BellaOnline Forums Food and Wine Home Cooking Need help with Chocolate Icing

I was trying to make a chocolate frosting that hardens slightly upon cooling. Here is the recipie:

2 squares unsweetened chocolate
2 tsp Karo syrup
2 tsp vanilla
4 tbsp butter
1 � cup powdered sugar
3 tsp milk
Melt while stirring until all butter and chocolate is melted and a smooth consistency. Pour/spread.

I melted the butter and chocolate first, then added the Karo, vanilla, milk. Then I added the powdered sugar bit by bit. Before I even began adding the sugar, the mixture became lumpy. Then it began to separate and get really fudge-like and nasty. What did I do wrong? Help!

Is this actually supposed to be a frosting (fluffy, spreadable) or a glaze (to pour on the cake)? If it's a glaze, there are a couple of things that help me. (1) You're doing right to add the sugar a little at a time, but did you sift it? Sifting it as you add it can help eliminate lumps. (2) You may not need as much sugar as the recipe calls for. Just add enough to get the glaze to the desired consistency--thickened, but pourable (not too runny). Pour it over the cake, and let it sit. It should harden somewhat as it sits.

Most glazes can be adjusted somewhat after you combine all the ingredients. If they're too thin, you can add a little more sifted sugar. If they're too thick, you can add a LITTLE more milk. Just do it promptly. You don't want it to sit too long before you try to adjust it.

Try cooking over a lower heat. It sounds like the chocolate might have been overcooked and there's not much you can do once it gets to that point. You could also try adding a bit more butter during the initial melting.