Really Easy Frosting

So now you have made your really good cake (see previous post). Now you want to frost the cake, but please don't reach for a can of nastiness. Frosting is even easier than cake. Even if you backslide and make a boxed cake, please please don't use the canned frosting. (Side note: I use the term frosting and icing interchangeably, although I suppose there might be a difference. I just don't know exactly what that might be.) This recipe is technically a ganache, but that sounds hard, and it certainly isn't.

Chocolate Frosting

1 cup (6 ounces) chopped chocolate (semi-sweet to bittersweet) (You can use chocolate chips; I won't tell)
3/4 cup heavy cream (or whipping cream)
Optional: 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (or liquor or other flavoring)

Put chopped chocolate into a bowl. Bring cream just to a boil, either on the stovetop or in a microwave. Pour hot cream on the chopped chocolate. Let it sit for several seconds, then start stirring with a whisk or a spoon. It will seem all nasty, grainy and lumpy for awhile, but after a minute of stirring it will become smooth and silky. Once it's smooth, stir in any flavoring you want to use. If you are using good chocolate, you won't need to add a thing. Let the mixture cool until it's a good spreading consistency. That would be when you can put some on a spatula, spread it on the cake, and it holds its shape. Depending on the room temperature, that will take about 30 to 60 minutes. Resist the temptation to eat it all with a spoon. It's for the cake! Double or triple the recipe as needed.

Comments

[KitchenNut]

LOL! Can of nastiness? I love it! (Well, not the can of nastiness, but your reference to it!) :) I love the suggestion to add vanilla (or another flavoring); that's never occurred to me! Thanks!

[easy bake]

Hi Darcie, can this easy recipe be used to frost plain biscotti (if for example, my friend bought me biscotti from Costco :) Or do you need a waxier frosting to stick to it and hold up well???

[ntsc]

I wait for the ganache to cool a little bit and then just pour it over the top of the cake and help it spread down the sides.

Do this on a cookie sheet, and you can use a spoon (or your fingers) on the drippings.

The down side I discovered on chips is that they age faster than bars. More surface area.

[TheFuzzyChef]

EasyBake,

I wouldn't recommend ganache for dipping cookies. It's melts too easily ... it would stick all over your fingers. For cookies, you want a solid dark chocolate which you apply melted.