An easy ganache frosting is the best frosting for a chocolate cake. Whether you use a cake mix or homemade recipe, you'll love this combination.
I am a huge fan of homemade frosting, so when it comes to icing a chocolate cake, I'm never going to reach for the pre-made stuff.
Homemade frosting is easy, super delicious, and makes cakes from scratch, as well as cake-mix cakes taste amazing.
I'm sharing a recipe for semisweet whipped ganache, but you can try some of my other amazing frosting recipes too.
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What is the best frosting for chocolate cake?
This is up for debate! I am partial to a silky, whipped chocolate ganache frosting like the recipe in this post, but I have so many frostings that are great on chocolate cake.
More to choose from:
- The best Peanut Butter Frosting for chocolate cake.
- A Milk Chocolate Frosting for cake and cupcakes.
- Cream Cheese Frosting for chocolate cake.
- Absolute best White Frosting for chocolate cake, it's a Swiss meringue.
- Try this Fluffy Vanilla Frosting for chocolate cake, it's American buttercream.
- Creamy Caramel Icing great for chocolate cake mix.
- Silky Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting.
Ganache Frosting with Chocolate Cake
My classic Whipped Ganache Chocolate Frosting is perfect on a chocolate cake. I've simplified the recipe in this post so you can use chocolate chips right from the bag.
Check out the recipe below for easy instructions to make whipped ganache frosting with just two ingredients!
If you want to pipe the frosting, please use the original Whipped Ganache recipe that includes confectioners' sugar for stabilization.
Mrs. Milman's Chocolate Frosting
When I worked at Martha Stewart magazine we would often make Mrs. Milman's frosting for our chocolate cakes. Mrs. Milman was the style editor Hannah's mother, and Hannah had shared the recipe with Martha Stewart.
The recipe has been published in magazines and online for years. It's an easy, go-to, chocolate frosting that is made with chocolate chips. It's kind of a cheater's ganache.
I'm all about that kind of cheating, and now make my own version of this recipe. You'll find it below!
You can leave out the corn syrup if you want, but it doesn't hurt to put it in if you have it. It helps stabilize the chocolate and cream mixture.
What chocolate cake should I use?
I vote cake mix! Honestly, your favorite chocolate cake mix pairs perfectly with this silky frosting.
You could make a homemade chocolate cake. If you do I prefer the Secret Chocolate Cake found in my cookbook Delicious Gatherings. Or you can use a standard One Bowl Chocolate Cake.
Really any chocolate cake will taste delicious with this homemade frosting made from chocolate chips!
Tools needed
You can make this frosting in the microwave or on the stovetop. Skip the saucepan and use a microwave safe bowl to heat the cream if you do.
You can also use a stand mixer instead of a hand mixer.
- Small saucepan for heating the cream.
- Mixing bowl for combining the hot cream and chocolate.
- A large bowl for an ice bath.
- A hand mixer for whipping the cooled mixture.
- Offset spatula for spreading the frosting.
How to make the best frosting for a chocolate cake
- Heat the heavy cream to just simmering, but not boiling.
- Pour cream over chocolate chips in a large bowl.
- Let cream and chocolate sit for 5 minutes to melt the chocolate.
- Gently stir the chocolate until a smooth mixture forms.
- Set the bowl over a large bowl filled with ice and water (an ice bath).
- Stir mixture occasionally until cooled.
- Whip the mixture with a hand mixture until frosting has fluffed and lightened.
Is this recipe gluten-free?
Yes! This ganache style frosting is gluten free. Please make sure to double check your chocolate chips to make sure there are no rogue ingredients in them!
The entire cake will not be gluten free unless you use a gluten-free cake mix or your own gluten-free recipe. If it's homemade I suggest Cup4Cup gluten free flour.
Dark chocolate frosting
You can swap the semisweet chocolate chips in this recipe for bittersweet chocolate chips to make a dark chocolate frosting.
The dark chocolate frosting will be very intense in flavor.
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📖 Recipe
Best Frosting For Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 pound (16 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon corn syrup
Instructions
- Heat cream in a saucepan or in the microwave, just to a simmer. Remove from heat and pour over chocolate chips in a mixing bowl. Let sit 5 min, then whisk until smooth. Stir in corn syrup.
- Set the bowl of ganache over another bowl filled with ice and water (an ice bath), and allow mixture to cool, stirring occasionally. (Stir until ganache is cold to the touch, 5 to 15 minutes.)
- Whip ganache in a mixer until lighter in color and just barely fluffy or aerated (don't over whip or ganache will curdle). Use immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Delicious Cake Recipes
Tara Teaspoon
I’ve been in food publishing for over 25 years, creating recipes & food-styling for magazines, books, television, food brands, & advertising. With two cookbooks under my belt and thousands of my recipes at your fingertips, I hope you'll be inspired to spend more time in the kitchen!
Jeff the Chef @ Make It Like a Man! says
I love a whipped ganache on a cake. Thanks for reminding me of how delicious it is!
Vickie Fulmer says
I’m always looking for a chocolate frosting and this one doesn’t disappoint Thank you for satisfying my cake addiction.
T says
I know my way around a kitchen and have been baking for 35 years. I was looking for a new fun recipe and came across this. To the point, TOO MUCH HEAVY CREAM for the amount of chocolate chips….it will not come together as an icing in these proportions…..I had to add Powdered sugar to it to become usable and it was still bitter. Cut the amount of heavy cream in half and as more if needed….melt ur chips in a microwave to start. Use milk chocolate if u don’t like the bitterness.