Sweet Fudge Frosting
Submitted by shaker
Sweet fudge frosting cooks a soft-ball sugar syrup, then folds it into melted unsweetened chocolate and butter for a glossy old-school fudge that sets up like candy on top of cake.
YIELD
24 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
20 minREADY
40 minSweet fudge frosting is the cooked-sugar kind your grandmother used to make, before powdered sugar buttercream took over the cake-decorating world. The technique is straight candy-making: a sugar syrup cooked to soft-ball stage (232°F / 111°C) gets stirred into melted unsweetened chocolate, butter, and vanilla until it thickens into a glossy spreadable fudge.
The soft-ball test matters more than your candy thermometer. Drop a bit of syrup into a glass of cold water. If it forms a soft pliable ball you can squish between your fingers, you’re there. Hard ball means overcooked, and the frosting will set rock-hard.
Keep the frosting warm while spreading. It thickens fast as it cools, so park the bowl over warm water between layers. If it gets too stiff, set the bowl back over hot water for a minute to loosen it again.
Pro Tips
- Stir only until sugar dissolves, then leave it alone. Stirring during the boil crystallizes the syrup.
- Use a heavy-bottomed saucepan to prevent scorching the sugar at the bottom
- Brush the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush during cooking to wash down sugar crystals
- Cool the syrup to lukewarm before adding to chocolate. Hot syrup seizes the chocolate.
- Reheat the frosting gently if it sets too firm before you’re done spreading
Variations
- Sub semi-sweet chocolate for unsweetened and drop sugar to 1 cup for a sweeter frosting
- Add 1 tablespoon of strong brewed coffee to the chocolate for mocha fudge frosting
- Stir in ½ cup chopped toasted walnuts for nutty texture in every bite
Ingredients
Directions
Combine sugar, water, corn syrup, and salt in small saucepan.
Bring quickly to a boil, stirring only until sugar is dissolved.
Then boil, without stirring, until mixture forms a very soft ball in cold water (232 degrees F).
Cool to lukewarm ( 110 degrees F. )
Melt chocolate in medium saucepan over boiling water.
Add butter and vanilla.
Remove from boiling water.
Add syrup gradually, stirring constantly.
Continue stirring until smooth and thickened.
Place again over boiling water and stir until frostin0g is softened and of right consistency to spread.
Remove from boiling water and spread on cake.
If necessary, place over hot water to keep soft while spreading.
Makes enough frosting to cover tops and sides of two 7½ x 9-inch layers.
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