Fudge Icing Recipe

156 Comments

4.89 from 35 votes
Jump to Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Fudge Icing goes perfectly on so many desserts. Get this heirloom fudge icing recipe that is sure to become a family favorite

Fudge Icing Recipe | ยฉaddapinch.com

For as long as I remember, this Fudge Icing has been a special part of my Grandmother Verdie’s recipe collection. She’d make it each year to top my sister’s Chocolate Pound Cake Grandmother would make her for her birthday.

While the Chocolate Pound Cake was just delicious on its own, it didn’t hold a candle to when it was topped with her fudge icing.

Mercy!

Maybe that’s why I have this obsession with chocolate.

Fudge Icing Recipe | ยฉaddapinch.com

I will tell you though, this fudge icing is thick and rich – and heavenly! I make it while the chocolate pound cake is cooling and then begin pouring  the fudge icing over the top once it is ready. By the end, I do end up having to just spoon bits of the fudge icing onto the cake it gets so thick.

Chocolate Pound Cake Recipe | ยฉaddapinch.com

Be sure to make this cake WITH the fudge icing soon. It is perfect for celebrations, reunions, picnics, taking on camping trips and just about anything else you can imagine.

Oh yeah – and it works like a charm for those instances when one child is jealous of another’s birthday party.

Believe me, I speak from experience.

How to Make Fudge Icing

  • Stir together sugar, cocoa powder, and milk together in a large saucepan set over medium-high heat. Cook until large bubbles begin to form and the mixture reaches a hard boil.
  • Boil for 1 minute at a hard boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and vanilla extract. Beat with a wooden spoon until thick and smooth.
  • Pour over the cake. The fudge icing will firm as it cools.

This Fudge Icing also works perfectly on so many other desserts! Here are just a few ideas:

Practically just about anything you would use a ganache on, you can now use this fudge icing recipe. You won’t be sorry!

Here’s Grandmother’s Fudge Icing Recipe. I hope you love it as much as we do!

Fudge Icing Recipe

4.89 from 35 votes
Fudge Icing goes perfectly on so many desserts. Get this heirloom fudge icing recipe that is sure to become a family favorite.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 12

Ingredients

  • 2 cups (396 g) granulated sugar
  • 3 heaping tablespoons (16 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2/3 cup (151 g) whole milk
  • 1/2 cup (113 g) butter, (1 stick) salted, cubed
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons (7 g) vanilla extract

Instructions 

  • Mix sugar, cocoa powder, and milk together in a large saucepan.
  • Cook over medium-high heat until large bubbles form and reaches a hard boil. Boil one minute at a hard boil. Remove from heat and add butter and vanilla.
  • Beat with a wooden spoon until thick and smooth.
  • Pour over cake. It will harden as it cools.

Notes

This icing hardens quickly. I prefer to use it as a poured icing as photographed or poured onto a sheet cake. I would not recommend using it as a spreadable frosting on a layered cake.

Nutrition

Calories: 207kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 74mg | Potassium: 25mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 34g | Vitamin A: 258IU | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Enjoy!
Robyn xo

Welcome to Add A Pinch

About Robyn

Robyn Stone is a cookbook author, wife, mom, and passionate home cook. Her tested and trusted recipes give readers the confidence to cook recipes the whole family will love. Robyn has been featured on Food Network, People, Southern Living, and more.

4.89 from 35 votes (3 ratings without comment)

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Review




156 Comments

  1. Brenda Golden Spinks says:

    I need the chocolate pound cake recipe that goes with the fudge recipe here

    1. Robyn Stone says:

      Brenda, it is my Chocolate Pound Cake Recipe. I hope you enjoy!

  2. Louann I Samuelson says:

    My mom always told me to beat the fudge with the wooden spoon until the surface of the fudge looses its shiny appearance and looks dull. Then it is ready to pour. I hope this tip is helpful.

    1. Robyn Stone says:

      Thanks, Louann!

    2. Elizabeth Hartegan says:

      Interesting recipes.

  3. Barbara says:

    Iโ€™ve read all the wonderful reviews but I must say this is a disaster for me so far. As one review that I read mine is also like soup and I cannot bring myself to pour this thin liquid on my pan of brownies, the only pan of brownies that I have, that I have promised to take to a friend tomorrow. Right now I am letting it sit to see if it hardens someone before I pour it down the sink. I was looking for an icing that would get hard enough that when people would pick up the brownie they didnโ€™t have gooey icing all over their fingers. So far I am not happy with the consistency that I have gotten. And yes I did follow the recipe exactly. So sorry to leave a bad review but I wonder if there are others who have had the same experience and just arenโ€™t saying anything

    1. Robyn Stone says:

      Barbara, this icing recipe should come to a hard, rolling boil and then cook for one minute. It should not be really soupy but won’t be really thick when you take it off the heat. Once you start stirring, it should start thickening fairly quickly. It won’t look like most thick frostings. After it starts thickening, pour it onto your cake or brownies. It sounds like it didn’t cook long enough if it is still soup.

  4. Patricia Driver says:

    I made this with Lactaid whole milk. Not setting, is this the reason? After adding butter and vanilla, can I re-boil it?

    1. Robyn Stone says:

      This icing is one that is poured onto your cake. It should get thick and smooth (like mentioned in the recipe) and it should harden after itโ€™s poured onto the cake. This icing is a different consistency than many other frostings. I don’t think the Lactaid milk would make a difference. If you need to heat it more to thicken, you can even after the butter and vanilla have been added. Hope this helps

  5. Cecilia says:

    Hi Robyn,
    Can I use unsalted butter? Thatโ€™s all I have on hand right now.

    1. Robyn Stone says:

      You can use unsalted butter, Cecilia.

  6. Tammy Bean says:

    Great recipe.

    1. Robyn Stone says:

      Thanks, Tammy. So glad you like it.

  7. Stephanie K says:

    What temp is a โ€œhard boilโ€? The same as a rolling boil or hard crack stage in candy making? My apologies for being a nuisance beginner, but I saw this question asked a while back and did not see it addressed. It looks to be an important part of this delicious recipe, though. Thanks in advance for any help you can give.

    1. Robyn Stone says:

      Stephanie, a hard boil is the same as a rolling boil. The entire surface will be bubbling at a rapid rate. The temp should be 212ยบF. Hope this helps.

  8. Lesley A Day says:

    Hello Robyn,

    I am trying to make some cookies from my childhood that have a “fudge like” icing on them. I was wondering if you think this would pipe through a piping bag if I let it cool a bit?

    1. Robyn Stone says:

      Lesley, this icing hardens pretty quickly so I don’t think you could pipe it through a piping bag.

  9. Gigi says:

    sound like my grandmas

  10. SweetBabu says:

    Could this be used as a filling for cookies?ย 

    1. Robyn Stone says:

      I’ve never tried to use this as a filling for cookies, SweetBabu. You would just have to try it to see if it worked but would need to work fast since it hardens pretty quickly. Thanks!