Best Chocolate Icing Ever

This is hands down one of my favourite icing recipes and, dare I say it, the best chocolate icing ever. It’s rich, velvety, perfectly smooth, and makes the most delicious topping for cupcakes or cakes.

I usually pair it with these vanilla cupcakes, which are light, fluffy, and anything but dry. Together, they’re my go-to bake whenever I want to make something that’s guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser. In all the years I’ve been making them, I’ve honestly never had a batch flop.

So if you’re in the mood for something seriously delicious, give these cupcakes and this icing a try, I think you’ll love them as much as I do.

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PS: This icing is just as incredible spread over a cake, too!

INGREDIENTS:

For the cupcakes:

175 g (11⁄4 cups) cake flour

5 ml (1 tsp) baking powder

1 pinch (1⁄4 tsp) salt

125 ml (1⁄2 cup) vegetable oil

200 g (1 cup) sugar

2 large eggs at room temperature

7,5 ml (11⁄2 tsp) vanilla essence

125 ml (1⁄2 cup) room temperature buttermilk

For the icing:

180 g chocolate of your choice, finely chopped – I use half dark and half milk

280 g unsalted butter at room temperature

200 g (11⁄4 cups) icing sugar, sifted

25 g (1⁄4 cup) cocoa powder, sifted

DIRECTIONS:

1. The batter is enough to make 15 exactly, so I bake 12 and
   then pop the tin back in the oven for the last three.
2. Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Line a cupcake tin with
   cupcake liners.
3. To make the cupcake batter, sift together the
   flour, baking powder and salt.
4. In a separate large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat
   the oil and sugar together until nice and creamy.
5. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each
   addition.
6. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the
   vanilla essence and give it a quick mix.
7. Add half the dry ingredients to the mixture and beat
   until combined.
8. Add the buttermilk and mix.
9. Tip in the remaining dry ingredients and beat again
   until combined. Do not overmix!
10. Fill the cupcake liners two-thirds of the way up.
    Don’t overfill them, as you don’t want them rising
    and spilling over the top. Bake until a toothpick
    inserted into the centre comes out clean,
    16–18 minutes. Allow them to cool completely
    before icing.
11. To make the icing, first melt the chocolate, either
    over a pot of simmering water or in the microwave
    in short bursts. Allow the chocolate to cool slightly.
12. Beat together the butter, icing sugar and
    cocoa powder until smooth and creamy. With the
    beater running, add the cooled melted chocolate in
    a thin stream to the buttercream. Beat until glossy
    and smooth, and ready to make your cupcakes
    irresistible.