The simplest and most wonderful recipe for chocolate frosting.
| 3 | cups | ChocolateSolid, semisweet or bittersweet preferred, or a combination of the two |
| 2 | cups | Heavy CreamWhipping cream may be substituted |
| 1 | I have used both bar chocolate and morsels. If using bar chocolate, you would use one pound of chocolate to a pint of heavy cream. With a bar, it is necessary to chop it into small pieces, not more than an inch or so. Sour cream may also be used, in total or for just a portion of the cream. Sour cream gives the frosting a little tang, preferred by some. The full recipe makes enough to fill and frost an eight inch two layer cake. |
| 2 | For a smaller recipe amount, use two thirds cup cream to one cup of morsels. This would make enough for a cake filling. |
| 3 | In a heavy bottomed saucepan on very low heat, let the cream warm just to the point you begin to notice some steam. At that point add the chocolate, and mix gently and constantly, until the chocolate is melted, and the mixture is smooth. |
| 4 | Remove the mixture from the heat. Let it cool without any cover, stirring it every ten to fifteen minutes. If left at room temperature, it will take quite a while to cool, at least an hour, depending on the temperature of the room. When it gets to the point that it's spreadable, you should frost the cake immediately. That's when the frosting will adhere best to the cake. As the frosted cake sits, the frosting continues to stiffen some. |
| 5 | If you decide to cool the frosting in the refrigerator, or over a larger bowl containing ice, stir the mixture more frequently and monitor it more often for consistency. |
| 6 | On the chocolate, do use a good quality. That doesn't necessarily mean that it has to be expensive. Trader Joe's, available throughout the United States, carries a very reasonable and tasty choice for semisweet chocolate morsels. Use your tastebuds as a good guide. |