This fudgy chocolate frosting is amazing on graham crackers, too!
This is our family’s birthday cake chocolate frosting recipe. Frost your favorite chocolate layer cake or spread it on graham crackers for an afterschool snack or study break. You will crave this fudgy chocolate frosting. When it hardens, it tastes like fudge.
The perfect chocolate frosting for a layered birthday cake
I always requested a double layer German chocolate cake with this delicious fudgy chocolate frosting for my birthday cake. Paired perfectly with my mom’s bacon-topped meatloaf recipe or my grandma’s recipe for spaghetti and meatballs, it was my favorite birthday dinner.
I can’t outdo my mom
I try to bake cakes for my children’s birthdays. Admittedly I don’t always pull it off the way my mom did.
I cheat. When I crave the this chocolate frosting, I just whip up a batch and skip baking the cake. I spread it on graham crackers or vanilla wafer cookies.
I have taught my kids this trick.
This frosting tastes like spreadable fudge
This frosting tastes like fudge. Spreadable fudge. You have to spread it on while it is still smooth and creamy. It then sets up and hardens a bit like crumbly fudge.
You can experiment with the amount of milk or powedered sugar you use to get just the right flavor and consistency. I like to go a little light on the powdered sugar so the frosting has a stronger chocolate taste.
Fudgy chocolate frosting ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 1 oz. unsweetened chocolate (I always use Baker’s)
- 2 Tablespoons milk
- 1 tsp. vanilla (I use Penzeys pure vanilla extract in single or double strength. It is my favorite!)
- ⅛ tsp. Salt
- *2 cups powdered sugar
*do not need to add entire amount
How to make delicious fudgy chocolate frosting
- In saucepan melt butter and chocolate squares over low/medium heat. Stir constantly.
- Remove pan from heat.
- Beat in salt and vanilla.
- Add milk and some powdered sugar alternating between the two.
- Beat well with a wooden spoon and get frosting to desired consistency. You may not use all of the powdered sugar.
Let me know how it turns out. What did you spread it on?
Fudgy chocolate frosting turns out differently each time you make it, so experiment. You can also just eat it with a spoon if you want. It’s not like that hasn’t been done before!
Fudgy Chocolate Frosting
This is the chocolate frosting we use on our family birthday cakes. But it is also easy to whip up a batch to spread on graham crackers for a favorite afterschool snack. It spreads on smoothly then sets up and becomes like fudge.
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 1 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate. I use Baker's Unsweetened Chocolate bar.
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract. I use Penzey's Pure Vanilla Extract Single or Double-Strength
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons milk
- 2 cups (or less) powdered sugar
Instructions
- In a saucepan melt butter and chocolate square over low/medium heat. Stir constantly
- Remove pan from heat. (Note: I have burned my butter/chocolate mixture before, so be carefu!)
- Stir in salt and vanilla
- Add milk and some powdered sugar alternating between the two. Stir until smooth in between each addition.
- Beat well until frosting is desired consistency. You don’t need to add all of the powdered sugar.
- Spread immediately on cake, graham crackers, sugar cookies, vanilla wafers or whatever your heart desires.
Notes
You will need to experiment to get the consistency you desire.
I rarely use all of the powdered sugar. The chocolate flavor is a little stronger if you use less of the powdered sugar.
Spread the frosting on whatever you want to frost immediately otherwise it will harden a bit and be more difficult to spread. It tends to get crumbly and firm almost like fudge.
Toni says
I made the frosting which is very good but not enough to frost an entire 9in cake. I would definitely double the recipe to cover thinly a 9 in cake.
Chris says
Yes, you are right. I sometimes make two to three batches. I make separate batches or really experiment with differing amounts of milk vs. powdered sugar. I like the stronger chocolate taste so tend to make separate batches. My children used to like it on graham crackers as an after school snack, so making one batch is enough for that.