This 5-ingredient chocolate frosting is sweet but not cloying. It develops an outer layer but stays moist inside, has a great chocolate flavor, and comes together in minutes. It can also be used as a filling. It's a fantastic and very easy recipe!
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Only 5 ingredients!
While making my birthday cake, I realized I hadn't yet shared my favorite (or shall I say one of my go-to recipes, as I also use this chocolate frosting a lot), no-fail sour cream chocolate frosting. So here it is.
- It's versatile. You can use it to fill and frost layer cakes, on top of sheet cakes or brownies, or wait until it's thick enough to pipe and use it on cupcakes.
- Long-lasting: it keeps well in the fridge and stays firm even after the cake has been frosted, making it ideal for transporting.
- It can also be used as a filling: it doubles as a filling, saving time and effort, as seen in the popular chocolate layer cake recipe.
- Uses simple ingredients: it's made with everyday staples, and there's room for customization.
- No fancy equipment is needed: just a bowl and a whisk.
You can whip up a batch in just a few minutes as the butter is melted with the chocolate (just like in a brownie recipe), and the rest of the ingredients are mixed in. Quick and easy!
Ingredients
Quantities are listed on the recipe card towards the end of this post. The Ingredients page has more details and lists the brands we use.
- Chocolate: Use your favorite dark semisweet (or bittersweet) chocolate.
- Cocoa powder: Always use unsweetened.
- Sour cream: regular full-fat. It adds a tangy undertone that complements the sweetness of the sugar and the astringency of the cocoa powder very well.
- Powdered sugar: there's no substitution for it. Regular sugar doesn't work.
Other flavorings: feel free to add other extracts, such as coffee or almond, a tablespoon of your favorite liquor, or even a dash of ground spices, like cinnamon.
Steps to make chocolate frosting
It's so simple and needs so little equipment that it has become my favorite frosting.
If I'm making larger quantities, I use a hand whisk or an electric mixer. You can also use a stand mixer, but I don't think it's worth the trouble.
Dry ingredients: besides sifting them, I recommend adding them in 2 parts so they're easier to integrate completely.
Sifting
Always sift cocoa powder and powdered sugar, as it can clump during storage.
Whisk
The mixture may look grainy and curdled after mixing in the dry ingredients.
Smooth mixture
But it smooths out after the sour cream is incorporated and becomes a luscious mixture you'll want to eat directly from the bowl. Who says you can't, right?
Vintage Kitchen Tip
Thick frostings with powdered sugar tend to be quite sweet, so use bittersweet chocolate if you want a less sweet one.
How to store it
- Refrigerating is the most convenient way to store it, as it keeps well for weeks in a tightly covered container. You'll have to let it stand at room temperature to soften a little. Whip it again before using to achieve the best consistency.
- Freezing: you can freeze this chocolate frosting in a container with a lid. I like putting it in the refrigerator the night before so it defrosts gradually. Then, I take it out, bring it to room temperature and whip it again. It usually comes back together easily.
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Easy Chocolate Frosting (5 ingredients)
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 3.5 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste
- additional extracts, optional; I add coffee extract and sometimes pure almond extract
- pinch of sea salt, optional
- ½ cup regular sour cream, at room temperature
Instructions
- Melt ½ cup unsalted butter and 3.5 ounces semisweet chocolate (as for brownies) in the microwave (short 5-second spurts and mixing well each time) or on top of a saucepan with hot water, being careful not to let it touch the bottom of the bowl.
- Add sifted 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder and 2 cups powdered sugar in 2 parts and mix well until creamy.
- Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste, a pinch of sea salt, and additional extracts if using.
- Add ½ cup regular sour cream and mix very well. The final mixture should be creamy with no lumps.
- Use directly as a frosting and/or filling. Keep refrigerated, covered.
Minda says
Awesome frosting!!!
Mata says
I chose this because I had the ingredients in hand and I was looking for a sour cream frosting (cuts back on the sweetness of the frosting). I like the simple ingredients but it required way too much mixing to get all the lumps out. I might gradually add the sugar to the chocolate in a mixer next time. Mine came out too sweet and sugary and on the thin side.in the end I added about 1/3 cup more dark cocoa to cut back the sweetness. Rich but still too thin. That said, I think it's a great base and offers plenty of ideas!
Jenine says
Absolutely delicious and could not be easier! Thank you for sharing it!!
Matthew says
Very Satisfying, easy to put together! A double recipe was just right for a 2-layer 9" cake.
Paula Montenegro says
Happy to know you liked it Matthew!
Laura says
This will forever be my "go to" chocolate frosting. It. Is. Amazing !!
My old recipe uses a lot of cocoa and it tastes like it. I have never been satisfied with it. I'll never go back now. 🙂
This is lush and has a real depth of flavor...a high end, ganache-y flavor. I use it on my chocolate cake that I first brush with a coffee simple syrup. That syrup and this frosting...wow !!!
Paula Montenegro says
SO happy to hear this Laura! Love the idea of the coffee first. Have a great holiday week!
Kerri says
Holy cow! I can’t believe how truly easy this chocolate frosting is. I can’t wait to try it on all of my baked goods this season!
Jo says
Oh my god, that frosting looks absolutely sensational! Love the fact that it only needs 5 minutes. Cakes, cupcakes and all delicious desserts now would get a delicious dressing!
Karyl says
I normally just buy frosting at the store, but this one looks so simple I'm going to have to try it! I love that you use high-quality chocolate to get that luxurious finish
Paula Montenegro says
It lasts a lot in the fridge, so you can make extra to use next time also
Nicoletta De Angelis Nardelli says
It looks so easy, with only 5 ingredients and yet so delicious looking! I'm saving this to try soon and I think it's going to become my number 1 chocolate frosting recipe!
Sharon says
This 5-minute frosting recipe is the best frosting recipe to have on hand for quick cake or cupcake topping.
Jenny says
Perfect frosting! It was ready in a pinch, was awesome on my cupcakes and had a really beautiful flavor. No cupcakes left thanks to your fabulous recipe! Thank you so much, this will be my go-to chocolate frosting from now on!
Chef Dennis says
I can't believe how easy it was to make your frosting. It was perfect with my homemade yellow cake!
Denise says
Easy and delicious Chocolate frosting! Perfect blend of butter and sugar. Thanks for sharing!
Sandra Shaffer says
Nice and creamy and piped nicely on cupcakes. The amount of sweetener is perfect for my taste. Thanks!
Gloria says
I have a couple of chocoholics in the house. This is the perfect frosting for cakes, cupcakes and brownies. Easy to make with perfect results.