📋 Chocolate Frosting Recipe (without butter)

This Chocolate Frosting (without butter) has a rich chocolate flavor and uses shortening instead of butter. It is easy, light, tasty and perfect for decorating. It does not need to be refrigerated and is shelf-safe for days. It can also sit in the heat for hours so it's great for parties, weddings and outdoor events!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword chocolate, crisco, frosting, icing

Special Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 15

Total Time 15

Servings servings

Calories 149kcal

Ingredients

1-⅓ cups Crisco or another brand of vegetable shortening
5.5 cups powdered sugar/icing sugar
3 tablespoon Dream Whip powder *or substitute another powdered whipped dessert topping
1.5 cup cocoa
⅓ cup milk add a little more or less, depending on consistency needed
2 tablespoon vanilla depending on your personal taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Add the shortening to the mixer and mix for a couple of minutes with the paddle attachment,
Then gradually add the powdered sugar, Dream whip, cocoa and blend together until smooth.
Add the vanilla, then add the milk until you get smooth texture and the right consistency. *I find that ⅓ cup is just right, but you may need a little more or less. If you want a thicker consistency, use less milk.

Notes

📖Variations & Substitutions

Vanilla Frosting: You can make this plain vanilla frosting if you prefer. Simply replace the 1.5 cups cocoa with 1.5 cups powdered sugar. If you want it to stay pure white, be sure to use clear vanilla extract
Too sweet? Add a pinch of salt if it's too sweet for your liking
Milk: Add a little more or less, depending on the consistency you need.

Expert Tips

I have been baking and cake decorating for a long time and here are some of my tips from experience:

The fridge is NOT a cake's friend! Many people do not realize this, but unless you have a perishable filling or butter in your icing, you should avoid putting cake in the fridge because it will dry your cake out!

And if you're not an experienced decorator, check out the simple decorating techniques here:

I use the Wilton Spatula Method for smoothing my cakes (VIDEO HERE -first method shown)* But I take it a step further and after I've smoothed it with the method in the video, I heat my spatula in boiling water, wipe it off with a clean tea towel, smooth, remove excess icing by scraping it into a bowl, then wipe with a paper towel. Then I keep repeating until I reach the desired smoothness.
If you have never piped a simple shell border, then check out this VIDEO.

🌡️Storage

Cake: You are better off freezing your cake if you don't need it for a few days, rather than leaving it in the fridge. That's another reason I prefer icing without butter. You can leave your cake in an airtight container on the counter for 3-4 days after it's made if it doesn't have a perishable filling.

Frosted Cake: You can also freeze fully iced cakes with this frosting. But just be sure to put it in a sealed cake container. And if you need it frozen for more than a few days, wrap the container in 2 garbage bags and push the air out.

Frosting: Store this easy frosting recipe at room temperature for up to 5 days. The small amount of milk is stabilized by a large amount of sugar. You can freeze it for up to 3 months.

Nutrition