When I was in college, our dining hall would bring in brownies every Friday night. These were no ordinary brownies. They were covered in a layer of ultra thick, fudgy frosting. The brownies themselves were nothing special, but man, that frosting? Worth every bite.
And boy, did I eat a lot of them. I’d hover near the kitchen, waiting for them to bring out the brownies. And in later years, I experienced that same frosting on cakes because I tracked down the bakery and bought a lot from them. Until they shut down. Cue dramatic sad music!
Since then, I’ve been on a quest to make fudge frosting. And you know what? Finding a recipe that works ain’t so easy. Turns out that people love chocolate frosting and dark chocolate frosting, but the kind that sits like fudge on cake and yet is still magically spreadable? Not so simple. I’ve had so many fudge frosting fails that it’s no longer particularly a happy topic for me.
Until I ran across this baker’s recipe. She has all these fudge frosting tutorials. I felt renewed hope and had to try it!
Bottom line: this frosting is very thick and fudgy, but there are a few caveats. For one, you need to refrigerate it to make it thicker and spreadable. If you don’t, it has a drippier consistency. Leaving it out to thicken would help, but I didn’t have that much time, so I chilled the whole bowl for about 30 minutes. When it was time to ice this cake, no problem! Here it is in the middle of the smoothing process:
Also, even thicker, this stuff is hard to pipe. I’m pretty sure it will need more chill time if you want to make piping easier. But the good news is, the final result is delicious. This frosting sets up beautifully and stays creamy and thick. One of our friends told me that it was just like his grandmother’s frosting, which he hadn’t eaten since he was a kid. I took that as a compliment.
Enjoy this foray into fudginess! I used my frosting on my brother-in-law’s birthday cake, but this would work just as beautifully on brownies or as a filling between sandwich cookies. Let your imagination run free!
Ingredients:
- 4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup hot water
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup light corn syrup
Instructions:
In the microwave, melt the chocolate for 2 minutes and 30 seconds. Stir until smooth. Transfer the chocolate to the bowl of a stand mixer.
Add the hot water and beat until fully mixed. The mixture will look really odd at first, but it will smooth out. Add the butter and beat again until incorporated. Do the same with the powdered sugar. Finally, mix in the corn syrup.
Give the frosting time to thicken to the desired consistency, or speed up the process by chilling the bowl in the refrigerator, checking every 15 minutes or so.
Frosting can be stored in the refrigerator in a covered container. However, you will have to bring it to room temperature and beat it again to bring it back to the desired texture.
Fudge frosting is the best, but especially on brownies! It makes them taste extra delicious. This frosting sounds so rich and indulgent, I love it! Great recipe, Mir!
Gayle @ Pumpkin ‘N Spice recently posted…{Skinny} Red Velvet Truffles
Thanks, Gayle! Frosted brownies are definitely the best. I need one right about now!
This looks heavenly Mir! So shiny and perfect! Pinned 🙂
Trish – Mom On Timeout recently posted…Homework Station Turntable
Thanks for the pin, Trish! We always want the shiny frosting!
I have always wondered how they make it so well. This will be my Go To recipe from now on.
I’m so glad, Linda! I hope it goes well!
This frosting looks absolutely perfect! I’m all for fudgy frosting 🙂
Danielle recently posted…Homemade Honey Roasted Peanut Butter
Join the club! It’s my favorite, Danielle!
Oh it is gorgeous Mir! My frosting skills are like that of a two year old’s, so if I could get a cake to look like this, I’d be pretty darn proud. Mmm, biting into anything with a thick layer of fudge frosting makes my tastebuds happy. Refrigerated frosting is the best anyways 🙂
Mary Frances recently posted…{Dairy Free} Healthy Chocolate Fudge Donuts
I agree. Love my frosting cold! Thanks, Mary Frances!
I am taking a trip down happy memory lane to my school’s cafeteria brownie fudge frosting. THE BEST. That is awesome that you nailed it at home!
Erin | The Law Student’s Wife recently posted…Pumpkin Parfaits with Coconut Whipped Cream
Nothing is like those cafeteria memories! Glad you have that in your history too, Erin!
I am a sucker for a good frosting, this looks AWESOME!
Julianne @ Beyond Frosting recently posted…Maple Apple Pie Cheesecake Bars
Thanks, Julianne! It did make me pretty happy!
this is an amazing recipe. When it thickened up it iced really wonderfully onto my boston creme pie cake!! Thank you for this!!
I’m so glad to hear it, Jenny! That makes me super happy. Enjoy the cake!
Would like to just use this on a 13×9. Since I’m not frosting a traditional cake, do I need to let it harden up? Would drippier work better in this case?
If it hardens too much, you won’t be able to use it. Frost it drippier and let it set! Hope it works for you!