Creamy Chocolate Frosting

I have never tried to make a chocolate frosting before, and thought this was simple and absolutely delicious for my first go at chocolate frosting. It was much MUCH better than pre-made frostings. I read one review that this frosting was not chocolate'y enough, and if anything I found it to be more than enough of a chocolate'y taste. I took the advice of others that said that this did not make very much frosting, and doubled the recipe, which made enough to generously frost a 9" X 13" pan of walnut brownies. YUM!! I will certainly make this again.

EXcellent! I wanted frosting for brownies so I wanted something fudgy and glossy. That was easily accomplished with this recipe simply by melting the butter. Before it even made it to the brownies I gave it a taste test (yup, with the tip of my finger I confess) and I knew it was exactly what I wanted. I didn't see the necessity for the evaporated milk - I preferred to use half and half. I used this to top "Simply Fudgy Brownies" (that recipe is pretty darn good too), frosting them while they were still warm. This frosting will make its way back to my kitchen again, I'm sure!

Great frosting! It's definitely creamy and most certainly chocolately! I replaced half the butter with butter flavored shortening, added a pinch of salt, and used 3 Tbsp. of half and half instead of evaporated milk. I used an electric mixer to get it nice and fluffy. It was perfect to pipe on a half dozen Texas sized dark chocolate cupcakes! The best part was licking the beater!

My family loved this frosting. It was a bit soft even with all of the sugar, I added a little more. The taste is phenomenal, this frosting could be desert all by itself! Very easy to make; I doubled the recipe to fill and frost one two layer cake, there were even leftovers.

I too used cocoa to thicken rather than powdered sugar - what a great idea! This frosting was wonderful and was enough to frost a one layer 9x13.

I tried this recipe, followed it perfectly and yet it turned out horrible. I made it for a cake for my boyfriend when he got a new job he really wanted, and we couldn't even eat it. I'm very disappointed that I wasted those ingredients. I won't be using this again.

This recipe worked really well - I made 1 1/2 it so it would fill and frost a 9 inch layer cake, and it was just enough. I used unsalted butter, and it tasted a little bland - I think either salted butter or a dash of salt would have been better. Chocolate always seems to need a bit of salt.

Oh my gosh! This frosting is so good! I am not usually a big frosting or icing fan because usually they are too sweet for me. I used Hershey's unsweetened cocoa powder. This is to die for! I couldn't stop eating it! I served it on top of chocolate zucchini cupcakes from this site and they were a big hit. I will definitely be making this again!!

This is a good recipe for chocolate frosting. The thing I liked most is that it is sweet, but not sickeningly sweet. I love chocolate, so I added an extra tablespoon of cocoa. I added more evaporated milk though than it called for because I like frosting to be more like whipped frosting and very light. I didn't measure how much, just added a splash until I got it to the consistency I personally like best. I used this with a the David's Yellow Cake recipe on this site and got great reviews of both the cake and this frosting! This is going into my 'must make again' recipe book. Oh, and if you are only frosting the top of a 9x13" cake, you only need to make one batch of this frosting. If you are doing layers, then I'd suggest doubling it up since you would need to frost the outside and the middle of the cake.

This is wonderful frosting. I doubled the recipe and it was just the right amount to frost 24 cupcakes. Also, by doubling the recipe, it was almost exactly 1 (5 oz.) can of evap. milk, so none went to waste. The frosting is creamy, chocolaty and not too sweet, perfect for piping.

This is by far the best chocolate frosting I have ever made. It has great color and tastes so much better than tub frosting. Thanks so much for sharing.

This is the best frosting recipe ever, except I used heavy whipping cream instead of evaporated milk because I didn't have any. It is light, fluffy and so good I thought I had died and went to heaven. If you rate this is a bad recipe then YOU probably did something wrong... Also make sure your butter is room temperature! Definitely use a hand or a stand mixer cause I don't see this working too good without one.

Great recipe...very tasty, quick and easy!

Great for a quick chocolate frosting. I used 2% milk instead of evaporated because I didn't want to waste it. Came out very shiny. Good flavor though. I used it to frost the German Sweet Chocolate Cake I, and it was a good combo. Not quite enough for a good thickness on the side plus decoration though, I really had to stretch it. I'll double it next time :) Update: I made this again, doubled it, and used the evaporated milk and it was MUCH better!!!! It wasn't as shiny and weird as the first time and I used it on the German chocolate cake again. I liked it better this time, be careful not to add too much evaporated milk though or it will get runny quick!

Excellent frosting. Easy for piping and more importantly tastes delicious.

*I followed this recipe exactly as it is written. This is a good chocolate frosting recipe...and I have made some bad ones! *I used it to decorate a box chocolate cake mix. The flavor is just right...milk chocolaty...this is not dark and rich if that's what you're looking for. *The consistency is similar to a store bought frosting. I used a bag and tip to give a decorated edge to the cake and it holds up pretty well. *Inexpensive ingredient list.. and quick and easy to make.

This was perfect! Sometimes when I make frosting it turns out too heavy. This was just right! Very creamy and light, and perfectly chocolate-y. This will now be my standard Chocolate Frosting recipe. Thanks!

What to expect: if you follow this recipe to the letter, you will get an awesome, very delicious chocolate frosting recipe, resembling that old timey frosting you had on birthday cake of yesteryear. It will impress, and let's be honest that is what you secretly hope when baking for others. However, it is not a stiff recipe for complicated decorating, so you will need to adjust this with shortening instead of butter for that, but it will let you pipe some swirls, if that's all you need. I did add a little extra cocoa and a tad more sugar to slightly firm it, but a double recipe generously frosted a two layer 9 in. cake and had enough left for another layer. It will set up if you frost the cake and fridge it. I used this to frost "David's Yellow Cake" recipe on this site. I would give 5 stars, but just deducted a little since it is not a firmer frosting and since you need to double the recipe to make enough for regular use. Yowsers, this is a very tasty recipe and will be a staple in my baking.

I just made this frosting it's very good

This frosting was just what I was looking for! I quadrupled the recipe and it frosted and filled a 1/4 sheetcake, with some left over. Used it with a dark chocolate cake and also used cherry pie filling along with the frosting filling. Great creamy texture that was not dry or greasy as homemade chocolate frosting can be. Easy to decorate with such as borders. Thanks!

I love to bake, but do not make cakes or icing from scratch. Well, I was in a pinch for icing my yellow cake (from a box of course) and tried this recipe. Wonderful! I might even stop buying frosting in a can!

Perfection! This recipe came highly recommended and I was not disappointed! I was looking for a mocha java type flavor, so I added a couple of pinches of espresso powder, very subtle but it was a lovely flavor.

Add about 4 more tbsp butter switch out evap milk for heavy cream and add about 3 more tbsp i used nestle cocoa and it came out perfect buttery, creamy, and has the taste of a buttercream frosting tastes so good with my modifications, good luck !

So yummy! I followed this recipe exactly...except for one thing. I couldn't bring myself to buy a 2 cup container of evaporated milk to only use 5 Tbsp so I made my own by reducing a little bit of milk. I added the milk while it was still hot which I was worried would affect the consistency but it didn't. It came out rich and delicious. This will definitely be my go to recipe whenever I need chocolate frosting. YUMMY!!

Only comment is that the amount you get is skimpy. Definitely increase if you like a lot of frosting. I'll probably double next time for a layer cake. May have some left over but that's easy to take care of!

Thank you for sharing this recipe! It's wonderful!! only thing I changed was adding an extra T of cocoa!! will use this again!!

Wow... This was my first time making frosting and because of this recipe, I will never stop now! The texture was PERFECT! I didn't use just any cocoa powder.. I used GHIRADELLI! I can't believe I made this - it tasted like a Professional Bakery Frosting! Thanks for the recipe :)

Great texture and flavor. I recommend making and using it the day you intend to serve your baked goodie because it was kind of crusty the next day. To frost and fill a double-layer cake and frost 9 cupcakes, I combined 4 1/8 c. sugar, 12 T. cocoa, 9 T. butter, 7.5 T. milk and 1.5 t. vanilla.

Very good frosting! It's creamy, spreads nicely, isn't overly sweet, and has no "shortening" taste. Chocolately, but not too rich. I used it on a 9x12 cake, still in the pan, (only the top was frosted) so I had an ample amount of frosting. Make sure the butter is softened before creaming, use an electric mixer to get it really creamy, and don't skip the sifting step. This will be my recipe when I want a frosting that's simple, quick, and yummy!

This was a great recipe. Held up well for a groom's cake that I made. Had to triple it for a two tier groom's cake (tier sizes 9 inches and 12 inches x 3 inches high for each tier) Only gave 4 stars because for me it was a tad too sweet so I added a dash of salt ( small small dash) but it held up well even in 100+ degree weather... it started to slightly melt but not like a candy bar, more frosting is expected to melt in that type of heat. Thanks ! I will most def use again... Oh and do use all of the sugar required, it wasn't thick and fluffy until I did...

This is absolutely fantastic frosting and I'll most definitely use it again and again. Thank you! I followed the recipe to the letter, except I used regular milk instead of evaporated, only b/c I didn't have evaporated to hand. In the future I'd like to try adding additional flavours - maybe cinnamon instead of vanilla, or coffee. Thanks again! Update: I’ve made this several tones and have even been short on powdered sugar. It’s very forgiving; I’ve just added a little more milk and cocoa powder to compensate and it worked a treat!

The chocolate flavor was okay. I do not like dark chocolate flavor, so I melted 1.5 oz of milk chocolate with 1/2 tsp of butter. I mixed this into the frosting and viola, yummy chocolate frosting. I didn't want to add more sugar and this work out perfectly. Yummy!!!

This is a really easy recipe! It also tasted delicious.:) I used 1.5% milk instead of evaporated, and it turned out great! I also made another batch, and mixed about 1/2cup un-whipped heavy cream, and whipped it all together until VERY fluffy- superb! All of my 6 siblings and my parents loved it!

This went over very well with Brooke's Best Bombshell Brownies.

Simply Scrumptious!

This recipe is so bad, I can't believe it is highly rated. I read it three times thinking maybe I forgot an ingrediant or something. It tastes like pure sugar with a vague chocolate after taste. It never real pulls together. All 4 family members agreed it doesn't work. I ended up adding 2 extra tbs butter 2, extra tablespoons cocoa and half a container of whipped cream cheese. After all of this, the recipe was quite tasty- but lets be real that's a totally different recipe than what is shown. Don't make this unless you like to eat confectioner's sugar straight.

So yummy! You can't mess this one up! I used 2% milk because I didn't want to waste a whole can of evaporated milk. Frosting was delicious and so easy to make, too!

Can't believe I forgot to rate this. Made this frosting last month to go over a homemade yellow cake. It was delish and easy to make. Oh, I did not want to waste a can of evaporated milk, so I used just regular milk instead. Thank you for sharing.

Creamy, sweet but not overly. I used regular milk. Easy to make.

Wow! Thank you for such a fabulous recipe. Sooo decadent with a true milk chocolate flavor. I actually used 8Tbs. butter as it was easier to throw the whole softened stick in mixer. Whirred it all in the Kitchen Aid. Creamy perfection. Yum. Generously covered a 9x13" cake. My new favorite chocolate frosting recipe-my husband & kids were floored by this & I bake a lot.

I used this frosting on "one bowl chocolate cake" from this site, and I won a 2nd place red ribbon at my county fair! This frosting is AMAZING! My husband LOVED it! Will make again and again! Thanks for sharing Tracy!

I don't know why I expected this recipe to be so-so...IT WAS DELICIOUS! The only changes I made, because I didn't have the evaporated milk, was to add 5-6 tablespoons of milk. I also added 1/8 tsp of salt. The result was a rich and creamy frosting. This is my new favorite frosting!

I changed the serving size to 18 and calculated the ingredients so I would have enough to frost a 2 layer cake and the middle. I did have a little extra. Substituted heavy cream for the evaporated milk because I needed to use it up. Tastes great.

BEST chocolate frosting ever! Love it! So creamy, so rich, so delightful, and YUMMY! The vanilla adds a nice flavor to it! Tips: Do not try to frost cupcakes or brownies when the frosting has been in the fridge, the frosting will be too stiff and break the cake/brownie. For an easier time frosting let it get to room temp. before frosting. Also I have used this recipie before in making cake pops but it make it tastes like a brownie! Soo good! Best frosting ever! Goes great in cake pops, on yellow cake, and brownies! LOVE IT!

This icing is delicious! It was easy to make and the texture was perfect. I added a little coffee that I had leftover and it was just wonderful. I will definitely make it again!

Absolutely wonderful. My husband always thinks everything made with cocoa powder tastes too "semi-sweet", but he actually liked this frosting and said it was not "semi-sweet" tasting at all but the perfect sweetness. This will be the frosting I now use for all of my cakes and cupcakes.

I thought this was pretty good. I did think it needed a stronger chocolate flavor so I added an ounce of melted unsweetened baking chocolate and it helped a little. I used a very high quality cocoa powder but it's a little older so that might have something to do with the chocolate flavor not being very strong.

This is delicious. As one reviewer said, it seems a shame to waste the extra evaporated milk. I made a double batch, and am planning on freezing the half I am not using. I am freezing the remaining evaporated milk in 5 tablespoon portions. Then I can hopefully use it later.

While this was a simple recipe I found that the taste was very disappointing. You could tell it came from cocoa powder. It had an almost stale taste to it rather than fresh that real chocolate would have given.

I made mine almost two days ahead of time (had to travel and asssembled cupcakes when I got there); after mixing in a couple tablespoons of milk, it was ready to go. Stays soft (does not set up hard/dry) and did not get grainy. YUM! A nice milk-chocolate taste, not very "fudgy" and not too sweet.

Awesome frosting! Great flavor..better than store bought. I made some slight changes....I used regular milk instead of evaporated and I only used 4 tbsp instead of 6. When I did 6 tbsp the frosting was way too runny. With 4 tbsp of milk, the frosting piped beautifully.

Very good! I upped the servings to 36 and omitted about 1 cup of the confectioners sugar. I used almond milk as it is what I had on hand. I frosted Sandy's Chocolate Cake recipe from this site. Will definitely make again.

first time making frostin& It turned out amazing.everyone was shocked thati made it.All my friends thought it was store bought frosting. i followed exactly how the recipe says and i added instant coffee powder to make coffe frosting. i Will use this recipe again

Perfect!!!

AMAZING !!! Just what I was looking for to make Boston Cream Cupcakes.

Everyone LOVED this frosting. I used vegan butter, and instead of evaporated milk I used non-dairy creamer (made from coconut milk.) Worked perfectly, people had a lot to say about it, some calling it "melt in your mouth" and others "so creamy and good." A keeper.

Very good, I used 6oz of chocolate though. I also added coffee liqueur to make it mocha. Nice, smooth and spreadably delicious!

Oh it was heavenly! Didn't want to open up the evaporated milk so I used my already open heavy whipping cream. It was a buttery-light-chocolately taste.

Very good. I added 2 more tablespoons of butter just because I like the buttery taste. Creamy and delicious!

I liked the texture and it was great for piping and decorating (I used it for cupcakes) however the taste was not that impressive and I have definitely had better chocolate frosting in terms of taste. I think that those who had trouble with consistency either had their butter too soft, didn't follow the recipe or didn't measure properly. The consistency is good. I even added more milk to make it even more creamy. I didn't have any problem with it being runny. I'll keep this recipe in my box however I will keep looking for my perfect chocolate frosting.

Not at all what we were expecting. Will keep searching for that perfect chocolate frosting recipe.

This is delicious!! It was a bit thick for spreading, so I just warmed it in the microwave for 20 seconds. It was then easily spread & sat up to be just perfect on my white layer cake.

Thank you! I'm not a chocolate fan, but my husband is and I needed a nice homemade frosting for his cake (Being a baker; I don't use anything packaged). Rather than canned milk I used chocolate rice milk. Amaretto rather than vanilla and I used more cocoa powder to thicken the frosting rather than more Confectioners' sugar. This is an excellent base recipe! Oh and I just wanted to say to those who gave a bad review.. You obviously don't know how to bake. Like I always say “There's more to baking then just fallowing a recipe”.

This frosting was phenomenal! I love everything about it; spreads easily, stays put, is very chocolatey, not too sweet, not bitter, travels well, wonderful consistency. It's everyone's new favorite! Thank you! =0)

I made a late night run for the evap. milk and it was worth it. It made this frosting 10x better than any other recipe I made before

Great frosting! Not too chocolaty balanced just right. Will be filing away to use for a go-to.

This is an outstanding chocolate frosting recipe! I made it exactly as written, and was extremely pleased with the results. The frosting was a nice, rich color, and the flavor was sweet, but not too sweet, and chocolatey. I loved the addition of the evaporated milk;it made the frosting extra creamy. I did use double dark Dutch processed cocoa...this gave it a richer chocolate taste. I used the frosting to top Lovestohost's Cookie Dough Cupcakes, and it piped beautifully, and tasted awesome. Thanks for sharing the recipe! I'll be making it again!

Delicious. I used regular milk instead of evaporated because it's all I had on hand.

This was very disappointing.. I made it just the way it says to make it and it turned out very runny, tasted nothing like chocolate had to add more coco to get even a hint of chocolate flavor.. I will not be making this one again.

Very good but a little thinner this way, definately needs more powdered sugar added

well i tried this frotsing and im just not happy with the results.....it was too sweet. I sorta felt the texture was a bit grainy & too dense. I would have preferred something that is less sweet & wouldnt punch in a buttery flavor.

I thought this tasted pretty good but it never got very thick. I ended up adding a bit more conf. sugar and cocoa, then added 2 more Tbsp. of butter. It helped but still not quite there. And I was only able to cover 20 out of 24 cupcakes.

For those of you wondering how many cupcakes this recipe will frost...it will do 12 generously (I piped out swirl designs). I wasn't sure so I made recipe as is and then made a second batch (no need to clean bowls) to finish off my two dozen cupcakes. This frosting is the best I've ever tried. I used Ghiradella's unsweetened cocoa and the flavor came out so decadent but not too rich or sweet...the perfect balance. I dislike overly sweet buttercream frostings. I added a dash of salt to bring out the chocolate flavor (used unsalted butter though). Can't wait for everyone to try them. I put ontop of the cookie dough cupcake (recipe from this site) and I'm sure it'll be a hit. Thank you Tracy!

Tastes just like the local bakeries frosting! I used it on DS's birthday cake, and just recently on homemade doughnuts and it is yummy! I added a few extra tablespoons of chocolate.

Ok... To everyone who complained about this being too runny... You're supposed to add the milk/liquid slowly, and to the consistency of your liking. "5Tbs" doesn't always mean you should use that exact amount. That said, I thought this was an ok icing. It's not very rich. It sets quickly so be careful about it becoming grainy/crumbly, and to add sprinkles to cupcakes as you go. I was able to BARELY frost 24 cupcakes (not heavily either). I think I'll use a different frosting next time.

Nice simple recipe, great for when you don't want to spend a lot of time. I personally loved it and will make it for the kids again. If you are a chocolate snob, don't make it though.

This frosting was wonderful! I forgot to put the vanilla in :-(. I bet it's even better with the vanilla! It's still wonderful, though. Great flavor and consistency. There is no reason to buy frosting in the can. I also used whole milk because I didn't have condensed milk.

A perfect frosting recipe. Like another poster, I used 2% milk and it still turned out perfect. A new favorite, thank you for sharing!

It was my first time making my own frosting, and I don't think I'll ever go back to canned frosting again! I used light margarine and fat free evaporated milk, and it still turned out wonderfully. I used this frosting to pipe onto the ice cream cone cupcakes after some refrigeration. It set up beautifully! I experienced the same thing as other reviewers- it had a very strong powdered sugar taste right after mixing, but the ingredients blended well and it tasted very good after a few hours!

This was so good! I added 1 tsp. of instant espresso as it adds depth of flavor to the chocolate. I melted the butter and proceeded with the recipe as directed. It was creamy and glossy, and perfect for my son's birthday cake. This will be my go-to butter cream frosting. I did double the recipe to frost and fill 2- 8 inch layer cakes.

I made this for my daughter's first birthday party. It is way too sweet for my taste, so I added less sugar and more cocoa. Also I used coconut oil. Loved it!

I followed the recipe, but used a total of 3 cups sugar, and 6 Tbsp evaporated milk. I think regular milk may be a bit too little flavor for it, but as written, it's hands-down the most awesome chocolate frosting I've ever had! I'm going to try this in lemon and vanilla too, just to see what could happen :)

Great quick and easy frosting. I put it on a yellow bundt cake. Yum.

Nice.

This frosting is good, but it seems like it's missing something to me - I will continue my search for the perfect chocolate frosting...

Really good recipe. I also used it to frost a boxed cake like some others have, I had to keep adding the sugar and cocoa powder after the required measurements because I wanted it thicker (frosting has to withstand decorations, like little toy cars, for my son's birthday cake). I will try to post the finished product if it turns out to my liking. Overall, a very good standard recipe that can be easily adjusted to one's preference.

GREAT frosting! I used this on the Peanut Butter Cupcakes from this site. I split the recipe in half as suggested by other reviewers and it was a HUGE mistake! I was only able to cover twelve cupcakes with the recipe halved. Perhaps this is because of the way I frost cupcakes-I put the frosting in a gallon size zip top bag and cut one of the bottom tips off (using it as a pastry bag). Next time I will definitely not half the recipe. Very delicious! Thanks for the recipe, Tracy!

I took out 2 of the tablespoons of butter and added 4 tablespoons of Nutella. So good! The texture was wonderful and the flavor was too!

This was by hands down the best chocolate frosting recipe I have ever made!!! For the ones that did not give a good review, I'm sorry to say it was because they did not make it correctly. This was so simple, fast and easy. This frosting is so smooth, creamy and fluffy that you'll be able to pipe the frosting if you choose. This frosting is so decadent, that it is very hard to resist eating right from the bowl. When alternating dry ingredient and milk, I simply added 1 cup of dry to 1 Tablespoon of milk and it worked out beautifully - ( which by the way I just used regular milk instead of evaporated milk ). Very important to sift the sugar and Coco, beat butter ( room temperature ) till smooth and gradually add dry ingredient and milk - alternating them. Follow instructions as directed and you shall have the most delicate chocolate frosting leaving the most grandest smile on your face and ultimately please the ones around you. You'll never buy another can of frosting again. For the people who found this was too sweet, it really is simple...just adjust the amount of sugar. If you still find that you didn't care for this recipe, be kind in your comment. Just imagine that this was you sharing your recipe with others....you wouldn't want to read mean comments. P.s. You must use powdered sugar ( others call it confectioners sugar ). If you use regular granulated sugar, your frosting will have the " gritty " texture. If you still choose to use granulated sugar, beat together

I've only ever made this with ordinary milk because I didn't have any evaporated milk on hand, but it still turns out a winner. This is my favorite chocolate frosting recipe. Thanks for sharing it definitely!

Loved this recipe! Easy to make and great tasting. I did not have evaporated milk, so I substituted milk and turned out great. I will be trying with evaporated milk to see if there is a difference.

I doubled the recipe to frost two 8" cakes. Had plenty of frosting, but didn't have enough powdered sugar on hand for 5-1/2 cups (which a douled recipe would call for) so I used all I had, which measured to about 4 cups. I thought that the frosting would probably be sweet enough, and I was right. I was also careful not to add all the evaporated milk because I knew the frosting would end up too thin. I added a little sour cream (about 1/4 cup) as I was frosting a sour cream chocolate cake. So after all this, how did the frosting turn out? Wonderful! Loved it! Just the right amount of sweetness, and very true to it's name "creamy".

Excellent! Taste was great, easy to work with as well. Held its shape as well.

This is really nice for decorating.

I make alot of cakes and have been searching for the perfect chocolate frosting recipe for a long time. After trying Tracy's recipe, I will search no longer. This frosting is wonderful!!!

YUMMY! I love the consistancy of this frosting. I thought the flavor of the cocoa was better the next day. I added a teaspoon of Almond flavoring and almost died it was chocolate heaven!

This is an excellent quick frosting for cakes, brownies, or cupcakes. I made it exactly as written except I did add about 1/2 tsp. of salt. For some reason, in my opinion, this seems to cut the bitterness of the cocoa powder and brings out the sweetness instead. This is so much better than the tub frostings you buy at the grocery store. I used the amounts listed for a 13x9 inch pan of brownies. I doubled it for a 9" layer cake. It was wonderful and I'll definitely use this recipe again.

The recipe is on point. The frosting was like canned frosting at the grocery, but more healthier. Less synthetic ingredients, if you get my drift.

Great, easy recipe with lots of experimentation potential! I used 1% milk instead of evap milk, and added a little more cocoa powder (because I'm a sucker for dark chocolate)...turned out great, though next time I may cut down on the vanilla extract a tiny bit.