This is a simple chocolate frosting recipe that you’ll use over and over again. Chocolate Frosting with Cocoa Powder and Powdered Sugar is ready in minutes with ingredients your more than likely have on hand.

This is not a mind-blowing original recipe. I’ve been making it for years and years. It is a basic Chocolate Frosting recipe that you need to have in your arsenal. Plus, it’s my favorite. If I could, I would eat spoonful after spoonful of it straight from the pan….oh, wait, I did do that!

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Chocolate Frosting with Cocoa Powder and Powdered Sugar

Chocolate Frosting with Cocoa Powder and Powdered Sugar is my go-to basic chocolate frosting recipe. I use it for my Chocolate Coca-Cola Cake and on my Famous Rocky Road Brownies. This frosting is great on donuts, over ice cream, and on a classic white cake.

This recipe is also easily adaptable. If you have a large sheet pan of brownies, you may want to double the recipe. For just a few cookies, you may want to half the recipe.

It really is a delectable 5-minute frosting that goes great on cakes and cupcakes. Add an additional 2 tablespoons of milk to make it into an easy pouring sauce for ice cream and bread pudding.

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Chocolate Frosting tips

One tip you must remember when making this icing recipe is to sift your sugar. Otherwise, you’ll have lumps and will have to stir A LOT, to get them out. I find that lumps are nearly impossible to get out once the sugar is stirred into the mixture.

Another tip—okay, I know this is two—is to use real butter. Margarine really doesn’t work well because it’s mostly oil. Use real butter at room temperature.

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If you’re new to my site, some of my most popular recipes are my pound cakes. Actually, I have over 60 pound cake recipes that I have tested, developed, and reviewed for you. I have highlighted some below (click on the photo) or you can get them all here: Pound Cakes Reviewed.

Lemon Cream Cheese Pound Cake Recipe is tender and moist. It's sweet and simple with a buttery flavoring that melts in your mouth! — Lemon Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Melt in your Mouth Strawberry Buttermilk Pound Cake is simply amazing. The intense strawberry flavor and ultra-moist cake make a winning combination. — Lemon Cream Cheese Pound Cake

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*The calorie count is for the whole recipe.

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Chocolate Frosting with Cocoa Powder and Powdered Sugar

Chocolate Frosting with Cocoa Powder and Powdered Sugar is a must-have recipe. It’s creamy, smooth, and rich. This icing can be made stove-top or in the microwave and just takes minutes to stir together. It goes well on cakes and cupcakes.

Author: Paula

4.91 from 74 votes

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Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 5

Total Time: 10

Servings: 2 cups

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Ingredients

¼ cup butter salted or unsalted
⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
⅓ cup whole milk whole or 2%
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 and ½ cup powdered sugar (aka confectioners) sifted

Instructions

Sift sugar.
Heat butter in a small pan on medium heat, do not let butter get brown.
When butter is melted, whisk in cocoa, milk, and vanilla. Add sugar 1/2 cup at a time, whisking after each addition.
Remove from heat, after all the sugar has been added.
Whisk until smooth.
Immediately pour over cake.
If icing is too thin, add additional sifted sugar 1/4 cup at a time until desired thickness or sit it in the refrigerator a few minutes. Take it out and whisk it until creamy again.
Frosting will thicken as it cools, but it’ll be harder to spread.

Nutrition

Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are important to you, I recommend calculating them yourself.

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119 Comments

Absolutely delicious used for it for first time tonight so glad I found it. It is perfect for 9/13 pan will double on layer cake I would not change anything perfect

Can I make this using the microwave in 15 second spurts?

Paula says:

02.09.24 at 7:10 am

Probably, I’ve never made it like that but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work.

Hi Paula, In #7 of the frosting directions, how do I know if it’s too thin if I pour it straight from the stove over the cake? What consistency should I compare it to before I start adding more powdered sugar?

Paula says:

01.04.24 at 10:24 am

It needs to be thicker than heavy cream but not as thick as sour cream when it’s hot. It will thicken as it cools and harden pretty fast.
You can test it by dipping out a spoonful onto a glass that’s turned upside-down. If it runs off too quick and before it hardens add just a little more powdered sugar and test again.

Hi Paula, I have a dumb question, how could I half this? I’m struggling with the 1/3 measurements. I just need enough for a small cake

Paula says:

01.02.24 at 12:02 pm

I have to think of it like this 1/3 cup equals 5 and 1/3 tablespoons so I’d use just 2 tablespoons and just shy of another tablespoons for the cocoa.

And for the milk, add that last tablespoon a little at a time until it’s the thickness you need.

I hope this helps. Happy New Year!

Comments are closed.

Judy Bryant says:

04.21.24 at 1:31 am

Absolutely delicious used for it for first time tonight so glad I found it. It is perfect for 9/13 pan will double on layer cake I would not change anything perfect
Marie says:

02.09.24 at 12:11 am

Can I make this using the microwave in 15 second spurts?
1. Paula says:
  
  02.09.24 at 7:10 am
  
  Probably, I’ve never made it like that but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work.
DEAN, BEVERLY says:

01.03.24 at 10:43 pm

Hi Paula, In #7 of the frosting directions, how do I know if it’s too thin if I pour it straight from the stove over the cake? What consistency should I compare it to before I start adding more powdered sugar?
1. Paula says:
  
  01.04.24 at 10:24 am
  
  It needs to be thicker than heavy cream but not as thick as sour cream when it’s hot. It will thicken as it cools and harden pretty fast.
  You can test it by dipping out a spoonful onto a glass that’s turned upside-down. If it runs off too quick and before it hardens add just a little more powdered sugar and test again.
Alexis says:

01.02.24 at 7:07 am

Hi Paula, I have a dumb question, how could I half this? I’m struggling with the 1/3 measurements. I just need enough for a small cake
1. Paula says:
  
  01.02.24 at 12:02 pm
  
  I have to think of it like this 1/3 cup equals 5 and 1/3 tablespoons so I’d use just 2 tablespoons and just shy of another tablespoons for the cocoa.
  
  And for the milk, add that last tablespoon a little at a time until it’s the thickness you need.
  
  I hope this helps. Happy New Year!