Fudgy Chocolate Frosting

Henry's birthday cake request was chocolate with chocolate frosting. Making chocolate cakes is getting a bit old so I decided to find a new frosting recipe. Sometimes I assume they are all delicious but, really most aren't always tasty or even chocolate-y. Then there are the fabulous ones that more often than not take a lot of time and include pounds of costly ingredients. Too much money and labor for a child's birthday cake, can be a bummer, no matter how much you love them. Let's not even mention scraping piles of frosting off plates at the party's end that makes your stomach turn.

Always in search of something delicious, I wanted to find "the" chocolate frosting. I checked out many of my baking books but, Flo Braker came through for me. Her book, Baking For All Occasions, is full of great recipes that are just a bit different.

Here it is, the "go to" perfect party frosting. Ideal for little people, divine for big people, inexpensive and made so quickly that if it's left in a pile on an abandon plate, you don't feel sick.

Fudgy Chocolate Filling and Frosting
modified just a bit

4 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
3 3/4 cups (1#) powdered sugar
1/8 t. salt
4 oz. butter, softened
1/2 cup whole milk
2 t. vanilla extract (I used Mexican)
*a bit of espresso powdered would be a great addition, too.

In the top of a double boiler over low heat place unsweetened chocolate. Let the chocolate melt very slowly until creamy and smooth. Remove from the water bath. Set aside until cool yet still creamy smooth.

In a food processor, combine the sugar, salt, and butter and pulse just until mixed. Pour in the milk (with espresso powdered added and well dissolved, if using) and vanilla then process until smooth. Add the melted chocolate and process again until well blended, smooth, and creamy.

Voila!

If not assembling a cake right away, pour the frosting into a small, sturdy container and set aside at room temperature for a few hours, it will thicken. May be refrigerated up to 5 days. To use, remover from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature until it has a spreading consistency, 1 to 1 1/4 hours.

You should have 2 1/2 cups, enough to fill and frost 2) 8" or 9" cakes