All you need is a few pantry staples to make this super chocolaty and delicious Small-batch Chocolate Frosting.
Hey, folks. Happy Monday, and if you are in the US, Happy Labor Day. I hope you’re enjoying your three-day weekend.
As promised, I have another small-batch frosting for you today. This time, Small-batch Chocolate Frosting. Or as some might say (me, I say it), the best frosting.
This chocolate frosting is an American buttercream, which means it’s one of the easiest frostings you can possibly make, and you almost certainly have the ingredients to make it any time the urge strikes because you just need butter, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, and a little milk or cream.
I like to throw a little espresso powder in there to give it an even deeper chocolate flavor (the hint of coffee flavor really brings it out) but that’s a totally optional ingredient and the frosting is still impossibly good without it.
With or without espresso, it’s fantastically rich and fudgy, the type of frosting you kind of want to just eat out of the bowl before it even makes its way to your cupcakes. 😉
Since this is a small-batch frosting recipe, it makes about 3/4 cup, which will frost four big swirls on cupcakes, six smaller swirls, or up to eight cookies or cupcakes when frosted with a knife.
I’ve used it on my Small-batch Chocolate Cupcakes on the site, and it’s A++ over Small-batch Vanilla Cupcakes as well.
Looking for more Small-batch Frosting Recipes? Try my Vanilla Frosting, Cookie Dough Frosting, Strawberry Frosting, and Oreo Frosting (all small-batch!)
Small-batch Chocolate Frosting
Ingredients
Special Equipment
- Handheld electric mixer optional but helpful
Chocolate Frosting
- 4 tablespoons (2oz) unsalted butter softened*
- 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar sifted
- 1/4 cup (20g) cocoa powder sifted
- 1 1/2 teaspoons milk plus more as needed
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of espresso powder optional
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, beat softened butter until light and fluffy. Add remaining ingredients and beat until well-combined and fluffy. Add more milk by the 1/4 teaspoon if necessary until frosting reaches your desired consistency.
Notes
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission if you make a purchase using them. There is absolutely no additional cost to you.
Marsha | Marsha's Baking Addiction says
This chocolate frosting looks absolutely perfect! I could eat this by the spoonful!
Tracy says
Thanks, Marsha!!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food says
I love the flavours of coffee and chocolate together, so I’m pretty sure I would have to double this recipe cause I’d want to get some straight up with a spoon, lol 😀 Pinned!
Hope you have a great week, Tracy!
Tracy says
Hehe, thanks Dawn. Hope your week is equally awesome. 😉
Judy says
We love this frosting, have make it 4 times already, my husband loves cakes which I bake except in the summer, I live in the Calif. desert so I do not turn the oven on if at all possible. Found a yummy pound cake and this frosting is perfect!!!
So delicious, rich and easy to make! Thank you ♥
Tracy says
Thanks, Judy! So glad you enjoyed it, and now you have me craving pound cake. 😉 And I’m in Kern county, so I totally get the no baking during the summer!!
Ani says
Hi, will anything go wrong with the recipe if some melted chocolate is added in but balanced out with powdered sugar if it becomes too runny?
Tracy says
Hi, Ani, you’ll want to cool the chocolate for 10 to 15 minutes first, and I’ve never tried it, so I can’t guarantee anything, but it should work. If you try it, please let me know how it turns out.
Alexis says
Hi! So I’ve made some brownies with a cakey texture but they’re not sweet enough so i found this recipe calling for cocoa powder which I just ran out! Can I use unsweetened dark cocoa powder as a substitute for it or would I need to add more sweetness in.. say sugar?
Would love if you made a dark chocolate frosting recipe as well!
Tracy says
Hi, Alexis. Dark cocoa powder will work just fine. If it’s not sweet enough, you can add more sugar (and a bit more milk if needed). Let me know how it turns out!
Heather says
Hey, I know nobody will reply, but do you HAVE to have a sifter?
Tracy says
Hi, Heather, both ingredients that call for sifting tend to be pretty lumpy so if you don’t sift them, you’re probably going to have to some sugar/cocoa powder lumps, but they don’t really hurt anything. If I were making this frosting just for myself, I wouldn’t let not having a sifter stop me. 😉 Also, you can whisk the sugar and cocoa powder together on their own first which should help with some of the lumps. Hope that helps!
Ashley says
Would this be enough icing for your chocolate sheet cake in the 7×5 dish?
Tracy says
It is! Though, that cake is really thin and dainty, so I’d try a thin layer of frosting first just to make sure it’s not overpowering the cake. Hope you enjoy it!
Kim says
Truly addictive. Nobody is allowed to lick the beaters but me when I make this. Soooo good, especially on the small batch chocolate brownie. Your small batch recipes are terrific.
Tracy says
Thanks, Kim! So happy you enjoy them!!
Chelsy says
Can I substitute the butter for margerine? I just ran out of butter and I’ve been craving chocolate icing all day.
Tracy says
Go for it. The frosting will have a slightly different taste and texture, but if you don’t mind margarine, it won’t be a problem. Hope you enjoy it!
Ala says
OMG yuummm!
Best frosting ever!!!! I used a bit less powdered sugar and it turned out stlle awesome!!!!
Tracy says
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it!!
Vera says
Pefect recipe to frost an 8×8 cake – exactly what I was looking for! Flavor is fantastic, especially with the addition of some Espresso Powder. This will also be perfect for when I make a small batch of cupcakes just for the hubby and I.
Tracy says
Thanks, Vera! So glad you enjoyed it, and I totally agree, the espresso powder really makes the frosting!
Antonita says
Just needed to dress up some rhubarb muffins I made and wanted a small amount of icing without making calculations from a larger recipe. This chocolate icing was amazing!
I omitted the coffee and added abit more milk to our liking. Thank you!
Tracy says
So glad this worked out for you! Rhubarb muffins with chocolate icing sounds so good right about now. 😉
Phyllis says
I’ve been on a gluten free and actually a practically everything free diet for quite a while. I’ve been craving a chocolate dessert and didn’t want to bake in the hot weather, so I just made this frosting and ate it with a spoon. My tummy is happy, though it takes all my willpower not to finish it in one sitting!
Barbara K Nelson says
I made this frosting for my daughter in law who loves yellow cake with chocolate frosting for her birthday. We always have so much cake left over if I make a normal size one, so I the old-fashioned yellow cake recipe found on Taste of Home and baked in a loaf pan. I used this recipe, sans the espresso powder, to frost the cute little cake. It was just perfect for the 4 of us, and we all loved the frosting. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Jessy says
Wow, just wow. Was searching for a good frosting (on here and in stores) for a while, and i found this gem! I use enriched vanilla rice milk and 1/3 of the powdered sugar was replace with dattes purée (i start using It homemade to eat less sugar) (might do 50/50 next time) and it turn out too good to be true. Thanks 🙂
Tracy says
Ooo, I’ve never used pureed dates in frosting before. What a clever idea!
Lilly says
Hi,
Can I make this without using an electric mixer?
Tracy says
You can! It just takes a little arm power. 🙂
Miranda says
I only have salted butter. Would this be a problem?
Tracy says
Salted butter works just fine. Just don’t add any additional salt to the frosting. Some people find using salted butter makes the frosting a little on the salty side, but most people I’ve talked to don’t mind it. Hope you enjoy the frosting!
Paula M Marshall says
“Since this is a small-batch frosting recipe, it makes about 3/4 cup, which will…” SATISFY MY CRAVING WITHOUT MAKING ME GO BUY CANDY AT THE STORE!!
Tracy says
Lol!!!
Jeanie says
Hi Tracy! Thank you so much for this recipe it’s a keeper!! I love small batch and it was so easy to make. I made a 6in single layer chocolate cake to go with it and still have some leftover to use another time. I usually don’t add espresso but I’m glad I did because it definitely brings out a more chocolatey flavor. Can’t wait to try more of your recipes 🙂
Tracy says
Yes!! Espresso really does give it such a flavor boost. So glad you enjoyed it, Jeanie!!
Ashleigh Schubert says
Really liked this and the vanilla icing. super yummy, not overly sweet or buttery. held its form perfectly and piped great. formed a nice stiffness shell on the outer layer that would easily melt when eaten.
5 stars!!
will be my go-to recipe from now on.
Tracy says
Thanks, Ashleigh! So happy to hear it!!
Mia says
Absolutely delicious. I truly just made this because I was craving chocolate. I’ve just ate some off the spoon and it was delicious! Perfect texture for frosting too. I’ll pop the rest in the fridge and come up with something to put it on tomorrow. The amount it made was exactly what I was looking for as well.
Tracy says
So glad it hit the spot, Mia!!
Joyceb says
Hello! I just made this wonderful frosting for a batch of brownies. I was out of fresh milk so l substituted canned milk. We loved it. Thank you so much for a great “just enough” recipe.
Kayy says
DEF 5 STARS!! After tasting , I was like….SHE KNOWS HER STUFF!! Thank you so much Tracy!!
Kathleen says
I just made your frosting for the mini bundt cake I made in the air fryer and it tastes awesome. I only left out the espresso because my kids like chocolate but espresso brings chocolate to another level…and it’s too much for them. lol Too chocolatey. I love that it made no leftovers that I would eat with a spoon…