Chocolate Fudge Frosting
By Jessie
Updated: July 7, 2025
Rate This Recipe
By: Jessie
Updated: July 7, 2025
Rate This Recipe:
This easy chocolate fudge frosting is made using 5 ingredients and takes less than 10 minutes to prep. Its silky smooth texture and rich, fudgy consistency make it perfect for coating layer cakes, piping onto cupcakes, or spreading over brownies. Follow this recipe and I promise, this chocolate fudge frosting will become your new favourite alternative to chocolate buttercream or ganache.
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This easy chocolate fudge frosting uses 5 ingredients and takes less than 10 minutes to make! Its silky smooth texture and rich, fudgy consistency make it perfect for coating layer cakes, piping onto cupcakes, or spreading over brownies. Follow this recipe and I promise, this chocolate fudge frosting will become your new favourite alternative to chocolate buttercream or ganache.
Recipe Overview
- FLAVOUR: This fudge frosting is pure chocolate indulgence! It’s made with 70% dark chocolate for a sweet, but not too sweet, flavour.
- TEXTURE: Using condensed milk gives this frosting it’s fudge-like texture. It’s smooth and silky, yet thick enough to hold its shape when piped.
- SERVES: This recipe will make enough frosting to fill and coat a two-layer 8 inch cake or decorate 12 cupcakes. You can scale the ingredients up or down to make a bigger or smaller batch.
Ingredients to make Chocolate Fudge Frosting
To make chocolate fudge frosting you will need:
- Butter: Adds a rich and creamy texture, and gives the frosting its glossy appearance.
- Dark chocolate: Choose a good-quality dark chocolate with minimum 70% cocoa solids. This will give the frosting a rich, chocolatey flavour without making it too sweet.
- Icing sugar: Sweetens the frosting and binds the ingredients together.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances the chocolate flavour.
- Sweetened condensed milk: The secret ingredient! Condensed milk helps to create a fudgy consistency, bind the ingredients together, and add a velvety texture to the frosting.
How to make Chocolate Fudge Frosting (plus some tips!)
- Measure all the ingredients into a large saucepan: remember to sift in the icing sugar to remove any lumps and chop the chocolate so it melts more quickly. It’s best to use a non-stick saucepan.
- Gently heat until melted: keep the heat low and stir continuously until the ingredients are fully melted and combined. Scrape from the bottom of the saucepan to prevent the ingredients from catching.
- Pour into a shallow bowl or dish and cover with clingfilm: make sure the clingfilm is touching the surface of the frosting to prevent the frosting from drying out.
- Leave for 30 minutes: during this time the frosting will cool down and thicken up.
- Stir the frosting: at this stage, check the texture. If it looks oily or split, add 1-2 tablespoons of cold milk or condensed milk, and stir to combine. This will bring the frosting back to a silky smooth texture.
- Decorate your bakes: I paired this chocolate fudge frosting with this mini chocolate birthday cake, but you could also pipe it onto chocolate cupcakes or spread it over fudgy brownies.
Chocolate Fudge Frosting
This easy chocolate fudge frosting is made using 5 ingredients and takes less than 10 minutes to prep. Its silky smooth texture and rich, fudgy consistency make it perfect for coating layer cakes, piping onto cupcakes, or spreading over brownies. Follow this recipe and I promise, this chocolate fudge frosting will become your new favourite alternative to chocolate buttercream or ganache.
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Print Pin Rate this RecipeIngredients
- 150 grams Unsalted butter room temperature
- 300 grams Dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids) finely chopped
- 150 grams Icing sugar sifted
- 397 grams (1 can) Condensed milk
- Pinch Salt
Instructions
- Measure all of the ingredients into a large non-stick saucepan and place over very low heat.150 grams Unsalted butter, 300 grams Dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), 150 grams Icing sugar, 397 grams (1 can) Condensed milk
- Stir continuously until the butter and chocolate melt and the frosting is smooth and glossy. It's important not to overheat the mixture otherwise the chocolate will start to separate and the frosting will turn oily. As soon as there are no lumps of chocolate, remove from the heat and pour into a shallow bowl.
- Cover the bowl with clingfilm, patting down the middle so the clingfilm touches the surface of the frosting (this stops it from drying out). Leave to cool for 30 minutes.
- Stir the frosting and check the texture. If it looks oily or split, add 1-2 tablespoons of cold milk or cold condensed milk, and stir to combine. This will bring the frosting back to a silky smooth texture.
- Decorate your bakes!
Video
Notes
STORAGE TIPS: Keep the frosting stored in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to a week. Bring to room temperature and give it a good stir before using.
Is chocolate cake topped with fudge frosting shelf stable for a couple of days? If not , is there a shelf stable recipie that also includes condensed milk?
Hi Kevin, the cake will be fine at room temperature once frosted for a couple of days. Beyond that, I would keep the cake covered in the fridge. The ingredient in this frosting that isn’t fully shelf stable beyond a few days is the condensed milk.
Just wondering if you can freeze this frosting. I have a fair bit left over after making cupcakes.
Yes you can! Just spread it on a piece of greaseproof paper, wrap it up like a parcel, then wrap in clingfilm and again in foil. Freeze for 1-2 months. Remember to pop a label on it so you remember what it is 😅
This frosting tastes absolutely delicious!! Couldn’t recommend more!! Thank you so much for the amazing recipe😊
Soph!!! What a gorgeous review, thank you lovely for sharing 😊 I’m equally as OBSESSED with this frosting!!!!