Ginas War Frosting - Chocolate
This is a rich, chocolate frosting. We call it war frosting because it has so little butter in it, we assumed it came about during rationings. But then, sugar was rationed too, so I have no idea! This is delicious with a nice chocolate taste and good texture. Dont be afraid of the corn starch; it makes this frosting smooth, not slimy, like it tends to do in sauces. It is best used with a 9 x 13 cake, you can pour it over a warm cake. This is not a good frosting for layer cakes.
This is a rich, chocolate frosting. We call it war frosting because it has so little butter in it, we assumed it came about during rationings. But then, sugar was rationed too, so I have no idea! This is delicious with a nice chocolate taste and good texture. Dont be afraid of the corn starch; it makes this frosting smooth, not slimy, like it tends to do in sauces. It is best used with a 9 x 13 cake, you can pour it over a warm cake. This is not a good frosting for layer cakes.
- Carbohydrate 37.8280120701361 g
- Cholesterol 30.503125013081 mg
- Fat 46.7757318356899 g
- Fiber 10.5099846075614 g
- Protein 20.2110770518814 g
- Saturated Fat 28.9412061514564 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (475g)
- Sodium 74218.5922921579 mg
- Sugar 27.3180274625747 g
- Trans Fat 2.36059855711456 g
- Calories 570 calories
Step-by-step
- Put kettle on to boil water.
- In saucepan, mix sugar and corn starch until well blended and there are no lumps. Add chocolate, butter, vanilla and salt.
- Pour boiling water into saucepan, mix. Warm over medium flame, stirring often and making sure nothing burns to the bottom of the pan. After a few minutes, the chocolate and butter will melt, and the whole thing will look disgusting, seriously, because it will look like water with brown spit in it.
- But then something wonderful happens: the corn starch takes over, and the whole thing magically turns into a smooth chocolatey sauce. Keep stirring until shiny and smooth. The frosting, not you.
- Best part of this frosting, is that you can pour it right from the pan onto your cake. Use this frosting hot/warm, and you don't even have to wait for your cake to cool. Since this frosting doesn't get stiff, this is best used on sheet cakes, not layer cakes.
- Especially good eaten directly from the spoon. Also, double check your chocolate, but it you use Baker's, this is gluten-free!
Cooks often dump dry cornstarch directly into boiling water, resulting in stubborn starch lumps that resist dissolution. Whisk the sugar and cornstarch together thoroughly in a dry saucepan before introducing any liquid. This coats the starch granules in sugar crystals, separating them so they hydrate evenly when boiling water hits the pan.
The Chemical Role of Starch and Fat
Unsweetened chocolate supplies cocoa solids and cocoa butter, while the single tablespoon of butter adds extra dairy fat for mouthfeel. Without sufficient fat to form a traditional emulsion, this recipe relies on gelatinized starch to hold the mixture together. Heat the saucepan over medium flame, stirring constantly with a heat-resistant silicone spatula to prevent scorching at the base. As the temperature approaches a simmer, the cornstarch granules swell and absorb free water, transforming a watery mixture into a glossy, pourable glaze. Apply this frosting directly to a warm sheet cake within fifteen minutes of cooking, as it lacks the high fat content required to set into a rigid crust upon cooling.
- Replace the standard butter with coconut oil at a 1:1 ratio if dairy-free constraints apply.
- Whisk continuously over medium heat to prevent the chocolate solids from burning against the metal bottom.
- Store any leftover frosting in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days.
