Next month, I'm doing an entirely chocolate wedding cake. Homemade chocolate frosting is so expensive to make and to makd 30 pounds of it....OMG. (I use the chocolate syrup recipe)

Have any of you ever done this and if so, did you increase your pricing?

Is there a place to purchase buckets of really homemade tasting frosting?

Please offer suggestions. Thanks!

2 years ago (approx) I did a great big chocolate tower, and what I used was ganache! It gave it that pretty dark and shiny look! I t was gorgeous and delicious! About a year ago I did a chocolate buttercream version and it was the ugliest cake I think I've ever made. I think it was the combo of light brown icing, ivory ribbon, and fall leaves. It was just an ugly cake. (Notice, it's not in m pix!) Anyway, I have never found a good purchased icing that tastes like home made, or even that doesn't just taste like a can. With the ganache, I put a thin layer of regular BC underneath, smoothed it well, then poured the ganache. It was easy and pretty. Best of luck!!

Thanks for the tip. I'm a little afraid of the ganache for a wedding....whenever I've done that it really accents the tiny flaws in the buttercream! Plus the bride is adamant about "all chocolate".

She is going to bring me a photo next week...so I'm not sure what she wants it to look like yet, but my main concern was the pricing....

It is not unreasonable to charge more when it's a higher cost item. When I run into this, I explain to the bride WHY it costs more and she's fine with it. For example, my cake price is a flat rate ... but I've recently added rum cake and white chocolate cake to the list. When I explain to the bride that I have to buy the rum, and I have to buy the chocolate, which is above and beyond the standard cake ingredients, they usually respond with something like, "Oh sure, that makes sense!"

Have you thought about Chocolate fondant.....
I did one the bride wanted all chocolate too. So I did Chocolate Orange cake, Choc cream filling, light chocolate base layer and then chocolate fondant........

look at my cakes I have a square chocolate fondant..really easy to work with and tastes pretty good....kinda like tootsie roll.

I have never used ganache or chocolate fondant, so they both are probably GREAT suggestions. I do have a great tasting recipe for chocolate bc that is simple, inexpensive, easy to work with, and not so light in color. Here goes:

1 stick butter
1 lb. powdered sugar
3 rounded tablespoons cocoa powder
milk or water to thin to desired consistency

Hope it works out for you. You may not choose this route, but at least it is an option to consider.

I like the icing recipe on the Hershey Cocoa can, too. It's not expensive. If it's not on your can, you can find it on your website.

If you make ganache.. and let it come to room temp (or almost as it get's a little firm at cooler temps) you can spread it on like buttercream rather than pouring it. Poured ganache can be beautiful.. but it can also look really messy if not done right, but spreading on ganache is pretty fool proof. Just make sure your cake isn't cold when you do it or it wil clump up.

If you are using ganache in place of BC.. definitely charge more. I charge an extra $1 per serving for ganache.. it *is* expensive.. but if your bride is after a REALLY chocolatey cake.. that's what I'd recommend. No BC under it.. just ganache.

Thank you all for your suggestions. I meet with her tomorrow. I agree that $1 more would be fair also....

I'm going to do a cost analysis and compare it to regular buttercream.

Oh...did I forget to mention that she is my distant, never see her, cousin?

If you want all chocolate, but want to use ganache with a thin layer of buttercream...you could make the thin layer of buttercream in chocolate..just an idea...

Well, she chose choc buttercream, so not so bad. Now I have to find the perfect recipe because mine always comes out gritty.

Sorry, but I won't be able to help you. Mine doesn't come out gritty, but the icing always seems to have a mind of its own. I don't care what I do, it always changes colors at will. I have a beautiful deep chocolate color and after a while it starts getting lighter. Then I work through that and it decides to get darker again. Then trying to smooth it - Aaaaarrrrgggghh! I know it's because of my hot little hands (whatever) . You can see what I'm talking about in the photo of my DH's retirement cake I've attached.

http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=650153

Maybe someone can tell us how to get a non-gritty chocolate icing that stays the same color. I love chocolate cake with chocolate icing so I'm not quitting. It can't get me down.

Good Luck,
LadyMike