Moving completely along though, I'm doing my best to become a whiz in the kitchen. I don't cook every night - probably every other night? But I'm starting to experiment with different things a little more, and I'm like the results. Jase got a slow cooker from my parents for Christmas {such an awesome gift!... for me) & we broke it in last week - it is delightful! We had guests over for the evening yesterday and I whipped it out again - threw in my apricot chicken go-to recipe, and served it up to rave reviews. I even baked a chocolate cake in two layers! All it needed was some frosting. Plain, simple, chocolate frosting.
Unfortunately, this is my kitchen weakness. I cannot make icing. I've tried the simple icing sugar/liquid/cocoa powder ratio. I've followed recipes to make cream cheese frosting. And last night I experimented with a chocolate and sour cream (!) icing - and it STILL went runny. Apparently all of my cakes are meant to look like drowned, chocolate covered space-ship domed blobs. Lucky they still taste good.
So I have the ultimate question for you: How do you make the perfect frosting? Spill the beans!
Ok. I'm no expert, but my (so far) successful chocolate frosting is: 250gm unsalted butter (softened but not soft- I leave it out of the fridge for an hour, but you prob won't need that long in an Oz summer- butter should hold it's shape, but you should be able to beat it). 500gm icing sugar. Beat together. Put a tea towel over the mixing bowl to minimise the icing sugar going everywhere, mix with your hand/beater under the towel. Once it's mixed together and relatively smooth, add cocoa powder. About 60gm, but do it to taste, a little at a time.
ReplyDeleteOnly once that's mixed in should you add any liquid. If you think it's too thick, add milk, a dash at a time. Seriously, half a teaspoon at a time or less- you can always add more, but if it's too runny, you'll have to add a LOT of icing sugar to compensate.
Be patient- it takes a little while to beat the butter and sugar, and adding milk MUST be slow. If the icing starts to get too soft, put it in the fridge for 30mins to harden again.
FINALLY- to get a clean finish on the cake, do it in two layers, after one layer of frosting, put the cake in the fridge for 30mins so the frosting can harden. Then do a second layer- you won't have as many crumbs to deal with.
That was a bit ot an essay, sorry! I used this method lasy week- worked put well, but I should have added a drop or 2 of milk, it was quite hard once it had been in the fridge.
Good luck!
Also- cream cheese frosting is HARD. I managed it last week, but I had to add a LOT more icing sugar than the orignal recipe suggested. I have a friend who bakes too, she has the same prob. You're not alone!
ReplyDeleteGood news is, any frosting with a high fat content freezes well, so if you end up with too much (after adding more icing sugar, for example) it doesn't need to go to waste.
Should point out- jay's bday last week, hence the sudden baking frenzy.
ReplyDeleteThe recipe may not be healthy, but icing generally isn't.
Yes, I feel quite stongly about baking.
Perfect frosting? I buy it in a tub thanks to any of the following... Mrs. Betty Crocker, Mr. Duncan Hines or the Pillsbury Doughboy.
ReplyDeleteIt may not be quite as yummy as good homemade but it's better than bad homemade. And in the time I'm not spending making frosting I can read and comment on a blog post or two. :)
I love using the slow cooker too!! It's so easy but requires planning ahead of time. I should try and use it again this week. :) As for frosting, I always go by the recipe on the back of the bag of store-bought powdered sugar.
ReplyDeleteWaaaait...you made a cake in your slower cooker? I didn't even know that was possible.
ReplyDeleteI made awesome chocolate PB icing once. I've never been able to do it again.
Okay, I know I'm reading this rather late, but I also just started working again, so what little computer time I've had has been spent resetting people's passwords and the like.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, the world's best frosting:
Penuche Frosting
1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 lb. powdered sugar
Combine butter, brown sugar, and milk. Bring to boil on medium heat, stirring constantly, and cook for 2 minutes. Cool to lukewarm. Beat in powdered sugar. If the frosting is too stiff, add a little more milk.