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!
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.
Chocolate Frosting with Cocoa Powder and Powdered Sugar
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 near impossible to get out once the sugar is stirred into the mixture.
Another tip, ok, 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.
*The calorie count is for the whole recipe.
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
-
- Melt in your Mouth Strawberry Buttermilk Pound Cake
-
- Southern Butter Pecan Pound Cake
-
- Two Step Fresh Peach Pound Cake Recipe
-
- Classic Ricotta Pound Cake
-
- Scratch-made Key Lime Pound Cake Recipe with Key Lime Glaze
Chocolate Frosting with Cocoa Powder and Powdered Sugar
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup butter salted or unsalted, I use this
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder I prefer this brand
- 1/3 cup milk whole or 2%
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract preferred brand
- 3 and ½ cup confectioners sugar sifted
Instructions
- Sift sugar.
- Heat butter in a small pan on medium heat, do not let butter get brown.
- 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.
Notes
Nutrition
You can also find great recipes at my recipe index or at Meal Plan Monday or Weekend Potluck.
This post contains affiliate links. If you click the link and make a purchase I will receive a small commission at no cost to you. Visit all my recommended products at Paula’s Picks on Amazon. Read my entire Privacy Policy here.
Wendy says
This recipe has been my family’s go-to for generations, except we substitute coffee for the milk. It gives it a little extra something special without tasting like coffee.
Paula says
Oooo, coffee sounds good! I’ll try that!
Jayson V salvo says
Good day maam how can i make chocolate icing for frosting through scratch?? I have already here but the problem is the chocolate icing is very runny ang i cant even plain it ..this is my agony right now i hope you can help me with this…..
Paula says
Not sure what happened if you used the measurements listed but you can add more powdered sugar to make it thicker.
Vinu says
Awesome recipes but I forget to place the plate on the salt while preparing cooker cakes n all cakes are pathetic. But today I’ll do exactly as you’ve shown n post a pic.❤️
Paul Reed says
My mother made this frosting back in the early 50’s and all the time I was growing up. But instead of whole milk she used Carnation Evaporated Milk one can I believe. I don’t know if her amounts were the same. I have her recipe somewhere if I can find it.
Angie Ragan says
Very Easy & Delish 😊 reminds me of my grandmother’s that she used to pour over butter cake. Be prepared to work fast as it hardens rather quickly. More of a thick glaze that holds onto the cake than a whippet frosting. Great Recipe
Kate says
Can we pour this on a cake with buttercream frosting? Will not melt down the frosting? Please advice.
Paula says
Don’t pour it on while still warm, it’ll melt the buttercream.
Allana says
If I wanted it to be hard when it set, how would I do that?