just baked!
you DEFINITELY need to try it. and PLEASE let me know what you think!
Can this be covered with fondant? Looks delicious!
I am not so sure about that… I bet it would be fine, but it would need to set up for a few hours before you covered it!
This looks like one creamy, delicious buttercream! Pinning now!
Wow! Awesome! Totally need to try that!
Looks fantastic!
Oh my! This sounds and looks insanely good!
I admit, I’m afraid of that much butter, but it looks so light and fluffy!
Oh my gosh! This looks insanely perfect! YUM!
This way the chocolate really comes through does’t it? and with only two ingredients! This is a must for all dessert bakers out there
Looks delish and perfect on the spoon. Do you have any experience on how it holds up? Does it keep its shape if piped on a cupcake or between layers of a cake?
It definitely keep sit shape, I piped it on cupcakes and it was fantastic. I’ve frosted a cake with it, with no issues. Like I said, the color deepens the longer it sits, but that just makes it look more chocolaty! I honestly even left my cupcakes out at room temperature overnight without refrigeration with no issues at all!
Awesome, Shelly! Thanks for sharing and answering 🙂
Do you have a recipe for peanutbutter buttercream? I use butter, peanutbutter, powered sugar and milk. I can never get it light anf fluffy and it is always a different consistency! Thanks
Could you substitute peanut butter chips for the chocolate chips for peanut butter buttercream?
Haven’t tried it, but there are comments left here from people who have tried it and loved it!
I substituted white choc chips and it worked well. Color was yellow after melting and went to white after beating.
Here is a peanut butter buttercream recipe:
4 sticks unsalted butter, room temp
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp+ almond extract (important!)
6 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup peanut butter (probably more, to taste)
Whip butter in electric mixer until very light in color and fluffy. Scrape down bowl, add extracts and mix for a few more minutes. Add the powdered sugar 2 cups at a time, beating well between additions and scraping down bowl. Add the peanut butter, whip… taste… adjust the peanut butter if you’d like.
YUM!
Thanks for the chocolate buttercream recipe, I’m going to give it a whirl tonight!
You could add a peanut butter powder like PB2 or Jiff powder to your icing to up the peanut butter flavor. Just beware that it tends to thicken the icing and you may have to thin it down.
I was wondering if you could use margarine for this recipe as my husband is allergic to butter ?
I don’t think that would work 🙁 sorry!
tenderflake
Try using ghee. I’m allergic to dairy so I make my own ghee (aka clarified butter). It’s super easy and I think it tastes even better than butter. It’s basically cooked butter that is then filtered to get all of the milk proteins and lactose out. If he’s severely allergic and even the slightest bit of dairy could put him into anaphylactic shock, definitely not worth the risk, but if he’ll just suffer a little rash and GI upset, definitely worth finding out if he can tolerate ghee. It’s a life changer when you can put ghee on everything. I even bring a small jar with me so I don’t have to eat plain veggies when we’re out at restaurants, margarine is really bad for our health. I recommend staying away from it. Good luck!
can I use oil instead? not sure if ghee would stick
I have never tried that, so I can’t recommend it.
You can use vegetable shortening, add a pinch of salt as well though. It won’t be the exact flavor because butter can’t be beat. Melt chocolate first then add shortening to standing mixer wait until it cools completely and whip again.
Try butter flavored crisco.
Awesome
Shelly will u pls tell me the exact measurement in grams pls its urgent
That answered my question ! You don’t have to respond to me. Thanks this looks great. (Leah)
When you say deepens, is that making the color darker??
Yes 🙂
No. Unless you keep it chilled.
Didn’t taste good. Butter overpower choc.
I could eat this with a SPOON!!! It is sometimes the most simple things in life (aka – Chocolate and Butter) that can make a girl (or guy) happy!!!
Could someone tell me the measurements in grams please!!! I need to know ASAP! 🙁
Ounces
0.032 ounces
1 ounce
2 ounces
2.66 ounces
3.5 ounces
4 ounces
6 ounces
8 ounces
16 ounces
35 ounces and 2 Tbsp. Pounds
*
1/16 lb.
1/8 lb.
*
1/5 lb.
1/4 lb.
3/8 lb.
1/2 lb.
1 lb.
2.21 lbs. Cups
1/4 tsp.
1/8 cup (2 Tbsp.)
1/4 cup
1/3 cup
*
1/2 cup
3/4 cup
1 cup
2 cups
2 1/4 cups Grams
1 gram
28.35 grams
58 grams
75 grams
100 grams
115 grams
170 grams
227 grams
454 grams(.45 kg)
1 kilogram
Cups
1/4 tsp.
1/8 cup (2 Tbsp.)
1/4 cup
1/3 cup
*
1/2 cup
3/4 cup
1 cup
2 cups
2 1/4 cups Grams
1 gram
28.35 grams
58 grams
75 grams
100 grams
115 grams
170 grams
227 grams
454 grams(.45 kg)
1 kilogram
! bag of chocolate ships
1 package/ brick or however you get 450/454 grams of butter in your neighbourhood.
That’s it
Enjoy
Hy,can you tell me how in grams means two cups semi-sweet chocolate?Thank you!
350 grams in 2 cups. Easy to find info by googling or binging or yahooing or searching on your favorite browse.
The recipe is in a 1 to 1 ratio so as long as you keep that ratio the frosting will work out so you go 500g of chocolate to 500g of butter you will be fine. Which should be equivalent to 2 cups in metric.
Equal amounts by volume. 2 cups butter = 1 lb = 454 grams. 2 cups chocolate chips is 12 ounces, or 3/4 lb = 340 grams.