Chocolate and Butter Icing

Ingredients

• 25g (1oz) Bournville cocoa
  
• 60ml (3 Tbs) boiling water
  
• 175g (6oz) butter or soft margarine
  
• 250-350g (9-12oz) icing sugar, sifted
• Flavouring (optional)

Method

1. Dissolve the cocoa in the boiling water, making a paste. Cream the fat to soften it, then add the icing sugar and beat really well until the mixture becomes pale in colour and light in texture. (An electric mixer is helpful). Mix in the cooled cocoa.
2. Additional flavouring of vanilla or peppermint essence, dissolved instant coffee or the finely grated rind of half an orange may be added.
3. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator or freezer. The quantity of butter icing given in the recipes refers to the weight of butter and sugar added together.
4. This recipe makes enough butter icing to fill and decorate a 20cm (8 inch) sponge cake.

Plain Butter Icing - Used For Halloween Magic
Omit the Bournville Cocoa and make as above, adding a few drops of vanilla essence.

Add grated lemon rind and a little juice instead of the vanilla essence to make lemon butter icing.