Top | Maida Heatter’s Book of Great Desserts

Chocolate Icing

(recipe, Maida Heatter)

Introduction

Culinate food editor's note: This recipe is my favorite for icing cupcakes. Not only is it tasty, but it's also an incredibly easy (and fetching) way to frost cupcakes. I have made this icing with bittersweet, milk, and semisweet chocolate (as well as a mixture of all three) to good effect.

Ingredients

  1. 6 oz. semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped
  2. ⅓ cup heavy cream
  3. 1 Tbsp. sugar
  4. 1½ Tbsp. unsalted butter

Steps

  1. Make the icing: Place all ingredients in a small, heavy saucepan over low heat. Cook until most of the chocolate has melted, stirring often. Remove from the heat. Continue to stir until smooth and the chocolate has completely melted. Let stand until the icing has cooled to room temperature.
  2. Ice the cupcakes: Hold a cupcake upside down over the icing and dip the top into the icing. Twirl slightly, then lift the cupcake from the icing. Once all the cupcakes have been dipped once, dip each of them a second time. Set cupcakes on a rack and leave alone for a while, to allow the icing to set up.