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This chocolate fudge frosting is made with butter, cocoa powder, granulated sugar, semisweet chocolate, and heavy cream, so there’s no powdered sugar and no mixer involved. You melt everything together in one saucepan, then let it cool for about 2 hours until the butter sets it into a thick, fudgy frosting.
Homemade Chocolate Fudge Cake Frosting Recipe
This recipe begins on the stovetop, where you’ll melt the butter, regular sugar, chocolate, and cocoa powder until smooth. Then, you’ll add the rest of the ingredients and let the mixture cool to set. Easy peasy! It’s time to skip the store-bought stuff and try your hand at making your own. Don’t worry, it’s not complicated at all.
The result is similar to a chocolate ganache frosting but thicker, so it’s perfect for spreading onto cakes and cupcakes Southern cooks love. Using a bar of chocolate and cocoa powder makes this frosting super fudgy, while the richness comes from the heavy cream and butter.
You don’t even need powdered sugar for this fudge icing, instead granulated sugar is melted to give you the smoothest texture without the need for an electric mixer. It’s the perfect frosting to top some chocolate cupcakes with chocolate chip-cream cheese filling. It spreads easily over a pan of cooled brownies, and it sets up as it cools just like it does on a cake.
If you want a lighter chocolate frosting, try a fluffy chocolate mousse frosting instead.
What You Need to Make the Creamiest Chocolate Fudge Frosting
- Two types of chocolate make it rich, you’ll need both cocoa powder and semisweet chocolate or you can use dark for a more intense flavor.
It’s so Easy!
Step One: Melt the Base Ingredients
Step Two: Add the Cream and Vanilla
Step Three: Cool the Frosting
Pro Tips and Notes
- Let the frosting cool: The frosting needs to cool and set before using, or it will be runny.
- Stir constantly: While melting the ingredients, make sure to stir regularly to prevent burning and to achieve a smooth, glossy texture.
- Adjust thickness: If the frosting turns out too thick, you can always add a splash more cream to loosen it up. If it’s too runny, let it cool a bit longer to thicken.
Go ahead and lick the whisk, you’ve earned it.
Don’t Forget!
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup cocoa powder
- 4 ounces semisweet chocolate
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Add butter, sugar, salt, cocoa powder and chocolate to a saucepan over medium heat. Cook until it begins to bubble around the edges but does not boil, about 3-4 minutes.
- Gradually add the cream, whisking until it is incorporated, Add vanilla. Cool at least 2 hours until it has thickened before frosting a cake or cupcakes.
Video
Notes
- IHeat just until it bubbles around the edges. It does not need to boil.
- Short on time? Refrigerate it until it thickens instead of waiting the full 2 hours.
- Makes enough to frost a two-layer 9-inch cake, 18 cupcakes, a 9×13 sheet cake, or a pan of brownies.
- Store airtight in the refrigerator up to 1 week, or freeze up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the fridge. Let it come to room temperature before spreading.
This frosting looks and sounds so delicious! I will come back to rate as soon as I make it. Thank you
Have you ever tried this recipe with a sugar alternative?
I am sorry, I have not.
Can this be frozen?
Yes, just let it come to room temperature and it will be great.
Do you have a vanilla no powdered sugar frosting that can be tinted with food coloring?
This is a great recipe for when you’re out of powdered sugar. I’m sharing this with my family!!
I have a 7 minute frosting that I use on my lemon meringue cupcakes that does not use powdered sugar. I’ll work on getting a separate post written on that, but for now you could use that one. https://easysoutherndesserts.com/lemon-meringue-cupcakes/
I can’t rate it because I haven’t made it, but I think I would prefer eating this with a spoon rather than on a cake. Just me – you do you! 😉
I tried this since I wanted something fudgy for a cake. I followed the recipe as written and it came out perfectly. It took about 2 1/2 hours to set up. So decadent and chocolatey. Thank you for a delicious recipe.
Debbie, thanks for adding a rating, I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Love this I’m going to make it
No where does is say when to incorporate the salt, and it’s not in the picture as one of the ingredients. It does belong, right? (I wonder what salt really does for a recipe like this one.)
Thanks for your help! Can’t wait to make it. I’ll come right back to rate! 🙂
Thanks Shanny, you will add it with the dry ingredients.
Came out perfect for my son’s Birthday cake
Thanks for the recipe
That’s awesome! What type of cake did you make?
Fabulous recipe. I had been looking for a great fudge frosting and this is it!! Thank you
It’s my favorite chocolate frosting also.
Once this is made, and on a cake, do you have to refrigerate the cake, due to the high heavy cream and butter content?
You can leave it out for a day. It should be fine.