Cupcake icing

Cafe Society
1

I need a recipe that can give me cupcake icing like on a Hostess cupcake. You know, hard enough to not stick to my fingers when I touch it, but not hard enough to chip a tooth, or anything like that.
Can anyone here help?
Thanks,
greatshakes

2

A ganache would probably work – you might have to fiddle with the amount of chocolate a little to get the perfect consistency. Here’s a good one:

Valrhona Ganache

6 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
2 3.5 ounce packages of 71% cacao valrhona chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla
  1. Melt the chocolate and half the butter over a double boiler.
  2. Remove from heat and stir in remaining butter and vanilla.
  3. Allow to cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Watch it though, as the ganache will start to thicken and you want to pour it before that point.

And here’s another:

6 ounces good semisweet chocolate chips
6 tablespoons heavy cream
3/4 teaspoon instant coffee granules

For the ganache, melt the chocolate, heavy cream, and coffee in the top of a double boiler over simmering water until smooth and warm, stirring occasionally. Drizzle over the top of cooled cake.

Good luck!

3

If you want a cupcake icing that “hardens”, try cream cheese icing – cream cheese mixed with confectioner’s sugar to taste *, possibly with a dab of vanilla.

*This means a LOT of sugar.

4

I learned this unusual recipe in a cake decorating class years ago. Because it has some cake flour in it, it forms a thin outer shell that isn’t tacky to the touch but the icing beneath the ‘shell’ remains soft. It also doesn’t need to be refrigerated unless you plan to keep it around a couple of months or unless you substitute butter for the shortening. Upon reading the recipe, it doesn’t sound very tasty but I’ve quite a few compliments on it over the years.

3/4 c. cake flour
1 c. butter flavor shortening (Crisco)
3/4 c. water
1 t. vanilla extract (or desired flavoring)
dash of salt
2 lb. bag confectioners sugar

Cream shortening and cake flour until thoroughly mixed. Add water, flavoring and confectioners sugar - stir until just combined and then beat at high speed with a mixer until light and fluffy.

5

Martha had a guest on once who made the most delicious tasting frosting I’ve ever had. I’m sure you could fiddle a bit with the liquid, to get something a bit stiffer but this icing is like a giant melted chocolate chip.
Mrs. Milman’s Chocolate Frosting

I love to put it on my chocolate cupcakes. It holds it’s shape very well, but does tend to get a lil gooey in the heat. The icing freezes very well. So I pipe the cupcakes out, freeze and transport.