• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Start Here
  • Baking 101
  • Recipes
  • Shop

The Bake School

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Start Here
  • Baking 101
  • Recipes
  • Shop
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Start Here
    • Baking 101
    • Recipes
    • Shop
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Frostings

    Published on: February 4, 2021 by Janice Lawandi; Updated on: March 18, 2024 Leave a Comment

    How to Make Chocolate Fudge Frosting

    32 shares
    • Facebook
    • Reddit
    • Flipboard
    Jump to Recipe
    Chocolate fudge frosting on a square banana cake.

    This easy chocolate fudge frosting is great for layer cakes and birthday cakes for adults and kids because it's not too sweet, yet not too bitter!

    A glass bowl of glossy chocolate fudge frosting featuring text overlay that says "How to make chocolate fudge frosting".
    Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    If you don't like a chocolate frosting that is too cloyingly sweet, this chocolate fudge frosting is for you! It's made with a little sour cream to balance out the sweetness!

    This is a good chocolate frosting recipe for beginner bakers, unlike a whipped ganache frosting, because it's less prone to curdling or breaking. Plus, with ganaches and whipped ganache, the temperature can be an issue and there is a window where if your frosting is too warm, it will be too thin, but if it's too cold, you will have trouble icing your cake with it. Chocolate fudge frosting is more forgiving.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Substitutions and Variations
    • Adding Sour Cream to Frosting
    • Enhancing Chocolate Flavour with Coffee
    • How to Make Chocolate Fudge Frosting
    • When to Use This Frosting
    • Frosting FAQs
    • 📖 Recipe

    Ingredients

    Most chocolate fudge frostings are made from cocoa powder, icing sugar, and butter, but for this recipe, we are also using melted chocolate, espresso powder, and sour cream, which add depth of flavour and a little acidity to balance out the sweetness of the icing sugar.

    Ingredients to make chocolate fudge frosting with sour cream.
    • butter—both salted and unsalted butter will work. The salt in salted butter is a great way to offset the sweetness and add depth to the flavour.
    • cocoa powder—I always bake with cocoa powder that is Dutch-processed and has a higher fat content (usually around 22 % fat), providing more flavour than regular cocoa powder could, and a darker colour.
    • chocolate—I've tested this recipe with 41 % milk chocolate and 70 % dark chocolate. Both work.
    • icing sugar—don't use granulated sugar or brown sugar because the texture of your frosting will be different
    • espresso powder—instant espresso powder is optional but it can enhance the chocolate flavour in this recipe so I like to add it. The more you add, the more pronounced the coffee flavour will be, but in small quantities (5 mL or 1 teaspoon), the flavour will be more subtle
    • sour cream—use full-fat sour cream (14% fat) for the smoothest texture and the best flavour
    • vanilla—I use pure vanilla extract

    See the recipe card for quantities and ingredients.

    Substitutions and Variations

    • Chocolate: I've tested this recipe with both milk and dark chocolate. Be sure to use a chocolate that is lower in sugar, like Alunga by Cacao Barry, a 41 % milk chocolate, or Ocoa by Cacao Barry, a 70 % dark chocolate.
    • Coffee: along with the espresso powder, you can also add coffee extract in place of the vanilla to enhance the flavour

    Tip: Some brands include a lot of sugar in their milk or dark chocolate. There are many different types of chocolate for baking, so make sure to use the best you can. In this case, reach for bittersweet chocolate that is around 70 % cocoa solids and not too sugary or use dark milk chocolate with around 40 % cocoa content that isn't too sweet.

    Adding Sour Cream to Frosting

    In this frosting, you'll notice there's sour cream in the ingredient list. This contributes a tangy flavour that isn't very noticeable, but it helps to balance out the sweetness of the frosting so that the chocolate frosting isn't just sugary.

    Sour cream provides an acidity here that is hard to beat with any other ingredients. That acidity is what makes some canned frosting so addictive, actually! Remember, the frosting for Christina Tosi's Milk Bar birthday cake is made with citric acid powder, not so much that the frosting is sour, but just enough to brighten it, adding complexity to the flavour that you might not expect.

    Enhancing Chocolate Flavour with Coffee

    This chocolate fudge frosting relies on two sources of chocolate for flavour: melted dark chocolate (70 %) and cocoa powder. Using these two together leads to a rich, full-bodied frosting that has more depth than most. As always, make sure to use the best chocolate for baking that you can.

    Remember that a great way to enhance the chocolate flavour in baked goods is to incorporate a little coffee. You can use espresso powder, for example, which will contribute bitter notes to help balance out the sweetness of the frosting, without overpowering the chocolate flavour from the melted chocolate and the cocoa.

    How to Make Chocolate Fudge Frosting

    This frosting is made using the creaming method, where the ingredients are whipped together into a smooth, creamy, spreadable frosting for cakes.

    For this recipe, the dark chocolate is melted with the butter until it's creamy, glossy, and smooth. This makes it easier to incorporate the icing sugar and the other ingredients, without the risk of the frosting curdling or breaking from temperature issues where the chocolate is warmer than the other components.

    You can make this frosting in a stand mixer or with an electric hand mixer. I've tested both and didn't notice anything significantly different between the two batches. Obviously, the stand mixer allows you to make this more easily because you can let it whip while you clean up.

    A glass bowl with chocolate and butter to be melted together to make chocolate frosting.

    Combine the chocolate in a heat-proof bowl, like a glass or stainless bowl.

    A glass bowl of melted chocolate and butter to make chocolate frosting.

    Melt the two together over a double boiler or in the microwave (the bowl needs to be microwaveable if you opt for the latter!).

    Sifting icing sugar and cocoa powder through a strainer to remove lumps to make smooth and creamy chocolate frosting.

    When the butter and chocolate have cooled down a little (but are still melted and fluid), sift the icing sugar, cocoa and espresso powders over top to remove any lumps.

    Adding sour cream and vanilla to a glass bowl with sifted icing sugar and cocoa powder to make a chocolate fudge frosting.

    Add the sour cream and vanilla.

    Beating ingredients in a glass bowl with an electric mixer to make chocolate fudge frosting.

    Slowly mix the ingredients at first to keep the powdery ingredients confined to the bowl.

    A glass bowl of glossy chocolate fudge frosting mixed with an electric mixer.

    Increase speed and whip the frosting until glossy, smooth, and light.

    Coffee banana cake flavoured with coffee and topped with milk chocolate frosting

    When to Use This Frosting

    This chocolate sour cream frosting is very versatile and can be used to frost and decorate all kinds of cakes:

    • I made a smaller batch with milk chocolate for this one-layer banana cake with chocolate frosting
    • I made a full batch with milk chocolate for this quintessential birthday cake of vanilla cake with chocolate frosting. This frosting would also be excellent with this eggless chocolate cake.
    • I made it with dark chocolate for this chocolate caramel birthday cake with layers of chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and caramel stacked in between
    • It's great smeared thick on bars like these brownies with walnuts!

    Frosting FAQs

    What do I do if my frosting is too sweet?

    Once the powdered sugar is mixed in, it's hard to adjust the sweetness. You can't take it back. This frosting should not be overly sweet given that it is made with bittersweet chocolate. If you made it with sweeter chocolate like a semi-sweet or milk chocolate, expect it to be sweeter.
    Try adding a little espresso powder to the frosting to add a little bitterness, which may balance the sweetness. Also, a pinch of salt can do wonders in sweet frostings!

    Can I make it without powdered sugar?

    I do not suggest substituting any other type of sugar in this frosting recipe. The smooth texture of cream cheese frosting has as much to do with the butter and cream cheese as it does the icing sugar. You can't replace it here with anything else. This is not a baking substitution that I would recommend.

    What do I do if my frosting is too soft?

    If your chocolate and butter are still warm, the consistency may be on the softer side. If that's the case, put the mixer bowl in the fridge and let it chill for about 20 minutes, then mix it again. Chilling will firm up the chocolate and the butter, leading to a thicker, more sturdy texture that you can pipe and that will hold its shape.

    What do I do if my frosting is too dry or stiff?

    If your frosting is very stiff or seems dry, check the temperature. If you took it out of the fridge, it might need to warm up a little. Some pastry chefs will gently warm a frosting by applying heat to the outside of the metal bowl of the frosting with a hair dryer. Once a thin layer of frosting has warmed a little, you can then try whipping it.
    In general, make sure to let your frosting come to room temperature before you try spreading it on your cakes, or you risk tearing the cake with the stiff, cold frosting. It will be a struggle to use!
    If your frosting is room temperature and still too dry, make sure you measured out the icing sugar properly. It's possible you made a measurement error, which means you may have to adjust with more butter and more melted chocolate. Freshly made, this frosting should really be smooth and creamy, not stiff or dry.

    How do you store it?

    Once the frosting is whipped into a creamy, smooth spreadable consistency, you can use it right away or store it in the refrigerator for later. If you are putting it in the fridge, make sure to cover it tightly with plastic wrap to prevent it from drying or crusting on the surface.
    When you are ready to use it, you must let it warm up to room temperature before whipping it again. Otherwise, if it's too cold, you will have trouble spreading it and it may tear cake layers if you try, leading to a crumby finish that is less professional.

    This chocolate fudge frosting is great with banana cake, like in this coffee banana cake where I used dark milk chocolate. It's great sandwiched between layers of vanilla cake for the classic birthday cake. Of course, it would also work perfectly with this eggless chocolate cake or in this chocolate caramel cake.

    If you tried this recipe for chocolate fudge frosting (or any other recipe on my website), please leave a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you!

    📖 Recipe

    A glass bowl of glossy chocolate sour cream frosting.

    Chocolate Fudge Frosting

    AuthorAuthor : Janice Lawandi
    This recipe is for a dark chocolate frosting that is much like a fudge frosting. This is a great chocolate fudge frosting that is not too sweet.
    5 from 1 vote
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe Saved Recipe
    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 5 minutes mins
    Total Time 20 minutes mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 100 tablespoons
    Calories 42 kcal

    Equipment

    • Braun mixer
    Need measurements in CUPSUse the button options below to switch from Metric to US measurements! It's that easy!

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 170 grams unsalted butter
    • 175 grams dark chocolate (70 % cocoa content) chopped
    • 45 grams Cacao Barry extra brute cocoa powder
    • 15 mL pure vanilla extract
    • 345 grams icing sugar sifted
    • 250 mL sour cream (14% fat)

    Instructions
     

    • Melt the butter and the chopped chocolate together in a small bowl over a double boiler. When completely melted and uniform, set aside to cool to room temperature.
    • In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together (starting on low) the cocoa powder, vanilla, half the icing sugar, the cooled melted chocolate mixture, and the sour cream. When the mixture is smooth, add the rest of the icing sugar, and continue beating til it’s smooth and fluffy.

    Notes

    • Make sure to use 70 % dark chocolate or another bittersweet chocolate. If the chocolate is too sweet, the frosting will be sweeter, obviously.
    • For the dark chocolate, I used Cacao Barry Ocoa 70 % dark chocolate.
    • Calories calculated based on 1 tablespoon (15 mL) serving of frosting

    Nutrition

    Calories: 42kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 1gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 5mgSodium: 3mgPotassium: 23mgFiber: 1gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 59IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 5mgIron: 1mg
    Give backIf you enjoy the free content on this website, buy me a pound of butter to say thanks!
    Chocolate fudge frosting on a square banana cake.

    More Frosting Recipes

    • Swirls of maple-flavoured whipped cream with maple flakes sprinkled on top.
      Maple Whipped Cream
    • Spreading whipped cream over pastry cream and berries in a bowl to make trifle.
      How to Make Whipped Cream
    • Smoothing frosting on a layer of cake with a mini offset spatula.
      Thick White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting Without Powdered Sugar
    • Thick cream cheese frosting on a layer cake, spread with an offset spatula to create vertical streaks on the surface of the frosting.
      How to Make Thick Cream Cheese Frosting for Cakes and Piping with Less Sugar

    Baking resources

  • Baking conversion charts
  • Baking ingredients and pantry staples
  • Baking substitutions
  • Common baking conversions
  • Choosing baking pans
  • How to measure ingredients for baking
  • Mixing methods
  • Reader Interactions

    5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    This is a picture of Janice Lawandi

    Hi, I'm Janice!

    I am a baking-obsessed recipe developer with a PhD in Chemistry who writes about baking and the science of baking.

    More About Me

    Join the Community

    If you enjoy the free content on this website or have questions, consider joining the Bake School Community!

    Easter Treats

    • Strawberry jam with rhubarb smeared on a piece of toast on a plate.
      Strawberry Rhubarb Jam
    • Freshly baked rhubarb crumble ready to be served.
      Rhubarb Crumble
    • Rhubarb upside down cake sliced to serve it.
      Rhubarb raspberry upside-down cake
    • Serving rhubarb muffins on plates with a side of butter.
      Rhubarb muffins with sour cream and streusel
    • Let's bake with rhubarb-best rhubarb recipes roundup
      What to bake with rhubarb
    • Bluebarb or blueberry rhubarb crumble with a marzipan oat crumble topping in a blue baking dish with a fluted edge
      Blueberry rhubarb crisp with marzipan crumble

    Berry Baking

    • Milk crumbs on a Momofuku Milk Bar style cake-layers of blackberry curd, almond cake, and almond frosting
      Blackberry almond cake — Milk Bar style
    • raspberry amaretti semifreddo slice
      Almond raspberry semifreddo
    • Vanilla cardamom tapioca pudding with strawberries
      Homemade tapioca pudding recipe with fresh strawberries
    • A pan of baked honey blueberry muffins with streusel topping.
      Honey blueberry muffins
    • Honey-kissed-strawberry-rhubarb crumbles
      Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble With Honey
    • A plate of raspberry financiers.
      Raspberry Financiers

    Eggless chocolate cake

    Chocolate layer cake with cream cheese frosting and chocolate sprinkles on a cake stand.
    Learn to make an eggless chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting!

    Baking conversions

    Buy the baking conversion charts NOW!

    As seen on

    Logos of online and offline publications that featured the Bake School and Janice Lawandi.

    How to poach pears

    Poached pears on an enamelware plate.
    This easy poached pears recipe is simple and you can use the poached fruit for salads, appetizers, and desserts!

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Meet Janice Lawandi
    • FAQ
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms and conditions
    • Accessibility
    • Press

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Services
    • Portfolio

    As seen on

    Logos of online and offline publications that featured the Bake School and Janice Lawandi.

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    COPYRIGHT © 2025 · THE BAKE SCHOOL

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.