Dark Chocolate Icing

Aug 24, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Baking Frostings fillings toppings Origin: Ugandan Vanilla: Extract Easy

Bundt cake drizzled with dark chocolate icing

A quick dark chocolate icing for drizzling over cakes, scones, and cookies. Best with Ugandan vanilla (bold, chocolatey, smoky); any pure vanilla works. Makes about 3/4 cup; enough to drizzle a 10-inch Bundt cake or 24 cookies.

Prep 5 min

Cook —

Set 20 min

Total 25 min

Servings 12

Diet —

Ingredients

Adjust yield

servings

2.0 cups (240.0 g)confectioners' sugar, sifted
2.0 oz (57.0 g)dark chocolate, melted and cooled to lukewarm
1 ½ tbsp (22.0 ml)water, plus more as needed
⅛ tspfine sea salt
1.0 tsp (5.0 ml)VanillaGoods pure vanilla extract

Make it at home

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Instructions

Whisk the confectioners' sugar and salt in a bowl.
Add the water, dark chocolate, and vanilla and whisk until smooth. Adjust with water, 1/2 teaspoon at a time, until the icing falls from the whisk in a thick ribbon.
Drizzle or spread over cooled cakes, scones, cookies, or quick breads. Let set for 15 to 20 minutes.

Tips

Vanilla swap: use vanilla bean paste 1:1 in place of the extract for visible specks, or the seeds of 1 vanilla bean for each tablespoon of extract.
Best vanilla for this: Ugandan (bold, chocolatey, smoky), or Mexican (spiced, warm, woodsy). Any pure vanilla works.
Storage: Keep leftover icing covered at room temperature for up to 2 days; whisk before using.

Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make dark chocolate icing?

Plan on 5 minutes of prep, plus 20 minutes to set. It makes about 3/4 cup; enough to drizzle a 10-inch Bundt cake or 24 cookies.

How should I store dark chocolate icing?

Keep leftover icing covered at room temperature for up to 2 days; whisk before using.

Can I use a different form of vanilla?

use vanilla bean paste 1:1 in place of the extract for visible specks, or the seeds of 1 vanilla bean for each tablespoon of extract.

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 12 servings this recipe makes.

105 Calories / serving

1.5g Fat

22.9g Carbs

0.2g Protein

21.9g Sugar

Whole recipe (12 servings): ~1260 cal · 18g fat · 275g carbs · 2g protein · 263g sugar

Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.

Per serving · 105 calories

What it takes to burn one serving

Brisk walking 20 min·1.2 mi·~2350 steps
Walking uphill or incline treadmill 14 min·0.7 mi·~1400 steps
Moderate cycling 11 min·2.2 mi
Swimming laps 15 min
Jogging 10 min·0.8 mi·~1600 steps
Stair climbing 10 min·~900 steps
Dancing 17 min
Bodyweight circuit training 11 min
Cleaning, errands, or playing with the dog 24 min

Rough estimates for one serving, based on standard MET values at about 155 lb. Your own burn depends on body size, effort, and fitness. Shown for context only — food is not something you have to earn.

Made with VanillaGoods

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