Chocolate Icing

This is chocolate icing stripped down to the basics. Four ingredients, five minutes of boiling, and you’ve got a glossy, pourable frosting that sets up firm and shiny on a cooled cake. No butter, no powdered sugar, no stand mixer required.

Chocolate gets heated with milk and water until it melts into a smooth liquid, then sugar goes in and the whole thing boils for five minutes. That boiling time matters. Too short and the icing stays runny. Too long and it hardens into candy before you can spread it.

Pour and spread it while it’s still warm but not hot. It thickens as it cools, so work quickly once it’s off the heat.

Kitchen Tips

• Always spread on a completely cold cake. Warm cake melts the icing and it slides right off the sides.
• Stir occasionally during the boil to prevent the sugar from crystallizing on the sides of the pan.
• If the icing gets too thick before you finish spreading, place the pan over low heat for a few seconds to loosen it back up.
• Use cocoa powder if you don’t have baking chocolate. It dissolves more easily into the milk-water mixture.