This recipe makes about 1 pint of icing. If you are making Grandma's Chocolate Cake, this is the perfect icing with which you should top it off! Of course, this may be used with any other cake, but be warned, if you use pre-made cake mix, the icing will put it to shame. One batch of icing will easily cover 1 8" by 8" cake, top and sides. Multiply the quantities to make as much icing as necessary for larger surfaces and inter-layer fillings.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 oz. (2 squares) unsweetened Baker's chocolate, melted (any brand, but pure cocoa)
• 2 Tbsp. cornstarch (heaping)
• 1 dash of salt
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 pat butter
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

You will also need:

• 2 2-quart saucepan
• 1 thin, metal bowl which seats nicely atop it a saucepan
• 1 flexible spatula
• 1 sturdy woodken spoon

Instructions:

1. The icing can only be applied to the cake once it has cooled, and is best when applied after chilling overnight. If you have the time, make the icing the day before the you bake the cake.

2. Start by melting the baker's chocolate.
3. Add the sugar to the second saucepan.

4. Add the cornstarch and a pinch of salt to the sugar, mix well to ensure even distribution and no lumps. Be generous in your measurement of the cornstarch.
5. Add the melted Baker's chocolate and stir thoroughly with a sturdy spoon.

6. When the mixture is even, add half of boiling water while stirring, and stur until it is homogenous. Add the second half of the water and repeat. The mixture will be very thin.

7. Transfer the pan to medium-low heat, and stir continuously while the mixture cooks and begins to thicken. You will notice the sauce will coat the spoon more and more thickly as you stir. As the mixture reaches pudding consistency, do not stop stirring, and make sure you repeatedly scrape the bottom of the pan, or the mixture will scorch. If in doubt, remove from the heat for a couple of stirrings! When stiff peaks are able to be formed, and the icing stops thickening noticeably, pull the pan off the heat.
8. Add a pat of butter and stir it into the icing (this will make the icing shiny).
9. Add the vanilla extract for extra flavor and stir it in.
10. Let the icing cool near to room temperature, cover surface with plastic wrap or similar to prevent a 'skin' from forming, and place in the refrigerator to chill--overnight, preferably.

Recipe in pictures: