Easy Chocolate Icing is a 1 minute frosting recipe with a rich, fudgy taste. Perfect to use with recipes like the Chocolate Zucchini Brownies this chocolate and icing sugar frosting is as handy as it is delicious!!
Triple Caramel Brownies, Slow Cooker Fudge and the No Bake Chocolate Cake are delicious homemade chocolate recipes that appeal to the sweet tooth. They are also recipes that you can frost with icing if you wish!
This Easy Chocolate Icing is made in the food processor! We literally throw all of the ingredients in and blitz to combine. It takes less than 1 minute to make.
It is not a buttercream recipe. Rather, this is a simple, quick and easy basic chocolate and icing sugar frosting.
How do you make Chocolate Icing from scratch?
To make this frosting, we add the ingredients to the bowl of a food processor, turn the dial to blitz, scrap down the sides of the bowl, blitz for a second longer and that is all there is to it.
Sometimes you want to frost your baked goods and sometimes you don't.
To frost or not to frost that is the question, nah, always FROST!!
Either way it is super handy to have a recipe like this up your sleeve, so when you need it you can whip it up!
Ingredients
The ingredients for this recipe are all simple and you may have many of them at home already. The photo below shows you exactly what you need for this recipe:
As you can see we need are:
- icing sugar
- cocoa powder (can use cacao powder)
- butter
- almond milk (can use regular milk)
- vanilla essence
Instructions
This recipe can be broken down into 8 easy steps. They are shown in the photos below.
- add icing sugar to the food processor bowl (photo 1)
- followed by cocoa powder (photo 2)
- add butter (photo 3)
- and vanilla essence (photo 4)
Use the standard blade that comes with the food processor. It is shown in the photos below.
If you don't have a food processor, you can use hand held beaters also.
- add milk to the frosting ingredients (photo 5)
- everything is in there and ready to blitz ( photo 6)
- blitz (15 seconds), scrap down sides with a spatula, blitz again (5 seconds) (photo 7)
- use a knife to frost brownies, cupcakes and cakes! (photo 8)
Basic Chocolate Icing
You know that I love my before and after shots!
I find it the best way for you to 'get' what I am saying (aha! have you got it?)
Seeing is believing and I know it helps me get it!
So as you can see in the photos below, this is what your frosting will look like (left) when the ingredients are all in the food processor initially.
Followed by the result of blitzing (right).
Once you have 'blitzed' the ingredients use a spatula, scrap down the sides, then blitz again.
This helps to smooth out any lumps and to make the butter and icing sugar thoroughly combine.
When we make the No Bake Chocolate Cake, we use a cream based icing. It is also quick and easy but sometimes you may not want to use cream.
This is when this simple recipe comes in.
Chocolate and icing sugar frosting is a recipe you don't have to think about.
My goal is to give you a diverse range of icing options, so you can come to the blog and find the icing that suits the occasion.
Chocolate recipes:
- Chocolate Covered Pears (with crunchy granola)
- Redskin Fudge (perfect for Valentines Day)
- Caramel Fudge
- No Bake Chocolate Cake
- Dark Chocolate Rocky Road
- Dark Chocolate Bark
The icing can be made ahead and kept in the fridge with a sealed lid till you are ready to use.
Chocolate and icing sugar frosting recipe quick info:
About the recipe:
- there is only 5 ingredients in this recipe!
- the food processor makes the process quick and easy
- you can use cocoa powder or cacao powder
- you can use almond milk or regular milk
FAQs about making simple chocolate frosting
- there is no need to add the ingredients one by one
- throw it all in there and let it do the hard work
- you can frost baked goods with this recipe and freeze them
- this is a family friendly recipe
- This is an EASY recipe
Chocolate Icing recipe Pro tips:
These additional tips are so that you can master this recipe from the 1st time you make it:
- grab the butter out of the fridge and leave on the bench 1st so it will soften a little
- sift the icing sugar and cocoa powder for a super fine, smooth icing (I don't but you might like to)
- after the 1st 15 second blitz, scrap down the sides of the bowl and blitz again
- use a butter knife to spread the frosting
- if having made in advance, sit the icing the bench and allow to moisten slightly before frosting
If you are frosting freshly baked goods, allow them to cool before frosting.
This means that the icing won't melt and slide off.
I used this frosting for the Chocolate Chip Zucchini Brownies you see in the photos.
They were at room temperature when I iced them.
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Easy Chocolate Icing
Equipment
- Food processor
- Spatula
Ingredients
Easy Chocolate Icing
- 1 cup icing sugar Note 1
- ¼ cup milk Note 2
- ¼ cup cocoa powder Note 3
- 50 grams butter Note 4
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence Note 5
Instructions
Easy Chocolate Frosting
- Add icing sugar, cocoa powder, butter, milk and vanilla essence to the bowl of a food processor. Blitz for approximately 15 seconds to combine.
- Scrap down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, then blitz for another 10 seconds.
- Use a butter knife to spread frosting on baked goods (brownies, cakes and cupcakes) Note 7
Notes
- Note 1 As this is a quick and easy recipe, I throw the icing in without sifting it. Same for the cocoa powder. But you can take that extra minute or so and sift these 2 dry ingredients if you like.
- Note 2 I use almond milk for this recipe as I always have it at home. You can use regular milk if you prefer. Skim or full fat is fine.
- Note 3 Cocoa powder is what I used here, but sometimes when I made this I use cacao powder (either or is fine) See note 1 above about sifting, if you want to go for it, otherwise, it is fine not to.
- Note 4 I usually slice the butter into cubes and throw in like you see in the photos. It is easier for the butter to be beaten if it is not in one big chunk of butter.
- Note 5 Vanilla essence or vanilla extract is fine. The imitation vanilla essence is much cheaper and is fine to use, don't think twice about it!
- Note 6 I have used '16' as the serving size as I use this frosting for brownies and I cut them into 16 pieces. If you want to frost many cupcakes or a large cake, consider doubling the mixture.
Alina | Cooking Journey Blog says
This is perfect chocolate spread for the start of the day! Love that you used almond milk, I will try it next time I'll have chocolate cravings, haha!
Adrianne says
Good idea Alina! It will fix any chocolate craving for sure. Cheers