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.
If you frost a cake and then chill it, what is the consistency when you go to serve it at a party?
Thanks
Just allow it to come to room temp before serving!
Hi Shelly,
Planning to bake a birthday cake for my dad using this recipe, only problem is, I’ll need to carry it with me on a plane for 13 hours 🙁
What are the chances of it surviving at room temperature for that long? I understand most buttercream can survive room temp for a few days but just wanted to make sure this could too.
Thanks for your help! 🙂
It will be fine at room temperature.. I can’t imagine carrying a cake on an airplane! You’re a brave woman!!
I found this recipe a couple months ago on Pinterest and I’ve been making a quarter batch every other week to just eat with a spoon over a few days… Not the healthiest idea, but probably the most delicious! Thank you for sharing!
I tried this because of all the great reviews. Made it exactly per the recipe, including step by step. This was the grossest stuff ever. NOT sweet at all, tasted like chocolate butter. Period. I salvaged it by adding about a cup of powdered sugar and some almond extract. Now its just a lightly sweet sorta chocolaty buttercream. I used good chips, and good butter, thought I put the good stuff in, I’d get good stuff out. wrong.. my additions made it usable, but still sorta “eh” not chocolaty enough for the cake recipe I was using.
SO sorry to hear you weren’t satisfied, but glad you were able to make it work to fit your taste with the addition of powdered sugar. Yes, the frosting is completely different than a traditional buttercream, I mentioned that in the post, and so I do understand that everyone may not love it. Thanks for your feedback!
THIS IS FREAKING FANTASTIC. SO FLUFFY OH MY GOODNESS. AND PALEO TOO. I AM OFFICIALLY IN LOVE WITH THIS FROSTING. THANK YOU FOR ETERNITY.
could you use this under fondant?
Yes, you could! But allow it to set on the cake before covering in fondant.
How long does it need to set in fridge? I had mine over night and it doesn’t look like picture? Please help!
I actually found it on ebay, the brand is Ovenex and it’s a vintage baking sheet!
Omg! Just made this frosting and it’s ah-mazing! I added a little orange zest to frost an orange cake! Incredible. Thx for the recipe!
Hi,,, the recipe really very easy but I notice there is no powdered sugar to sweetened the frosting? Is it possible I can add a powdered sugar on it? And how much?
Cosette
You could add powdered sugar if you wanted to… I like this frosting without it. It’s a very unique frosting… but if you would like to add powdered sugar start with adding one cup at a time until you reach the desired flavor!
could u add food coloring to this?!
You could add an oil based food coloring, yes.