Chocolate Glaze Recipe for Cakes and Desserts

Name: Chocolate Glaze
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons butter; 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate (chopped); 1 cup confectioners' sugar; 2 tablespoons boiling water

Prep: 5 mins

Cook: 5 mins

Total: 10 mins

Servings: 16 servings

Yield: 1 jar

216 ratings

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
62	Calories
3g	Fat
8g	Carbs
1g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 16
Amount per serving
Calories	62
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 3g	4%
Saturated Fat 2g	10%
Cholesterol 4mg	1%
Sodium 1mg	0%
Total Carbohydrate 8g	3%
Dietary Fiber 1g	2%
Total Sugars 7g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 0mg	0%
Calcium 4mg	0%
Iron 1mg	3%
Potassium 30mg	1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Use this delicious chocolate glaze on a wide range of desserts. It's a perfect addition to brownies, cakes, slices of pound cake, plain butter cookies, bars, and doughnuts. Preparing it from scratch allows you to make it thin enough to drizzle over a dessert or thicken it with extra confectioners' sugar for a more substantial coating.

This recipe will make enough chocolate glaze to drizzle over a loaf cake or Bundt cake, and it is easily doubled. If you are looking for a thin chocolate icing or glaze that will become firm, not sticky, this is an excellent choice. As it cools, the icing sets to make a perfect coating.

You may know confectioners' sugar as powdered sugar or icing sugar. If you don't have any handy, it's possible to make your own from granulated sugar using your blender or food processor.

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"This recipe makes it simple to create a delicious, chocolate-y glaze for topping cakes, brownies, or doughnuts. Once your chocolate melts, add hot water to thin to your desired consistency, or add more confectioners' sugar to make it thicker. Either way, it’s a luscious chocolate glaze." —Tracy Wilk

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons boiling water

Gather the ingredients.

The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga
Combine the butter and chocolate in a saucepan over low heat and stir until melted. (Be careful not to overheat the chocolate as it could seize.) Alternatively, put the chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on medium for about 1 minute. Stir and continue to heat for about 15 seconds at a time, stirring between intervals, until the chocolate and butter are melted and smooth.

The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga
Sift the confectioners' sugar into a small bowl.

The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga
Stir the sifted confectioners' sugar into the melted butter and chocolate. Beat the mixture, adding small amounts of boiling water until thinned as desired. If you happen to find it too thin, add a little more powdered sugar. If too thick, add more hot water.

The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga
Slowly drizzle the chocolate glaze from the pot or bowl over your cooled, finish baked good. If desired, use a spatula to evenly distribute. How long the glaze will take to harden will depend on both the temperature of the glaze and the room. Once cool, it will harden.

The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

Tips

Use immediately and enjoy. If the glaze stands too long before use, it will thicken. Keep it covered with plastic wrap if you are not using it immediately. If it thickens, put it over the heat to thin it out again.
To be on the safe side, you can melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl using a double boiler set up. Once melted, proceed with adding the sugar and then the boiling water to the bowl.
If you have to cover a frosted cake and don't have a cake cover or carrier, insert toothpicks in the top and sides of the cake, spacing them about 4 to 5 inches apart. Place a few sheets of plastic wrap or foil over the cake, tucking the ends under the plate to cover it completely.
To freeze frosted cookies or bars, arrange them on a baking sheet in a single layer; freeze and then transfer them to a storage container. Label and freeze the cookies for up to three months.
A white film on unsweetened chocolate is called "fat bloom." It is caused by temperature fluctuation and is perfectly fine to use in recipes.

Recipe Variations

For a no-cook version, you can use cocoa powder and substitute milk for the boiling water. Keep the ratio of powdered sugar to cocoa powder at 3-to-1. Butter is not needed with this version.
Garnish the glazed dessert with colored sugar or sprinkles before the glaze hardens to keep them from rolling off.
Add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of mint extract for a chocolate mint glaze and then sprinkle the glazed cake or dessert with chopped peppermint candies, if desired.
For some mocha flavor, add about 1 teaspoon of espresso powder or instant coffee granules.

Why Is the Chocolate Glaze Not Hardening?

If your chocolate glaze is not hardening, double-check that you added the correct proportion of ingredients. After letting it cool, you may place the glazed baked good in the fridge to further set up.

What's the Difference Between Chocolate Glaze and Ganache?

Ganache is made with chocolate and cream and sometimes includes butter and eggs. Though equally delicious, ganache is a little different than a chocolate glaze. While a glaze will set up and harden, a "firm" ganache will remain a thick paste at room temperature and only harden when refrigerated. There is also a "soft" ganache that's popularly used for filling pastries and cakes.

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