I need a chocolate icing that sets hard and looks dark and glossy...

[Cadelaide]

...and not too thick.

Any tried and tested recipes please?

cmon all you cakebakers...

Cheat?

Dark Chocolate Gananche. Have to do school pick up now but will post recipe when back.

Ganache, rather

Tesco's own brand plain chocolate cake covering sets rock hard. You just melt it in the microwave, spread it on the cake and voila!

yes ganache

or you could just use chocolate?

Melted chocolate would do the trick!

cream and chocolate (equal quantities by weight)

heat the cream until it looks like it just coming to the boil then stir in the chuncks of chocolate until all smooth and glossy...

leave to cool a bit before pouring on.

doesn't go completely hard, but very very yummy!

Thanks all.

I just don't think melted chocolate would be shiny enough. I think I'm after the impossible really, a sort of thin dark glossy glaze that sets hard-ish.

The hardishness is really just so I can transport them without catastrophic icing-splattering incidents in the car.

I think ganache is the way to go.

Hi Orm, haven't seen you about lately. I think you're more of a daytime MNer whereas I generally have an evening habit.

I'm baking 3 kinds of cake, enough for 70 people to have at least one each, for my Mum's 70th bday party. I have a constant low-level simmering panic.

You're a twilight MNer cad

Good luck with the cakes. That's a lot of baking. Do you need any help? I can manage a few if you need a hand.

hmm, would it work if you used melted dark chocolate and added a knob of butter? Chocolate would set hard, and the butter would make it nice and glossy. Om nom nom...

please can I offer up Tesco's cake covering again ? It does sound exactly what you are looking for, honest!

Awwww Orm, you are lovely, but as the DCs will testify I am Mrs Control-Freaky in the kitchen. (It's a very unattractive trait and it's taken me decades to acknowledge it).

I shall buy stuff today, including tesco's offering (thanks notwaving) and experiment.

Weeellll... if you're sure?