Delicious, fool-proof frosting?

[avocado]

I promised my friend birthday cupcakes. I'm a terrible baker, so I'm going to use boxed cake mix, but I want to make homemade frosting (because while boxed cake mix is tolerable, canned frosting is just nasty).

She requested chocolate frosting. What I'm picturing is a frosting that can be piped in a fat spiral onto the cupcake using a pastry bag with no tip.

So does anyone have a chocolate frosting recipe that can stand up to this, that I won't screw up?

Thanks!

Edited February 3, 2006 by avocado (log)

[azureus]

I just tried Rose Levy Berenbaum's Neoclassic Buttercream for the first time this week. It went together quickly and easily, despite the fact that it was my first time making a "true" buttercream. The frosting piped easily and held its shape nicely. Just don't think too much about how much butter and egg yolks are in the frosting!

April

[Trishiad]

I'd just do a simple cream cheese frosting.

[skyflyer3]

You know, a light chocolate ganache is my tried and true standby, and it's actually quite easy to do. I use the recipe from the Cake Bible, which is like a 60/40 proportion of heavy cream to chocolate. You chop the chocolate fine, put it in a heatproof bowl, heat the cream to boiling, pour it over the chocolate, let it sit for five minutes before stirring with a whisk, then let it cool . Once it gets to slightly colder than room temperature, you can beat it by hand until you get soft peaks, and then dollop some on top of cupcakes with a n icing spatula. I did this on Saturday, without a mixer, and it came out great.

[CanadianBakin']

I think you might be looking for something like this recipe from Marcy Goldman (www.betterbaking.com).

Icing

1/2 cup chocolate chips, melted and cooled

3/4 cup unsalted butter or unsalted margarine

1 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup cocoa, measured then sifted

3-4 cups confectioner's sugar - measured then sifted

1/2 cup water or half-and-half

With paddle attachment, cream together melted chips, butter, vanilla, cocoa and 1 cup icing sugar till well combined. Add remaining icing sugar and beat on high till light and fluffy, gradually adding in water till the right consistency. If you chill it before using, be sure to re-whip first adding a bit extra water if neccessary.

The combination of cocoa and melted chocolate gives this icing a rich chocolately flavour. This is my husband's favourite icing. I've used it for piping onto cupcakes and it works well. Enjoy!

Edited February 4, 2006 by CanadianBakin' (log)

[Marmish]

I just tried Rose Levy Berenbaum's Neoclassic Buttercream for the first time this week.  It went together quickly and easily, despite the fact that it was my first time making a "true" buttercream.  The frosting piped easily and held its shape nicely.  Just don't think too much about how much butter and egg yolks are in the frosting!

April

←

This is next on my list to make. I'm glad to hear it was easy.

Avocado, I think you need a chocolate sour cream frosting.

From Alice Medrich's A Year in Chocolate

8 oz chocolate, semisweet or bittersweet, cut in small pieces

1 c sour cream

1-2 t. instant coffee (optional)

1 1/2 t hot water (optional)

Dissolve coffee in hot water. Add to sour cream. Melt chocolate in double boiler or microwave. Add sour cream mixture to chocolate. Use immediately. Soften by setting bowl briefly in pan of hot water if necessary.

[avocado]

OK, here's what I went through for these damn cupcakes:

I tried a chocolate-sour cream frosting, and found it disgusting. But then again, I don't really like chocolate paired with anything tangy (chocolate cheesecake, for example), so I should have known. I tried to tone it down with some cream and powdered sugar, to no avail. Anyway, I ended up pitching that and going with a Donna Hay recipe for Chocolate Whipped Buttercream. It was four egg whites beaten with a cup of powdered sugar, then 2.5 sticks of butter beaten in, and 8 oz. of melted chocolate. I added a shot of Kahlua also. It was easy, pulled together in 10 minutes, and it was delicious. I highly recommend it.

Thanks, everyone, for your suggestions!