Fudge Icing Recipe
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Fudge Icing goes perfectly on so many desserts. Get this heirloom fudge icing recipe that is sure to become a family favorite
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.
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.
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
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
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
Pam, I another sure what altitude or elevation you or Robyn live.
I am from Georgia. and when we looked up soft ball stage. it says 234⁰ to 240⁰.
I am in the mountains s of New Mexico, now, at 7800′. I just made fudge icing to ight, and looked up high altitude directions. li said to take off 2⁰ for every 1000 ft of elevation. that put my “soft ball” stage at 218ish⁰. I notice Robyn said 213⁰. you
If you are at a lower elevation, you may need to cookit to a higher temperature.
Marzee, the 212ºF temperature is for the hard boil stage the icing reaches then you continue the hard boil for one full minute. You don’t let it get to the soft ball stage.
I’ve tried this recipe multiple times and all I ever get is chocolate soup. It NEVER sets up. I do everything the recipe says except for beating it with a wooden spoon. I don’t have one. It tastes great but I would love for it to be icing. Does anyone else have this problem?
Pam, this icing recipe should come to a hard, rolling boil and then cook for one minute. The temp should be 212ºF. 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. 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 it’s poured onto the cake. This icing is a different consistency than many other frostings.
Also, if you used a metal spoon to stir the icing, it would contribute it to being soupy. The metal cools the icing more rapidly than a wooden spoon and could cause the icing to become too cool and not thicken like it should.
I don’t think I’ve ever commented on a recipe before… but, I have to today. I made a homemade banana cake and wanted something besides buttercream to put on top. This was so easy, and definitely brought on the nostalgia. I don’t think I’ve had icing like this since I was a child! Thank you for sharing.. my daughters have a new fave for our own recipe binder.
Misty, thanks so much for telling us how much you loved this icing recipe. This recipe was one of my grandmother’s that my family has enjoyed for years. I’m thrilled that your daughters now have a new favorite!
I rarely leave comments on recipes, but I had to with this one. If you follow the recipe, it works out beautifully! You know you’ve boiled it long enough when you start to feel a little drag on the wooden spoon when stirring. After you stir in your butter and vanilla, have patience. If you think it’s messed up, don’t worry, just keep stirring. It will start to cool before it starts to get really thick. It should still be a portable consistency when it’s ready for your cake. It’s beautiful and delicious. Thank you for the recipe.
Thanks so much for your tips on making this fudge icing, Mesa. I’m so glad this recipe works so well for you.
Can I freeze cake with fudge icing?
Julie,I never refrigerate this frosting or freeze this icing. The cake should be fine under a covered dome for a few days. If you are making ahead, you may want to freeze the cake and make the icing later.