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.
Wow!!! DELICIOUS! I just wanted to let you know that I took the 3-4 hour fridge step out of the process, in case it helps some of the viewers.
I gently melted the chips alone until they were just barely melted and then poured it over the room temp butter (not warm though/slightly chilled) right into my mixer. I used a lightly salted butter for more flavor, but you could use unsalted and add a pinch of pink salt.
It whipped up great and got lighter in color (whipped a minute or two) and I could have used it right away if needed. I was just a tad soft because it was not quite cold enough, which I expected, so I put the entire mixing bowl with the attachment in the fridge to chill a for 30 min and then gave it another quick whip before icing my cupcakes.
I can’t stop eating it! It’s delicious and sweet without the cloyingly sweet taste you get with powdered sugar. I used Enjoy Life Mega Chucks semi-sweet chocolate. If I ever need a firmer texture for serious decorating, I can add a cup of powder sugar to the mix before whipping, but I LOVE the taste without it!
Thank you!
This is so gross, put salted butter in it the first time and it tasted so extremely salted that’s all you could taste, and then I thought it was just cause I used salted so I made it for a family event using unsalted and it takes like shit.. Thanks what a waste of cake
Sorry you had a bad experience. I made mine with salted butter and didn’t find it too salty at all. You could try making it with unsalted and adding a bit of salt back yourself. It isn’t a “typical” frosting, but I really like it! THanks!
Worst frosting ever!!!!!! It was like eating a stick of butter on a cupcake. Gross will never do again waste of my time and money!
I think it definitely seems like way too much butter…but I’m going to try this method for adding chocolate to my buttercream, just use my regular amount of butter and still add powdered sugar. I’ll report back.
Be still my heart…I’m in love!
Shelly, I just found this recipe. I thought it was interesting.
But what impressed me most was the amount of time and effort you spent answering all the questions. You are truly a patient teacher. (and you didn’t burn Sam at the stake).
Sadly I cannot try this perfectly simple recipe. I am a FOG (fat, old guy) consequently I am not allowed to have anything good. The best I could do would be to replace steamed broccoli for both the ingredients. I just know it wouldn’t be the same on a cupcake 🙁
**following
Hey! So I actually made this for a cake. After falling the steps perfectly the frosting turned out looking great but it is pretty bitter! HELP!!
How many pounds or gr have 1 lb.
Hi Shelly I want to use a white chocolate butter cream to cover my friends birthday cake in roses the whole cake and its suppose to be warm on the day but every recipe I have found has veg shortning or egg white powder which I don’t have either of these, so I was wondering if your recipe would be a good alternative and that it would be firm enough to keep the shape of the rosettes? Thanks Candace
I actually have a 2 ingredient white chocolate buttercream recipe with the same method.. here’s the link.. http://cookiesandcups.com/2-ingredient-white-chocolate-buttercream/
This looks too easy! I’ve been making buttercream for years & never thought of this! Do you think you could still add a cup of powdered sugar to this & it sets up the same?
I’ll definitely be trying this out this weekend on my cupcakes!
Thank you!