Chocolate cup cake icing ideas?

[NannyR]

I want to make some chocolate cup cakes for my dads birthday this weekend and I've got gold sprinkles and candles etc so I'm envisaging a really rich dark brown chocolatey topping.

Normally I would make a buttercream topping, but whenever I've made chocolate buttercream by adding cocoa it comes out a light brown colour.

Can I just keep adding cocoa until I get the colour I want or will it taste too bitter? Or could I add some melted dark chocolate? (would this separate/curdle?)

Any ideas or recipe suggestions would be gratefully received!!!

You need ganache!

From one nanny to another Vajazzler is right, ganache is whats needed, yummy, do you know how to make it? Dont want to insult you by thinking you dont know how to.

165g plain choc with 65g melted butter. Mix well.

It can be poured over, or whipped with a balloon whisk and piped like a frosting.

came on to suggest an orange cream cheese frosting but realise you want choc.

Damn chocolate.

Damn all the chocolate.

I use the chocolate buttercream recipe from here and it's delicious but not a deep chocolate colour unfortunately. Tastes good though! So I'd second the ganache suggestion.

Ganache would be ideal, if you cool it then whisk it it goes all light and yummy.