Old-Fashioned Boiled Chocolate Icing Recipe
Sugar, cocoa, milk and butter, boiled for one minute and beaten until it sets into a soft fudge layer with a crackly top.
- 1-minute boil
- Cocoa only
- Small batch option
- No thermometer
This boiled icing recipe is the old-fashioned cooked chocolate kind: one minute at a rolling boil, a few minutes of beating, then poured over the cake while it is warm.
Quick answer
For boiled chocolate icing, stir 2 cups sugar, ⅓ cup cocoa, ½ cup milk and ½ cup butter over medium heat until melted. Bring to a full rolling boil and boil exactly 1 minute. Off the heat, add vanilla and beat 2 to 5 minutes until it thickens, then pour over the cake.
Glossy when poured, fudgy when set.
What Is Boiled Chocolate Icing?
Cooked, not creamed
The sugar dissolves in a short boil instead of being beaten into butter.
Sets like soft fudge
A thin crackly shell over a fudgy layer.
Pantry ingredients
Cocoa, sugar, milk and butter. No chocolate bar, no powdered sugar.
Made in the pan
Poured over the cake in its pan, the classic sheet-cake way.
Ingredients
Sugar, cocoa, milk and butter.
| Ingredient | Why | Swap |
|---|---|---|
| IngredientGranulated sugar | WhyBody and the fudge set | SwapNone for this version |
| IngredientCocoa powder | WhyAll of the chocolate flavor | SwapDutch-process for a darker, milder icing |
| IngredientWhole milk | WhyDissolves the sugar | SwapEvaporated milk for extra richness |
| IngredientButter | WhyGloss and a soft bite | SwapSalted butter; skip the salt |
| IngredientVanilla | WhyRounds out the cocoa | SwapAlcohol-free vanilla or vanilla bean paste |
Boiled Chocolate Icing Recipe
The card is set for one 9×13 cake. Tap 8×8 for a small batch.
Old-Fashioned Boiled Chocolate Icing
Cooked cocoa icing that sets soft and fudgy. Tap a size and every amount updates.
Frosts
Ingredients
Boiled chocolate icing
- 1 cup2 cups3 cups4 cups granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp + 2 tsp⅓ cup½ cup⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ cup½ cup¾ cup1 cup whole milk
- ¼ cup½ cup (1 stick)¾ cup1 cup unsalted butter
- pinch⅛ tsp¼ tsp¼ tsp fine salt
- ½ tsp1 tsp1½ tsp2 tsp pure vanilla extract, alcohol-free
Have the cake ready. This icing sets within minutes, so pour it the moment it thickens.
Instructions
Combine
Put the sugar, cocoa, milk, butter and salt in a heavy saucepan and stir over medium heat until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves.
Boil 1 minute
Bring to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down, then boil exactly 1 minute without stirring.
Add vanilla
Take the pan off the heat and stir in the vanilla.
Beat until it thickens
Beat with a wooden spoon or a hand mixer on low for 2 to 5 minutes, until the icing turns thicker, slightly less glossy and starts to hold a trail.
Pour at once
Pour over the cooled cake right away and spread quickly; it sets within minutes into a soft fudge layer with a thin shell.
Tools for Boiled Icing
A heavy pan, a timer and a quick spatula.
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The 1-Minute Boil, Step by Step
Start the timer when the bubbles cannot be stirred down.
| Stage | What it looks like | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| StageMelting | What it looks likeButter melting into dark syrup | What to doStir until the sugar dissolves |
| StageSimmer | What it looks likeSmall bubbles at the edges | What to doKeep stirring gently |
| StageRolling boil | What it looks likeBig bubbles over the whole surface | What to doStop stirring, start the 1-minute timer |
| StageAfter 1 minute | What it looks likeGlossy and loose | What to doOff the heat, add vanilla |
| StageBeaten | What it looks likeThicker, slightly matte, holds a trail | What to doPour over the cake at once |
Troubleshooting Boiled Icing
| Problem | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| ProblemGrainy | CauseBoiled too long, or stirred during the boil | FixTime the boil; wipe the pan sides with a wet brush |
| ProblemRunny, will not set | CauseUnder-boiled or under-beaten | FixBeat longer, or reboil 30 seconds |
| ProblemSet in the pan | CauseBeaten too long before pouring | FixWarm with 1 to 2 tbsp milk, stirring |
| ProblemDull and hard | CauseBoiled well past 1 minute | FixNext time, boil 1 minute only |
| ProblemToo sweet | CauseMild cocoa | FixUse a pinch more salt and dark cocoa |
Quick Pour-Over and Flavored Versions
Tap one:
Quick Pour-Over (Powdered Sugar)
Boil ½ cup butter, ¼ cup milk and 3 tbsp cocoa, then off the heat whisk in 2 cups sifted powdered sugar, 1 tsp alcohol-free vanilla and ⅛ tsp salt. Pour over a warm cake in its pan.
Mocha
Add 1 tsp instant espresso powder with the cocoa for a deeper chocolate flavor.
Chocolate Peanut Butter
Stir ¼ cup creamy peanut butter in with the vanilla.
Chocolate Pecan
Fold in ¾ cup toasted chopped pecans just before pouring.
Extra Dark
Use ½ cup Dutch-process cocoa and a pinch more salt.
Coconut
Swap the milk for canned coconut milk and sprinkle toasted coconut on top.
White Boiled Icing (Seven-Minute Style)
Glossy peaks that hold their shape.
The other classic boiled icing is white: a hot sugar syrup beaten into egg whites until fluffy. It makes about 4 cups, enough for the top of a 9×13 cake or a lightly frosted 8-inch layer cake.
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| IngredientGranulated sugar | Amount1 cup |
| IngredientWater | Amount⅓ cup |
| IngredientCream of tartar | Amount¼ tsp |
| IngredientLarge egg whites, room temperature | Amount2 |
| IngredientSalt | AmountPinch |
| IngredientAlcohol-free vanilla | Amount1 tsp |
Cook the syrup
Stir sugar, water and cream of tartar over medium heat until dissolved, then stop stirring and cook to 240°F, the soft-ball stage.
Whip the whites
While the syrup heats, beat the whites and salt to soft peaks.
Stream in the syrup
With the mixer on medium-high, pour the hot syrup in a thin stream down the side of the bowl.
Beat until glossy
Beat on high 5 to 7 minutes until thick, white and holding tall peaks; add the vanilla in the last minute.
Frost right away
Spread at once, swirling into peaks. A kitchen torch toasts the tips if you like.
Storage
| Icing | Room temperature | Fridge | Freezer |
|---|---|---|---|
| IcingBoiled chocolate icing | Room temperatureUp to 3 days, loosely covered | FridgeUp to 5 days | FreezerFrosted cake, up to 1 month |
| IcingQuick pour-over | Room temperatureUp to 3 days | FridgeUp to 5 days | FreezerUp to 1 month |
| IcingWhite boiled icing | Room temperatureBest within 24 hours | Fridge1 to 2 days; may weep | FreezerNot recommended |
Boiled Icing Recipe: FAQs
What is boiled chocolate icing?
An old-fashioned cooked icing: sugar, cocoa, milk and butter boiled for 1 minute, then beaten until it thickens. It sets into a soft fudge layer with a thin crackly top.
How long do you boil chocolate icing?
Exactly 1 minute after it reaches a full rolling boil. Less and it stays runny; much more and it turns grainy and hard.
Why is my boiled chocolate icing grainy?
It boiled too long, was stirred while boiling, or sugar crystals on the pan sides fell back in. Wipe the sides with a wet pastry brush and time the boil.
Why won’t my boiled icing set?
It was not boiled long enough or not beaten long enough. Beat a few minutes more; if it still runs, return it to a boil for 30 seconds and beat again.
My icing set in the pan. Can I fix it?
Yes. Add 1 to 2 tbsp milk and warm it gently, stirring, until it is pourable again.
How do you make a small batch of boiled chocolate icing with cocoa?
Tap the 8×8 size on the card: 1 cup sugar, 2 tbsp plus 2 tsp cocoa, ¼ cup milk and ¼ cup butter. Boil 1 minute and beat as usual.
Can you make boiled chocolate frosting with powdered sugar?
Yes, that is the quick version: boil butter, milk and cocoa, then whisk in powdered sugar off the heat. It pours like a glaze and needs no timing.
Is boiled icing the same as fudge frosting?
Very close. Boiled chocolate icing is cooked for a short time, so it stays softer than fudge and spreads while warm.
What is white boiled icing?
A cooked meringue frosting: sugar syrup heated to 240°F and beaten into egg whites. It is also called seven-minute frosting or seafoam icing.
Do you need a candy thermometer?
Not for the chocolate icing, which is timed. For white boiled icing, a thermometer is the reliable way to reach 240°F; the cold-water soft-ball test works in a pinch.
What cake goes with boiled chocolate icing?
Chocolate or yellow sheet cake, banana cake, white cake and brownies. It is at its best poured over a cake still in its 9×13 pan.
How do you store a cake with boiled icing?
Loosely covered at room temperature up to 3 days for the chocolate icing. White boiled icing is best within 24 hours.
Can you freeze it?
A cake with boiled chocolate icing freezes well, wrapped, for up to 1 month. White boiled icing does not freeze well.
More Frostings and Icings
Glazes, whipped and piped.
One minute at a rolling boil, then pour.
Pin this boiled icing recipe for the next sheet cake.