Frosting Recipes

This dark chocolate cake frosting recipe is rich, simple and delicious.  I find dark chocolate frosting on chocolate cake to border on overload, but most people seem to enjoy it.  You may also try a lemon, vanilla or coffee-flavored cake or cupcakes with this frosting. (Note:  If you like this, you should also check out our other chocolate frosting recipe). Some dark chocolate frosting recipes call for bittersweet, others for semisweet or unsweetened chocolate.  You’ll also find recipes that require a combination of styles.  Some call for baking squares, others for unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder and some for chips.

When it comes to dark chocolate frosting, I can guarantee you two things:  First, you will need confectioners’ sugar, no matter what recipe you use.  Second, the quality of ingredients is key.  The better quality your ingredients, the richer and more delicious your cake will be. Look for chocolates that include higher amounts of cocoa solids.  Bittersweet and semisweet are not terribly different and can be interchanged, though if we had to choose, we’d opt for bittersweet. Sources for quality baking chocolate include Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods and other gourmet markets. Look for brands like Scharffen-Berger and Callebaut.

Dark Chocolate Cake Frosting

3 oz high quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1 1/2 sticks cold, unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces

2 1/4 c confectioners’ sugar

1/4 t pure vanilla extract

pinch of salt

Melt chocolate stovetop using a bain-marie.  (If you try to melt it directly over the burner, it will burn).  You can also microwave the chocolate until it is melted, checking and stirring every 20 seconds.  Let it cool for at least 15 minutes away from heat.

Beat butter and salt together with an electric mixer until fluffy.  Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar at low speed, followed by the vanilla.  Add the cooled chocolate and beat at medium speed until fully incorporated and frosting is smooth and glossy.

So I’m thinking to myself, “I wonder if anyone’s made a red wine cake frosting.”  You have port wine at dessert, perhaps accompanied by some cookies.  Why can’t you mix your wine with your cake?

Naturally, you would think that a red wine cake frosting would combine well with a cream cheese frosting or a ricotta cake – a new take on the wine and cheese plate, perhaps.

But this red wine chocolate cake frosting recipe surprised us and knocked our socks off.   Twin Tables developed the recipe for Red Wine Rosemary Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Red Wine Chocolate Frosting.  The red wine and dark chocolate is a lovely combination, and made even more sophisticated by the addition of fresh herbs.

Here’s the fabulous frosting recipe.  Cake recipe and full instructions after the jump.

Red Wine Chocolate Frosting Recipe By Twin Tables

2 3/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
6 tablespoons dark chocolate cocoa powder
6 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons red wine
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Fresh sprigs of rosemary

To make the frosting, sift together the confectioners’ sugar and cocoa powder in a medium bowl; set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter until smooth, then gradually beat in sugar mixture alternately with the red wine. Blend in vanilla and beat until light and fluffy. Frost the cooled cupcakes and top with fresh sprigs of rosemary in a fun design.

Twin Tables: Iron Cupcake – Round Two.

Delectably Yours shares a recipe for a giant chocolate cake with whipped chocolate cream frosting.   This is a simple recipe that’s perfect for a deep and complex dark chocolate cake.  It’s also forgiving when spreading on cake or cupcakes.  This frosting requires the minimum number of ingredients.  If this sounds like chocolate overload to you, try this icing on a banana or walnut cake and garnish with toasted, chopped nuts, sprinkles or coconut flakes.  Depending on the cocoa powder you use (and if it’s sweetened), you may be able to reduce the amount of confectioner’s sugar.  Remember powdered sugar is a must in this recipe, as granulated will make the icing grainy and not whip up properly.

This also is lovely in a dollop alongside a piece of cake, or in a hot beverage like cocoa or coffee.

Chocolate Whipped Cream Frosting (From Delectably Yours)

2 cups Heavy Cream

1/3 cup Confectioner’s sugar

3 tbsp cocoa powder

If you find your cake to be very sweet, go ahead and reduce the sugar in the whipping cream.

1. Put the cream, sugar and cocoa in a large well-chilled bowl. Its recommended that you chill the bowl you are going to whip cream in, and the beaters if they are hand beaters in the fridge for a good 20-30 mins. However, this recipe asked for mixing these ingredients NOT beating them and covering the bowl and then chilling the mixture in the refrigerator for an hour.Very conveniently, we missed the chilling for one hour step. We just chilled the bowl and the beaters and then beat the whipping cream It turned out okay!

2. Remove from refrigerator and beat cream until thick. Add liqueur if you wish, at this point. Once the cream falls in soft mounds when the beaters are lifted in air, it is ready.

via Delectably yours,: Think of the Devil…..

Green Your Plate has a great story of their struggles with making a fluffy textured chocolate frosting.  As you know, it’s not just the quality of ingredients you use that makes a great frosting.  It’s also knowing how and in what order to combine the ingredients so they reach the desired texture.  You work to bake a light, even cake, so you don’t want to ruin it with a heavy, gloppy frosting.

What really took this frosting from glop to great is careful sifting of flour and “awakening” the cocoa powder with the right amount of water.

Here’s Green Your Plate’s Chocolate Frosting Recipe.  Be sure to check out the full article and photos after the jump.

Fluffy Chocolate Frosting
Adapted from the Chocolate Cake Mix Doctor

This recipe makes 1 1/2 cups, enough to frost a 2-layer 6 inch diameter mini-cake.

Ingredients:
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 T. boiling water
4 T. (1/2 stick) butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Pour the boiling water over the cocoa powder and stir it together to combine. Let the mixture sit for a couple of minutes to cool down, then add the butter and mix on low speed until it is combined (this takes less than a minute).

Then, add the powdered sugar and vanilla and mix on low speed for another minute so that the powdered sugar is incorporated into the mixture. Turn the speed up to medium and beat the frosting for a couple more minutes until the mixture lightens in color and turns fluffy. The longer you beat it, the lighter it will get.

Green Your Plate: It’s the frosting, stupid!.

The Better Homes and Gardens website supplies this incredible cocoa mascarpone frosting recipe, destined to top a dark cocoa buttermilk cake.  Thinking about this frosting puts me in a trance. You could substitute cream cheese for the mascarpone, but we’d prefer not to.  We also like our frosting a little less sweet, so you may slightly adjust the powdered sugar to your taste.

Cocoa Mascarpone Frosting

• 8 oz mascarpone cheese, softened
• 1/2 c butter softened
• 1/2 c Dutch-processed unsweetened cocoa powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 T milk (plus extra for thinning)
• 2 t vanilla
• 16 oz powdered sugar, sifted (4 1/4 to 4 1/2 cups)

Instructions:

In a large mixing bowl, beat one-half of an 8-ounce tub mascarpone cheese or one-half of an 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened; 1/2 cup butter, softened; 1/3 cup Dutch-processed unsweetened cocoa powder or unsweetened cocoa powder; 2 tablespoons milk and 2 teaspoons vanilla with an electric mixer on medium to high speed until creamy. Gradually add one 16-ounce box powdered sugar, sifted (4-1/4 to 4-1/2 cups), beating until smooth. Beat in enough additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, to reach spreading consistency. Makes 3 cups.

For more details, including the cake recipe, follow the link.

Dark Cocoa Buttermilk Cake with Cocoa Mascarpone Frosting Recipe.