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Adjustable Chocolate Icing

A community recipe by

Not tested or verified by Nigella.com

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Introduction

This is a recipe for my favourite chocolate icing, another of the recipes I grew up with. In my family, birthday cake is traditionally a Reine de Saba choco cake with this icing. And the best part, you can so easily adjust it to your own personal tastes!

This is a recipe for my favourite chocolate icing, another of the recipes I grew up with. In my family, birthday cake is traditionally a Reine de Saba choco cake with this icing. And the best part, you can so easily adjust it to your own personal tastes!

Ingredients

Serves: Ices a 10

Metric Cups
  • 6 tablespoons butter
  • 188 millilitres cocoa powder
  • 1 pinch of salt Large
  • 125 millilitres milk (skimmed)
  • 2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract
  • 750 millilitres icing sugar Plus more sugar and/or cocoa to taste
  • 6 tablespoons butter
  • 6⅗ fluid ounces unsweetened cocoa
  • 1 pinch of salt Large
  • 4⅖ fluid ounces milk (skimmed)
  • 2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract
  • 26⅓ fluid ounces confectioners' sugar Plus more sugar and/or cocoa to taste

Method

Adjustable Chocolate Icing is a community recipe submitted by Psappha and has not been tested by Nigella.com so we are not able to answer questions regarding this recipe.

  • Melt the butter in a large saucepan.
  • Remove pan from heat.
  • Sift the cocoa and salt into the butter.
  • Mix until smooth.
  • Add the milk in two parts, mixing well after each addition. Add the vanilla.
  • Beat the mixture until it is smooth and the lumps are eliminated.
  • Sift in the icing sugar and stir.
  • Chef's treat: Start testing now...if too sweet, add some more cocoa...if not sweet enough, add more sugar and enjoy this tasty bonus of baking as you can see my little brother did as a baby!
  • Melt the butter in a large saucepan.
  • Remove pan from heat.
  • Sift the cocoa and salt into the butter.
  • Mix until smooth.
  • Add the milk in two parts, mixing well after each addition. Add the vanilla.
  • Beat the mixture until it is smooth and the lumps are eliminated.
  • Sift in the confectioners' sugar and stir.
  • Chef's treat: Start testing now...if too sweet, add some more cocoa...if not sweet enough, add more sugar and enjoy this tasty bonus of baking as you can see my little brother did as a baby!
  • Additional Information

    Don't fret too much about the lumps...as with all baking, sometimes it turns out one way, sometimes another. Ideally, the icing will be wonderfully, velvety smooth. Sifting (I know, your least favourite cooking task, Nigella!) helps reduce lumpage, as does a really vigorous beating of cocoa into melted butter. But, there are times when the lumps just won't go away...no matter, it still tastes great!

    Don't fret too much about the lumps...as with all baking, sometimes it turns out one way, sometimes another. Ideally, the icing will be wonderfully, velvety smooth. Sifting (I know, your least favourite cooking task, Nigella!) helps reduce lumpage, as does a really vigorous beating of cocoa into melted butter. But, there are times when the lumps just won't go away...no matter, it still tastes great!

    Tell us what you think