Super-Simple Chocolate Frosting

Hi, my name is Anita. I love bread baking, especially sourdough breads, cheese making and cooking from scratch. My favorite cuisines are French and Asian. Most recipes here are in English; some are in Dutch. If one is to your liking, let me know: I will be glad to translate.

A great chocolate frosting should taste intensely of chocolate, be easy to put together, spread smoothly over a tender cake without tearing it, and hold its shape when piped through a pastry bag. This frosting has all of those characteristics. We made it with both natural and Dutch-process cocoa, and the natural cocoa was the hands-down winner for flavor.

PREP 25 mins.
TOTAL 40 mins.

1 ¾ cups (149g) unsweetened cocoa, Dutch-process or natural

3 ½ cups (397g) confectioners' sugar, divided

1 teaspoon espresso powder, optional, for enhanced chocolate flavor

1 cup (227g) heavy cream, at room temperature

16 tablespoons (227g) unsalted butter, softened

⅛ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons King Arthur Pure Vanilla Extract

Directions at kingarthurbaking.com

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