Jean, was it CI's Old Fashioned Layer Cake frosting you tried? I remember it as being a PITA to make when I first tested the recipe, but I followed directions and it came out great. I posted it just in case you are interested. Here are my comments about from when I made it: For the frosting I cooked and mixed as told. Put the Kitchen aid bowl on a glass bowl with the entire contents of the ice maker. I don't have the fancy thermometer, just the Polder one. Hardest thing was to not let it touch the bottom of the bowl. Got the temperature down slowly and then wham 68. So I took the ice out ran hot water around the bowl, now I'm at 72, so back in the ice bowl until 70 and finished and frosted the cake. I cut the layers in half and added raspberry preserves mixed with whip cream to the bottom and third layer with the frosting in between. The thing was huge and looked lovely on the inside. The frosting tasted great and looked ok ( frosting beautifully is not my forte anyway) and everyone raved about it. Both Steve and I liked the frosting, not too sweet and I do almost anything not to have to use confectioners sugar, so I loved it.
EXPORTED FROM LIVING COOKBOOK
FLUFFY CHOCOLATE GANACHE FROSTING Servings: 12 Yield: 4 cups
Preparation Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 5 minutes Total Time: 15 minutes
16 oz. semisweet chocolate , finely chopped
8 TBS. unsalted butter (1 stick)
1/3 cup sugar
2 TBS. corn syrup
2 tsp. vanilla extract
¼ tsp. table salt
1¼ cups heavy cream (cold)
MAKE FROSTING:
Melt chocolate in heatproof bowl set over saucepan containing 1" of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth. Remove from heat and set aside. Meanwhile, heat butter in small saucepan over medium-low heat until melted. Increase heat to medium; add sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, and salt and stir with heatproof rubber spatula until sugar is dissolved, 4 to 5 minutes. Add melted chocolate, butter mixture, and cream to clean bowl of standing mixer and stir to thoroughly combine.
Place mixer bowl over ice bath and stir mixture constantly with rubber spatula until frosting is thick and just beginning to harden against sides of bowl, 1 to 2 minutes (frosting should be 70° F.). Place bowl on standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment and beat on medium-high speed until frosting is light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir with rubber spatula until completely smooth.
FROST CAKE:
Place one cake layer on serving platter or cardboard round. Spread 1½ cups frosting evenly across top of cake with spatula. Place second cake layer on top, then spread remaining frosting evenly over top and sides of cake. Cut into slices and serve.
Recipe Type: Chocolate, Cook's Illustrated, Desserts, Fillings, Frosting and Icings
Source: Cook's Illustrated 3/2006
Web Page:
http://www.cooksillustrated.com/recipes ... docid=7534