Soft and Fluffy Chocolate Frosting with deep chocolate flavor, perfect for all your caking needs.
I’ve been on the hunt for a go-to chocolate frosting for the longest time. I wanted a chocolate frosting with a deep chocolate flavor, while also soft and fluffy enough to frost and pipe with.
Behold my fluffy chocolate frosting, perfect for all your caking needs!
To make this fluffy chocolate frosting, start by coarsely chopping semi-sweet chocolate and placing it in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of gently simmering water (make sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water). Let it sit untouched for a few minutes and then gently stir until completely smooth and melted.
Let it cool until just slightly warm. My heatproof bowl was stainless steel, so I just touched the bottom of the bowl to track its cooling progress. I let it cool until I could still feel just a bit of heat.
Once the chocolate is melted, it’s a simple buttercream technique. You’ll cream butter and powdered sugar together in a stand mixer until pale and fluffy. Then, you’ll add in vanilla, salt, and heavy cream and continue to mix.
Make sure that the cream is at room temperature. It is essential for the success of this recipe. You do not want to mix cold cream with warm chocolate. It will result in solidified chocolate. I bring my cream to room temperature by measuring out only the amount called for in the recipe before beginning any of the steps. If it is still cold by the time I need to add it in, I’ll give it a few rounds in the microwave (5 to 7 seconds each round) until it comes to room temperature.
Then, scrape down the sides, add more cream, and continue to mix.
Now comes the slightly tricky part. The mixing bowl may be just cool enough to solidify the warm chocolate, so rather than pouring the warm chocolate it, we’re going to mix it in by hand.
Pour the melted chocolate into the middle of the butter mixture and gently fold it in to incorporate, keeping the chocolate away from making contact with the sides of the bowl.
Once the chocolate is mostly incorporated, add in some more cream and stir by hand before returning it to the mixer. A quick zap of the mixer just until fluffy and presto!
The chocolate frosting is best when used immediately. Not only is it at it’s freshest, but it also has the best texture when used immediately. If you must save it for later, keep it at room temperature in an air tight container until ready to use.
Not sure what to frost with it? For a double dose of chocolatey goodness, frost my Classic Chocolate Cupcakes. For something a little less traditional, pipe a swirl onto my Funfetti Cupcakes.
Fluffy Chocolate Frosting
Ingredients
- 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (my favorite is linked in the notes below)
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature
Instructions
- In a heatproof bowl set over a pot of gently simmering water (make sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water), add the chocolate. Allow chocolate to sit undisturbed for about 4 to 5 minutes. Stir until melted and smooth. Remove from the stove and allow to cool until nearly room temperature.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar on medium speed until pale and fluffy.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the extract, salt, and about 1/3 of the cream. Mix on low-medium speed until just combined.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add half of the remaining cream. Continue to mix on low-medium speed until combined.
- Remove the bowl from the mixer and add the cooled chocolate into the center of the butter and sugar mixture, trying to avoid any chocolate contact with the sides of the bowl. Fold in by hand until mostly combined, trying to prevent melted chocolate from touching the sides of the bowl.
- Stir in the remaining cream by hand until combined. Return bowl to the stand mixer and mix on low-medium until smooth and fluffy, about 30 seconds. Use immediately.
Notes
Slightly modified from Scientifically Sweet.
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Where has this chocolate frosting been all my life? It’s what I’ve been searching for. It looks smooth, creamy, and rich. The perfect topping for a cake or cupcake.
I could eat a whole bowl of just that frosting!! Thanks for all the tips!
Thanks! I’ll do my best to keep going!
Does this icing need refrigerated or will that ruin it?
Once I frost a cupcake or cake with it, I usually don’t refrigerate it, but I do store it in an air tight container at room temperature. However, if I’m not going to use it immediately, I would refrigerate it in an air tight container and then let it come to room temperature and beat it again to fluff it up :)