This chocolate or white frosting recipe is one you’ll want to commit to memory! The recipe is so simple and takes the cake for being a go-to, makes-everything-better frosting you can pipe, smooth or write with!
How Do I Frost A Cake (and Make It Look Good!)?
To achieve a super smooth frosting, spread one layer of this recipe of this homemade chocolate or white frosting on your cake. This first layer is called a “crumb coat.” Don’t worry about it being pretty, just make it fairly smooth.
If it’s in the summer or fairly warm in your kitchen, or if you’re using all butter, put the cake in the fridge for about 30 minutes to help the frosting set. Check out my video to see this technique in action!
After it has set — meaning that it is a little bit crisp to the touch — you can apply the top layer of frosting. If needed, mix another recipe of frosting for this second layer.
If you’re looking for the smoothest application of frosting, a pro tip is to use Viva brand paper towels. These paper towels are like cloth, and no other kind of paper towel works the same for this smoothing technique. It doesn’t work with store-bought icing!!!
Place one paper towel on top of the cake and gently smooth by rubbing your fingers along the paper towel, then lift up. It’s amazing to see how totally smooth your cake will be! Repeat all over the surface of the cake for a completely crisp finish!
The result is the wonderfully smooth chocolate or white frosting look of the chocolate cake picture above!
What are Some Other Frosting Flavors I Can Make?
If you’d prefer a lemon-y twist, check out my dairy-free lemon buttercream frosting recipe instead!
Or for another flavor, try this Bourbon Buttercream Frosting that really took the cake at my brother’s wedding! These wedding cupcakes were a hit, and stood up to the Virginia heat in the late summer, too.
If you choose to use butter (not dairy-free) or vegan butter, the results are a luscious buttercream flavor. If you use shortening instead, the frosting is more like the traditional birthday cake frosting we remember from our childhoods (or maybe that’s just me!?). Shortening also helps the frosting stay more stable in hotter temperatures.
Either way, this frosting recipe is a winner: easy, quick, dairy-free and delish!
Basic — But Essential — Chocolate or White Frosting Recipe
Chocolate or White Frosting
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter or non-dairy alternative softened, OR coconut oil OR shortening, especially if you plan on piping or using it to make designs (I like Spectrum® Palm Oil Shortening)
- 2½ cups confectioner’s sugar sifted
- 1/2 cup sifted cocoa powder (for chocolate)
- 1½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- up to 1/4 – 1/2 cup milk of choice dairy or non-dairy (for chocolate frosting, may use chocolate milk, if desired, not necessary)
Instructions
- Cream the sugar, cocoa (if making chocolate frosting) and butter/shortening together with an electric mixer.
- Add the vanilla and 2 tablespoons of milk, beating well to combine, and additional milk (if and only as necessary) to achieve a spreadable consistency, beating for several minutes at the end until light and fluffy.
- Note:*Depending on whether you use butter, vegan butter, coconut oil or shortening, you may not need much or any milk to achieve spreading consistency.
- White FrostingUse recipe above, and omit cocoa powder. Reduce milk to 1-2 Tablespoons, adding more only if needed to achieve the desired consistency.
Video
Notes
** Please keep in mind that nutrition information provided is per serving, which may vary. While we have taken care to provide you with the most accurate nutritional values possible, please note that this information may differ significantly depending on the exact ingredients and brands that you choose to use to make this recipe. Additionally, where options are given for ingredients, the resulting calculation may include all ingredient options instead of only one per line, skewing the totals significantly.
I can’t wait to see what beautiful cakes and cupcakes you make with this easy frosting recipe!
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Do you recommend using natural or Dutch processed cocoa in this recipe
Hi Amber, I think Dutch processed is milder in a frosting recipe like this one, but there are a lot of “baking” cocoas out there that are mild, as well. As long as it’s not bitter to the taste, you should be fine.
~jules
Hi Jules, I am from South Africa, I have Celiac and a very bad Maize/Corn allergy. Does your mixes contain any Corn Starch? I need to know before I can order.
Kind Regards
Bess
Hi Bess, I have two products that are entirely corn-free:
My Gluten Free Biscuit and Breakfast Baking Flour
and
My Bread Mix
I know you will love them!
~jules
I made this as a yellow cake and the flavor or so good. My batter was very dough like and I knew that wasn’t right but I baked it anyway. I used monk fruit and whole milk with no other changes/subs. I’m excited to try it again, but what do you think would make the batter so thick and sticky like dough? I know it’s something I did wrong because I’m not a baker. LOL
Hi Yvonne, check out this article on measuring your gluten free flour properly, as that might have been the issue here. You’re right that the batter should not have been so thick! Also bring all your ingredients to room temperature before adding for making cakes, especially, and I find that laying out all the ingredients before starting to mix helps me to be sure not to forget anything!! The monkfruit and whole milk are definitely variables, particularly the monkfruit, as there is such a large amount of granulated sugar called for in the recipe. Be sure your monkfruit is one that says it’s a 1:1 for sugar in baking, and just know that your results will likely differ because of it. If you could switch out the whole milk for something with slightly less fat and try that to see if it changes anything (change just one variable at a time) then you’ll know if that was a culprit, but I’m really suspecting it has more to do with the monkfruit and some measuring issues. Don’t give up though – you know the cake tasted good, so keep working with it and you’ll get it right!!
Check out this other FAQs for baking cakes in this article, as well.
~jules