This fudgy Milk Chocolate Frosting is smooth and creamy with a soft texture that doesn't harden and sets up like soft fudge in the fridge. It is the milk chocolate version of my BEST Chocolate Frosting that I use for my popular BEST Moist Chocolate Cake. It is a ganache frosting that is so easy to make without any fancy equipment. You can make this frosting with just a bowl and a whisk. Unlike American buttercream recipes, this one does not contain any butter nor powdered sugar which means that it isn't cloyingly sweet and it doesn't form a crust.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
- So easy to make - this chocolate frosting is SO EASY to make all in one bowl and you don't need an electric mixer.
- Simple ingredients - you only need 5 simple ingredients to make it.
- Fudgy milk chocolate frosting - you will love the soft and fudgy texture that feels like eating the best creamy fudge.
- Not too sweet - I love how this frosting isn't too sweet even though it is based on milk chocolate and that is thanks to added cocoa powder and sour cream that balances out the sweetness. Sugar only comes from the chocolate.
- No soft butter needed - you don't need to wait for your butter to soften to make this because there is no butter in it!
INGREDIENTS FOR MILK CHOCOLATE FROSTING
- Milk chocolate - you'll need pure milk chocolate to make the frosting. Use a high quality brand with 30-35% cocoa solids. Avoid using compound chocolate melting wafers that doe not contain any cocoa butter. The cocoa fat is what thickens the frosting and allows it to have this fudgy consistency.
- Cream - you need heavy cream or whipping cream with 35% milk fat or 10% half and half cream. Either one works in this recipe and yields slightly different results. I've tested both and I find that light cream, such as half and half (10% milkfat) coffee cream creates a softer texture and a more pliable "stretchier" frosting with more chewiness. Because of this "stretchability" it is more forgiving. Heavy cream creates a denser texture and a slightly firmer set with a melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- Cocoa powder - any kind will work. I love to use this Dutch Process cocoa powder. Make sure you use unsweetened cocoa powder and not cocoa mix. It adds more body, intensifies the chocolate taste and balances the sweetness.
- Sour cream - full fat sour cream adds tanginess to balance the sweetness and also creates a luscious texture.
- Salt - this is very important to balance the sweetness and enhance the creamy chocolate flavor.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS
- STEP 1). Make a ganache. Place cream in a saucepan over medium heat and bring it to a simmer. Stir once in a while to ensure the cream doesn't scorch on the bottom of the pan. Pour it over the chopped chocolate in a large bowl and stir until completely melted, smooth and glossy.
- STEP 2). Mix in sour cream. Whisk in cocoa powder. Add sour cream and whisk it through so it is evenly combined.
- STEP 3). Cool. Let cool for 15 minutes then whip with a whisk until thick and lightened a bit. If your kitchen is warm, place it in the fridge for a few minutes to help it set faster.
- STEP 4). Frost the cake! Spread over cooled cake layers immediately as it will thicken as it cools. You can pair this frosting with my Classic Vanilla Birthday Cake or my BEST Moist Chocolate Cake! It is the most popular recipe on this website and everyone who makes it raves about it.
EXPERT BAKING TIPS
- Use pure milk chocolate with between 30% and 35% cocoa solids for best results. Do not use compound milk chocolate melting wafers - it will not work.
- Chop the chocolate finely - when making ganache, it is important that all of the chocolate melts gently and evenly. The smaller the pieces, the more evenly it will melt and it result in a smooth, homogeneous emulsion. If you are using these particular pure milk chocolate callets then there's no need to chop them.
- Do not over mix- do not over-mix the frosting at the last step after it has cooled. You want to whisk just until it turns a slightly lighter color. If you over-whip, then it will stiffen up quickly and become more difficult to spread.
- Keep an eye on the cooling time. If it is hot where you are and you choose to cool the frosting in the fridge, then be sure to check on it every 5 minutes and give it a stir. If left unattended it will set to a firm consistency and be difficult to whip.
RECIPE FAQ
This frosting recipe is ideal with milk chocolate between 30 and 35% cocoa solids. Using darker chocolate will introduce more cocoa solids which will throw off the cocoa:liquid balance to affect the final consistency.
If you prefer a more intense chocolate taste, you can use my popular Best Chocolate Frosting that uses dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate.
If sour cream is not available to you where you live, you can also make this recipe using an equal amount of full fat Greek yogurt. I have tested this and it worked well, however in this case I would definitely use heavy cream instead of light cream because yogurt has a lower fat content compared to sour cream.
I recommend using heavy whipping cream with 35% milk fat content. I have also tested this recipe with 10% cream and it worked well. The difference is that using a lower fat cream means that the frosting will have a softer texture. If you use light cream, I strongly suggest you use full fat sour cream and do not substitute with yogurt.
If you have over-whipped or over-chilled the frosting and it stiffens up, you can try to save it by microwaving it for 15-20 seconds on low power until soft and glossy again, then add 1 teaspoon of cold cream and stir gently with a whisk to blend evenly. Let the frosting cool gently at room temperature until thick and use immediately.
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Video
Milk Chocolate Fudge Frosting
Ingredients
- 16 oz (454g) pure milk chocolate
- ½ cup (120ml) heavy 35% whipping cream or 10% half & half cream (see notes above for differences between the two)
- 3 tablespoon (18g) cocoa powder (I prefer this Dutch cocoa or this one)
- ½ cup (120ml) full fat sour cream
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Finely chop the milk chocolate or use these couverture milk chocolate chips and place it all in a heatproof bowl. If you are using these couverture chocolate chips then there's no need to chop them.
- Pour cream into a 1-quart stainless steel saucepan over low medium-low heat and bring it to a gentle boil. Once it reaches a boil, immediately remove it from the heat and pour it over the chopped chocolate. Cover the bowl and let stand for 2 minutes. Remove the cover and stir in concentric circles using a spatula or a whisk until smooth and glossy. Since there is a lot more chocolate than cream, you may need to gently heat the mixture over a double boiler while stirring to melt all of the chocolate and make a smooth shiny ganache. To do this, add about 1 inch of water to a small saucepan and place over medium heat. When it reaches a simmer, rest the bowl with chocolate ganache over the pot to let the steam heat it from below.
- Remove the bowl from over the heat. Sift in cocoa powder, then add sour cream and salt whisk it through gently. Do not whisk vigorously because incorporating air at this stage will cause the ganache to split.
- Place the bowl in the fridge for about 10 minutes, then stir gently with a spatula. Let chill for another 10 minutes or so until thickened. Do not leave it in much longer or it will set up firm. If it is still really runny, then place it back in the fridge for another 5 minutes.
- Once it is thick like the consistency of pudding, whisk vigorously for a few seconds using a wire whisk until thick and lightened a bit. Stop whisking if it starts to look matte and thick - just whip a few times but it should still stay glossy. Use the frosting immediately. It will firm up as you spread it.
- Use a large offset spatula to spread the frosting over cooled cake layers right away. I find that if you use light cream, this frosting is more fluid and forgiving. If you use heavy cream, it will stiffen up a bit as it cools down so try to avoid spreading around too much as the back and forth motion will cause the cocoa butter to crystallize quickly.
Erika
Hi Olivia!
Looks gourgeous!!! I'm planning to use it for my niece 25th aniversary... Could you tell me for how long is it stable at room temp??? (22ºC aprox) I'm terrified about she bloowing her candles in a lake of melted chocolate 😓
christina.marsigliese
Hi Erika! it should be stable for at least 6 hours at room temp.
Mariam
Paired deliciously with an orange hazelnut cake. I infused the whipping cream with orange zest to create a kind of milk chocolate orange frosting. I messed up when melting the milk chocolate and my ganache turned grainy but as soon as I added the sour cream it emulsified. Thank you for another fire recipe Christina!!!!
christina.marsigliese
You are welcome Mariam! Sounds like a delicious cake 🙂
Jonathan Thomas
I haven’t tried your recipes for chocolate cake and frosting yet, but they caught my eye to say the least. I look forward to making it. Unfortunately, the link you provide for the chocolate or chocolate chips on Amazon, the product is very expensive for my budget and I would think for a lot of people. Can you recommend something? That’s a little more affordable but still good quality? Thank you.
christina.marsigliese
Hi Jonathan! You can use Lindt milk chocolate bars, just make sure it is pure milk chocolate with no added oils.
Olivia
Yes I came to say the same thing. The chocolate linked is listed for $135! Is this normal? Recipe looks delicious though, I will try with the Lindt.
christina.marsigliese
Hi Olivia! Yes you can use Lindt bars. The reason that bar is priced so high is because it is 5kg, which works out to be $2.70/100g. I realize not everyone goes through as much chocolate as I do, but it is much more economical than buying small 100g bars.
Seanna
Which chocolate bar do you use? Going to try this recipe for my birthday and want to use the same as you 🙂
christina.marsigliese
Hi Seanna! There is a link for the chocolate in the recipe card. I hope you have a great birthday!