Best chocolate fudge frosting for cake recipes, cupcakes, and more! This chocolate fudge icing with cocoa powder, bittersweet chocolate, and a hint of coffee is the only easy chocolate fudge frosting you need!
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I developed this quick fudge frosting recipe for my Matilda's Chocolate Cake, but you can also spread it on my Mini Chocolate Cake or dip my Pie Crust Cookie Twists into it! Or use it to fill my Chocolate Beignets -- the possibilities are endless!
Dark Chocolate Fudge Frosting for Cake
If you're making a rich chocolate cake like my Chocolate Olive Oil Cake or my Chocolate Orange Cake, this chocolate fudge icing with cocoa powder is going to be your new go-to! It's the perfect complement to sheet cakes, layer cake, and chocolate cupcakes!
But it's not just for cake -- since it's so easy to make, rich and decadent, but not too sweet, it's perfect to add another layer of chocolate to fudge brownies like my Triple Chocolate Brownies or my 2 Bite Brownies! And if you love frosted brownies, you've got to try my Brownies with Cream Cheese Frosting!
This easy stovetop dark chocolate fudge frosting requires NO electric mixer, no complicated steps, any only needs a short time to cool.
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Easy Chocolate Fudge Frosting
The best part about this quick fudge icing is that it only takes a handful of ingredients and it comes together in just a few minutes! Once you've mixed it all together, you'll just need to wait for it to cool down, and it's that easy!
It's perfect for spreading on cakes, piping for cupcakes, or dipping! And gluten free folks will love it on my Gluten Free Olive Oil Cake!
What is chocolate fudge icing made of?
The best chocolate fudge frosting recipe just takes a few simple ingredients. You can see the full detailed list of ingredients in the recipe card below, but here's what you'll need:
- heavy cream - using heavy whipping cream helps to make this quick fudge frosting rich and smooth, perfect for spreading or piping on chocolate desserts.
- unsweetened cocoa powder - we'll make our chocolate fudge icing with cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-process cocoa powder, but any unsweetened natural cocoa powder would work too. And if you love chocolate, try my Chocolate Blueberry Cake or my Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Mousse!
- espresso powder - I love to add a little espresso powder to deepen the chocolate flavor!
- powdered sugar - adding a little powdered sugar helps to thicken this quick fudge frosting and add some sweetness!
- bittersweet chocolate - adds a rich chocolate flavor without making this easy chocolate fudge frosting too sweet. I like the Ghirardelli baking bars because the melted chocolate they produce is so smooth!
- butter - I use salted butter, but if you have unsalted butter, no worries! Just add salt to taste. Your butter should be cold and cut into cubes.
- vanilla - for the best flavor, I like to use pure vanilla extract. Or you can make your own!
Equipment
You'll need a medium saucepan to cook this chocolate fudge frosting, as well as a fine-mesh sieve to sift in your powdered sugar. Finally, you'll want a whisk to mix it all together, and plastic wrap to cover it to let your frosting cool.
How to Make Chocolate Fudge Frosting
The recipe card below will give you detailed step-by-step instructions for making this cake, as well as full ingredient measurements! But here's a quick look at how you'll make this recipe!
- Heat your heavy cream on medium heat until small bubbles appear around the edges (hot, but not boiling). Reduce heat to low.
- Sift in powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and espresso powder and whisk mixture until smooth.
- Add in chopped chocolate and cubed butter and stir until melted. Whisk chocolate mixture until smooth, and pour into a heatproof bowl to cool. Cover with plastic wrap so that it's touching the frosting, so that it doesn't form a film on top.
Hint: As this delicious frosting cools, the consistency of the frosting thickens to a creamy texture -- the longer it cools, the thicker the frosting will be for spreading and piping. You can even use it still warm as a glaze for a chocolate sour cream pound cake or my Marble Loaf Cake!
Storage
You can store this chocolate fudge buttercream frosting in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to four days. You can also freeze it, well wrapped, for up to two months.
Why is my chocolate fudge icing grainy?
It may have been that your chocolate fudge frosting cooled too quickly. If the icing cools too rapidly, the dry ingredients may not have enough time to fully dissolve, leading to a grainy texture. Make sure that you allow enough time for this chocolate fudge icing recipe to cool at room temperature.
If the icing is already grainy, you can try gently reheating it and stirring it until the sugar crystals dissolve, then allowing it to cool properly at room temperature.
Frequently Asked Questions
The ingredients in Pillsbury chocolate fudge frosting typically include sugar, water, palm oil, cocoa, corn syrup, and corn starch. You can check out the Pillsbury website for more details. This is a great recipe if you love the flavor and texture of a tub of store-bought frosting, but want to make an even better version at home!
Chocolate buttercream typically consists of butter, powdered sugar, and cocoa powder, offering a creamy and rich texture suitable for spreading and piping decorations. Frosting, on the other hand, can have a wider range of ingredients, including butter, powdered sugar, additional flavorings, and may vary in texture from creamy to thick or glossy like this chocolate fudge icing with cocoa powder! It's the perfect frosting for all your favorite treats!
If you love chocolate, you'll want to try my Protein Mug Cake, my Keto Chocolate Mousse, and my S'mores Brownies! And if you're a chocolate lover, check out my Hot Chocolate Mug Cake or my Pinecone Brownie Recipe!
This recipe makes enough chocolate fudge frosting to frost a single layer 8-inch or 9-inch cake, a Bundt cake, or 12 cupcakes. If you double the recipe, it's enough for a two-or three layer 8-inch cake, a two-layer 9-inch cake, or 24 cupcakes.
Top Tip
Remember to sift in your dry ingredients through a fine mesh sieve -- this will allow your sugars and cocoa powder to mix in easily and prevent lumps.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this one? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with this recipe:
If you try this recipe, I would love it if you could leave a star review rating and comment below! It’s so wonderful hearing your feedback! And don’t forget to share your creations with me by tagging @chenee_today on Instagram!
📖 Recipe
Equipment you may need
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup (158 ml) heavy cream
- 10 oz (283 g) bittersweet chocolate - chopped
- ¾ cup (170 g) salted butter - cold, cubed
- ¾ cup (90 g) powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon (0.3 g) espresso powder
- 1 tablespoon (5 g) unsweetened cocoa powder - preferably Dutch-process
- 2 teaspoon (10 ml) vanilla extract
Instructions
- Heat heavy cream in a saucepan over medium heat until it is hot, but not boiling. You'll begin to see little bubbles forming around the edges of the pan.⅔ cup heavy cream
- Reduce heat to low. Sift in cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and espresso powder. Whisk well until fully combined and smooth.
- Add in chopped chocolate and cubed butter. Stir until melted and mixture is smooth. Stir in vanilla extract.
- Pour mixture into a heatproof bowl and cover with plastic wrap so that it is touching the top of the mixture -- this way it won't develop a film on top.
- Let frosting cool at room temperature for around 45 minutes -- less for a thinner frosting, and more for a thicker frosting. If necessary, you can pop it in the fridge for as long as necessary to thicken it up.
Notes
Nutrition
Last Updated on October 17, 2025 by Chenée Lewis
Sam says
Why do I have to sign up to read the last step ?
Chenée Lewis says
I think you misunderstood. All the actual recipe steps are included in the recipe card -- the part where I say "Last step" is just a fun way to encourage readers to share their feedback after making the recipe, as if it's an additional "step." Hope this clears it up!
Fidha says
Hello Chenee, Is this frosting enough for a 7-inch 2-layered cake?
Chenée Lewis says
Yes for sure -- you'll probably have leftovers.
Fidha says
So will it be enough for 8.5 inch 2 layered cake?
Chenée Lewis says
Yes, I designed it for an 8-inch 2 layer cake, but there's always some left over so it should work for an 8.5 inch cake too.
addie says
hey! how long should i bake the cake for?
Chenée Lewis says
Hi, you can find all the instructions for the Matilda Cake here: Matilda's Chocolate Cake
Queen says
This worked exactly as written, thanks!
Chenée Lewis says
Thank you! Glad you liked it!
Zebaaaaaaaa says
BEST RECIPE EVERRRRRRRRRR
I usually bake at night, so what I did to the frosting was once it cooled to room temperature, I kept it in the fridge. The next day, I just gave it a little whisk to loosen it.
Anyways, I love this recipe from the bottom of my heart. Thank you so much for this recipe!
Chenée Lewis says
So happy to hear that!! 🙂 Thank you!!
Lakshmi says
I tried the fudge frosting today and the flavours were just gorgeous! I have a question, though. Can this frosting be whipped to create a more fluffy texture, or only used as is? Either way, it’s a fantastic recipe and is going into my trusty recipe book for sure. Thanks for the detailed instructions!
Chenée Lewis says
Hi Lakshmi! I haven't tried whipping this recipe, but I would imagine it would be able to be whipped into a lighter consistency, like a whipped ganache. So glad you liked it!
Diane Faria says
Taste was top notch ! My frosting was a little on the runny side though
Chenée Lewis says
So glad you liked it Diane 🙂 I hope the frosting sets up a little better for you next time.
Asya says
Will there be enough cream for your Matilda recipe, or do I need to increase the amount of cream for 2 biscuits?
Chenée Lewis says
It's definitely enough for the Matilda cake! Enjoy 🙂
Cynthia says
Can you whip up the frosting after it has cooled to make it fluffier?
Chenée Lewis says
Absolutely! 🙂
Emily says
Amazing recipe. It’s exactly what I imagine that chocolate cake from Matilda tasting like.
When I made it I missed a few ingredients and it was still amazing. I can only imagine how great it’ll be with all the right ingredients.
Chenée Lewis says
I'm so happy you liked it! Thank you!
Saori Okazaki says
hi! can i use full cream instead of heavy cream?
Chenée Lewis says
Hi! Full cream and heavy cream are the same thing, so yes 🙂
Oshenye Oshenye says
I made it and I love it, thank you so much.
Chenée Lewis says
Thank you! I'm so glad you loved it!
Kalika says
I definitely love any frosting that is not American buttercream. From the ingredients I know that I will love it.
Chenée Lewis says
So glad you like it! 🙂
Despina says
Hey! For the Matilda chocolate cake, would I need to make a double batch? Thanks.
Chenée Lewis says
No, this recipe works well as written for that cake 🙂
Joh Brown says
Amazing !!!!!
Chenée Lewis says
Thank you so much!
Dollie says
Excellent frosting, I made a moist chocolate cake to frost with it for my grandson’s birthday and even though it did take a few hours to thicken, it was DELICIOUS!
Can the leftovers be frozen or should I just refrigerate it?
Again, great recipe🙂
Chenée Lewis says
I'm so glad you liked it! Thank you so much! I usually refrigerate leftovers, but I'm sure they could be frozen as well.
Nadia Jattiem says
Thank u so much for sharing this recipe
Chenée Lewis says
You're so welcome 🙂
Becca says
Hello! This tastes delicious but after 45 minutes it’s still quite yummy, I have reread the instructions and ingredients multiple times. Any idea why it’s so runny? Suggestions on making it thicker?
Chenée Lewis says
Hi Becca, Sorry it ended up runny for you! Next time, you can cook it a little more to thicken it up a little before letting it cool.
Jun says
Love this! But I tried cooking it longer and even left it for almost 2-3 hours out and it still wasn't as thick as your videos/pictures. It was still to runny to frost the cake so I had to put it in the fridge then whip it.
Any tips or ideas to not have to do that to get a thick frosting? How long do you usually heat the cream for do you whisk it the whole way? Thank you!
Chenée Lewis says
Hi! I'm sorry you had trouble thickening the frosting -- if I were you I'd add an extra tablespoon of cocoa powder to the mixture or an extra few tablespoons of powdered sugar, or reduce the amount of cream slightly.
Becky says
So the recipe says 3/4 cup butter which would be 1 and 1/2 sticks that weighs about 160g but the recipe says 341g. Ruined my whole batch of frosting because the weight is off and I weigh everything out when baking. I suggest you change it so other people don’t make this mistake.
Chenée Lewis says
Oh no! Thanks for the heads up about the mistake -- I'll fix it now.
Charah says
Love this recipe, saving this for future use, thank for sharing
Gail says
The best ever. Thank you ❣️
Chenée Lewis says
You're so welcome! Thanks!
Paula says
This frosting was fudgy perfection! soooo tasty!
Chenée Lewis says
Yay! I'm glad you liked it!
kushi says
This frosting looks so perfect. Pinned to try your recipe soon.
Kim says
This was so good! Tastes just like the frosting my grandma made - so much better than that processed junk in a can.
Chenée Lewis says
I agree! So glad you liked it!
TAYLER ROSS says
I used this frosting to frost some cupcakes last night and OMG was it delicious! I could literally eat it by the spoonful!
Chenée Lewis says
You and me both! So glad you liked it!