Delicious Dark Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting

I’m a vanilla person.

Not in the sense of my personality, but in regards to flavor…..I like vanilla.

From how I grew up it would seem natural that I would be a chocolate person, but I’m not. And what I mean by how I grew up, is simply…..

Chocolate was everywhere.

I though everyone had  five pound blocks of chocolate with ice picks nestled next to them in their dining rooms. If you were in the mood for chocolate dipped jellies, well then you cut cut a portion from the slabs of it also in the dining room, same thing went for dipped marshmallows.

There was a lot of confections around me growing up, because my parents ran a chocolate/candy business. A booming business back in late eighties, early nineties. When  chocolate pops and candy making was the thing to do.

My parents also made chocolate molds…really, really cool chocolate molds.

So from all this, even though I’m a vanilla person…I have a deep respect for a good flavorful chocolate when I see/smell/taste it. I also know that a frosting is just as good as the ingredients you use. And if your going to make your own homemade chocolate frosting use GOOD chocolate.

You can buy real chocolate from most supermarkets they sell them in bars in the candy aisle and baking aisle,  good go to brand is Ghirardelli or Lindt

I made a batch the other day and I thought it only appropriate to share my version of this basic but kick-ass chocolate frosting, made with awesomely delicious chocolate that someone picked up for me. It was a brand that I had never heard of before, but since it was made in Germany, I had a feeling it would taste awesome…….

And it did!!!

This is what you will need: 

• 1 lb. confectioners sugar
• 1 Cup (2 Sticks) of butter softened
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/4  cup sweetened condensed milk
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 2 Tbsp. Heavy Cream
• 4 oz. or more of A REALLY GOOD DARK CHOCOLATE (the more you add, the more intense the flavor)

In a large mixing bowl cream together the softened butter, vanilla extract and sweetened condensed milk. Add in the powdered sugar and cocoa until it is all mixed.

This is without the cocoa added……

It will look a bit thick and almost grainy at this point but will smooth out after you add in the heavy cream. If you don’t have heavy cream, you could use 1/2 or milk, but the greater the fat content the creamier the frosting will be.

Melt your dark chocolate in the microwave. 30 second bursts should do it. For this batch I used a mixture of both dark chocolate (70% Cocoa) and a milk chocolate. I used about 4 oz., but you could use more or less depending on the flavor you are looking to achieve. The taste of the milk chocolate was so creamy, smooth and delicious that I knew it would only add to the intense chocolate flavor in the frosting.

Pour the melted chocolate into the frosting mixture and mix until it is mixed into the whole of the frosting. If the frosting seems to soft at this point you can add in more confectioners sugar 1/4 cup at a time until you reach a desired consistency.

 Do your best not to eat it straight from the bowl 🙂

But if you do…don’t worry I won’t judge.

This recipe makes enough frosting to cover a 13 x 9 cake or frost 24 cupcakes.

Hope you enjoy this, if you have any questions or just want to let me know you were here, please feel free to leave a comment below!