This Glossy Chocolate Icing is soft, shiny, and sumptuous. Look no further, this is the be-all and end-all of chocolate icings and will likely turn into your go-to icing for anything that requires chocolate.
Makes
about 4 cups
Total Time
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Ingredients
MELT:
STIR IN:
COMBINE:
OFF HEAT, ADD:
Test Kitchen Approved
Test Kitchen Tips
To give the icing a chance to set up, make it before starting in on the cake. And be sure to use heavy cream (preferably not ultra-pasteurized). Lighter dairy products just won't set up.
If the icing seems too thin to stay put, stir in powdered sugar 1 T. at a time until it’s easily spreadable.
Instructions
Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.
Stir in sugar, cocoa, and salt. Mixture will be thick and grainy.
Combine heavy cream, sour cream, and instant coffee in a large measuring cup, mixing until smooth.
Combine cream mixture with chocolate and stir until blended and smooth. Cook until sugar has dissolved, and mixture is smooth and hot to the touch. Do not boil.
Off heat, add vanilla. Cool icing at room temperature until spreadable, about 3 hours. (Icing may be chilled until completely cold, then warmed gently in the microwave until spreadable. Heat at high power in 20-second intervals, stirring well after each interval.)
Test Kitchen Approved
Nutritional Facts
Nutritional Facts
Per serving
Calories: 212
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 18g 27%
Sodium 488mg 20%
% Daily Value*
Carbs 71g 23%
Fiber 2g 8%
Protein 0g
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Reviews ()
★★★★★
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Statistics
Statistics
Average: 4.67
Standardized Average: 2.06
This is the average rating for this recipe, relative to the average rating of all of the recipes on this site. The average rating of all the recipes on this site is 81.35. If we pin the population average to 3 (define 3 as the new 81.35) and adjust this particular recipe's average accordingly, we see that, relative to a population average of 3, this recipe's adjusted standardized average is 2.06. This number is useful in that it accounts for how different people have different interpretations of the rating system.
Median: 5
This is the rating that is in the middle of the ratings distribution. It is generally more indicative of how much you will actually like this recipe than the average because the average is subject to being skewed by outliers.
Mode: 5
This is the most common rating that people have given this recipe.
Standard Deviation: 0.58
This is a measure of how polarizing the recipe is; how much people disagree about it.
0 is the least polarizing; everyone agrees on the rating.
2.5 is the most polarizing.
Recipes with lower standard deviations in the ratings are better for people who don't want surprises. Higher standard deviations are good for adventurous cooks.
The standard deviation of this recipe is fairly low. The consensus is pretty unanimous.
★★★★★
This is my new go to chocolate frosting, its chocolatey deliciousness and I love the glossy look it gives to my cakes.
Brandon
June 20, 2022, 9:34 p.m.EditedEditDelete
★★★★☆
My husband requested this chocolate frosting for his birthday cake this year. It smelled amazing when I was making it. However, after letting it cool, I noticed it just wasn't setting up. I rechecked the ingredients to insure I had used all the ingredients, and that's when I noticed the ratio of sugar to cocoa in this recipe was very close...maybe too close? After it cooled, I had to mix in about 1.5 cups of powdered sugar to make it even spread correctly. It was tasty after that and husband-approved!
Whitney
July 10, 2021, 6:13 p.m.EditedEditDelete
★★★★★
The best frosting available. It is a dark chocolate taste but is 10x better. The one I always use for frosting a cake.