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.
Is it regular butter or unsalted butter?
I use salted, but it’s a personal preference! If you use unsalted you might want to add a pinch to enhance the chocolate flavor!
I just wanted to say THANKS so much for this recipe. I just made it to frost a Hot Chocolate Cake, and it was so light, airy, not too sweet and it even held up in the high heat and humidity here.
This was a frosting that almost didn’t happen!I had stuck the melted choc and butter in the fridge and realized I only had less than 2 hours to go, panicked thinking I had to make another frosting, then decided to put the bowl over another bowl with ice in it and stick it in the freezer. 20 mins later it was hard, thank god, but when I mixed it up there were some bits inside that had not hardened. Panic again. However after some mixing it all became hard. I almost couldn’t believe my eyes as it was whipping in the mixer, it went so light in color and extra extra fluffy in texture. Disaster averted! Lol I had never felt so relieved. Thanks again!
Hi. When I put it in the refrigerator, should I cover it? Plastic wrap? And do I need to have the plastic touching the chocolate mixture? Thank you
you can cover it if you plan on leaving it in the fridge for any length of time, say a few days…otherwise I always leave it uncovered 🙂
It doesn’t taste like frosting. It tastes like chocolate butter and needs to be sweeter. Worth the try but i wasn’t too happy with the taste
Hi Shelly! I loved your Swiss Meringue Buttercream (http://cookiesandcups.com/fancy-frosting/) and was wondering if I could do the same technique you have here (melting chocolate and butter and letting them cool) to make a chocolate version Swiss Meringue? Many thanks!
I believe that would work!
This stuff is amazing. Perfect for my “Dark as Sin” cupcakes. Everyone at work wants the recipe but it’s our little secret.
Hiiii what it hurt to add just a tinge of vanilla and maybe just a little more sweeter of some kind??
not much… just a little!!
but what ?
It wouldn’t hurt to add vanilla of course. And some people have added powdered sugar. You could also use milk chocolate, which is a sweeter chocolate!
Thank you Shelly!!! After i frosted my cake, i found i did NOT NEED TO ADD ANYTHING ELSE!! Sooo delicious!! I thank you from the bottom of my heart for this easy delicious recipe!
I am so grateful to have found this since I am like so many others that hated trying to make frosting work!! Sheer genius on your part thank you !!!
I’m thinking of using this as a filling for cupcakes. I may not be able to refrigerate them (they’d be made the morning of, eaten like 8 hours later). Would the frosting break down during that time? Any help is appreciated. 🙂
Does it make a difference if you use milk chocolate chips instead of semi sweet?
only in flavor 🙂
I wanted to add a pinch of sweet because I felt it needed a bit. I had a brain fart and used granulated sugar instead of powdered sugar and now its gritty. ANy recommendations to fix it or am I fresh out of luck??!