Cocoa vs Chocolate in Frosting

[TerriL]

Are my negative feelings about cocoa in chocolate frosting unfounded? I always expect the result to be gritty or not very "chocolate-ey", but maybe I am just wrong. Folks on this board seem to recommend the Hershey's recipes an awful lot, most of which call for cocoa rather than chocolate.

I'm on birthday cake duty this week, and am looking for something lighter than a standard ganache but not as fluffy as a buttercream. Basically, that sort of shiny, old-fashioned fudge-y looking frosting, which I assume has to have a little bit of corn syrup in it.

Thanks!

[nickblesch]

I've used both cocoa and chocolate, and I think you'll be pleasantly surprised if you try cocoa. Sure, the appeal of a smooth chocolate ganache can't be denied, but a cocoa-based frosting is great on something kind of old school. Really, I can't imagine hardly anyone being disappointed with a standard yellow cake covered in a cocoa-based frosting.

As for grittiness: think of how much confectioner's sugar you typically put in icing, and how it's basically never grainy - then maybe you won't worry about adding cocoa. :D

[TerriL]

Thanks Nick. Do you have a cocoa-based frosting recipe to recommend?

[chowser]

I think you can get a good chocolatey frosting from cocoa, especially the right type but most recipes seem to be confectioners sugar buttercream w/ some cocoa substitution for the sugar. It's okay but never overwhelming to me. Not gritty, but not overwhelmingly chocolate. There are quite a few forsting recipes with chocolate that I like but this one might fit what you want:

http://www.joyofbaking.com/ChocolateC...

[CocoaNut]

Whether in cake, icing or hot cocoa, try to find a good quality chocolate and by that, I mean one that's high in actual cocoa content. It makes a world of difference in the tasting depth of the end product. You can even find milk choco's that have 30-40% cocoa. Dark's can go upward of 90%, but that high can get pretty bitter.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milk_cho...

[TerriL]

I always use a good quality cocoa (either Chuao, Scharff, or Callebaut), but I just haven't found a recipe I'm happy with. I bake with cocoa all the time, with great results. The worst frosting I've made lately was the Cook's Illustrated Chocolate Sour Cream, which was just dreadful -- sooo one-dimensional. I wasted 12 ounces of good El Rey on that mess.

[CocoaNut]

TL - didn't intend any condescension. I hope you find your perfect icing and when you do! POST IT!

[TerriL]

Hi CN -- I didn't take it that way, but thanks. It's so hard to get the right tone in a forum post -- there's just no context. For all you know, I could be trying to make great frosting using Nestle Quik!

[TrishUntrapped]

While ganache is my go to chocolate icing these days (with a little butter in it to make it shiny), before that I made a very easy chocolate icing that might fit the bill for you:

Easy Chocolate Icing

1 pkg. (6 ounce.) semi-sweet chocolate pieces
1/2 cup light cream
1 cup unsalted butter
pinch salt
2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

1. In a medium saucepan combine chocolate pieces, cream, butter and salt.
2. Stir over medium heat till smooth. Remove from heat.
3. Pour the mixture into a medium sized mixing bowl, and place over a bowl of ice. With a wire whisk, blend in the confectioner's sugar and beat until the frosting holds its shape.

[AMFM]

the hershey's special dark cocoa has a recipe for icing on the back of the box that is AMAZING and easy. really old school. great on yellow or chocolate cake (their cake recipe on the box is also quite good).