Food & Cooking Recipes Dessert & Treats Recipes Dark Chocolate Frosting 3.4 (233) Close Credit: Bryan Gardner Prep Time: 20 mins Total Time: 30 mins Yield: 5 cups This deep, dark, satiny frosting (thanks to the addition of melted semisweet chocolate) is a favorite of our food editors, since it has just the right consistency for spreading or piping into beautiful swirls. It also has a wonderful sheen. Use it to decorate our Candied Hazelnut Cupcakes or Easy Chocolate Cupcakes. Directions Combine cocoa and the boiling water, stirring until cocoa has dissolved. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter, confectioners' sugar, and salt until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to low. Add melted and cooled chocolate, beating until combined and scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in the cocoa mixture. If not using immediately, frosting can be refrigerated up to 5 days, or frozen up to 1 month, in an airtight container. Before using, bring to room temperature, and beat on low speed until smooth again.