Hey there guys! I'm hoping you can help me figure out what I'm doing wrong with my chocolate frostings.

First, I tried a new recipe last night that was something like: melt unsweetened Baker's chocolate in the microwave with 1 Tbsp of butter for each ounce of chocolate, then add 1 tsp vanilla for each ounce of chocolate, put in mixer and blend with powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached. I used whipping cream to thin out the frosting. It looked dark, rich and creamy, but after a little more mixing, it started turning into something more like brownie mix. It was almost like there was too much fat. I put the whole bowl in a boiling pot of water to warm it back up (thinking the cold whipping cream made my butter harden), then I mixed it a little more. The consistency improved, but it didn't take long for it to turn back to brownie batter again. The first swipe of frosting onto the cake went well, but the second spatula-full wouldn't stick. Any ideas what's going wrong? Is this a temperature issue?

Second, and this issue is possibly more important to me than the first...I almost always frost my cakes straight out of the freezer, and maybe that is part of the problem, Iâve just always found them easier to handle if I do them slightly frozen. And it works for my whipped cream frosting. But twice before, Iâve noticed when I spread on my chocolate frostings, I get these swirls of color in the chocolate. Itâs as if the cold of the cake makes the chocolate seize and solidify. So rather than have a uniform brown color, there are these streaks of darker shades of brown in it. Are you not supposed to apply chocolate frostings to a cold cake?

I've not had good experiences with chocolate frostings, so if anyone would like to sell me on their recipe, please feel free. I'd particularly like a darker-colored chocolate frosting that may crust. Thanks for all your help!!

I haven't tried this one yet .. but it has a 5 star rating & sounds as if it will be just what you want.

http://www.cakecentral.com/cake_recipe-7293-1-Crusting-Chocolate-Fudge-Buttercream-Icing.html

I don't have a great recipe suggestion. I don't make chocolate very often, but when I want it a dark color, I just add brown color. No one will ever know! (I do mean I add to light brown chocolate icing though)

Hi,

I share your frustration when it comes to chocolate frosting.....well I should say "I USED to share your frustration".

Whenever I used melted chocolate of any kind to make my frosting I had the exact same problems that you are experiencing. I do believe it's the chocolate turning back to it's "solid" state when it cools or hits the cold cream/cake.

I've recently had much more success with the Chocolate Frosting recipe found on the back of the Hershey's Cocoa container. That recipe calls for mixing the cocoa powder with melted butter first and then that is added to powdered sugar and thinned with milk.

I get much better and more consistent results with this method and I've since started experimenting with better quality cocoa powders and they too work well.

You might want to give it a try and see if it works for you.

Good luck!

Thanks guys, I really appreciate everyone's input. And since I couldn't bear to throw away perfectly good ingredients, I just made brownies out of my failed chocolate frosting!

the recipe link that txsteph posted is the one that I use and I love it.

Did your "frosting" brownies turn out?

I second the Hershey Cocoa Frosting Recipe. I made it a few weeks ago and it wins hands down for best chocolate frosting so far

mgwebb68...yes, the brownies turned out. Shame that I will probably never be able to replicate that brownie recipe!!

Thanks for all your help guys!