Chocolate Butter Glaze

From Baker's Dozen Cookbook. I used this to glaze Rich Chocolate Cake (under my recipe) and the glaze is unbelievably delicious with a shiny finish. Easy to prepare and it's perfect for a cake that does not require refrigeration (suitable for tropical weather such as Singapore). Serve frosted cake at room temperature. Use best quality chocolate for good results (i used Valrhona). The prep time is for the microwave method for preparing the glaze only (glazing cake not included). Yield is 1 1/2 cups which is perfect for a 9 inch cake.

• Ready In: 35 mins
• Serves: 16

Ingredients

• 8  ounces  semisweet chocolate or 8  ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 8  tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
• 1  teaspoon light corn syrup

Directions

1. Combine chocolate, butter and corn syrup in a heatproof medium bowl.
2. Place in a skillet of barely simmering water.
3. Stir frequently, until almost completely melted.
4. Remove bowl from skillet and stir until mixture is smooth.
5. Do not whisk or beat the glaze.
6. Let stand at room temperature without stirring until cooled, thick and spreadable (about 30mins, depending on kitchen temp).
7. You may also use microwave for the melting step (as I did), just mix the ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl.
8. Nuke the mixture at LOW power for approx 20 sec, remove bowl, stir gently.
9. Repeat until chocolate has melted and mixture is smooth.
10. The first layer of glaze- Spread a very thin layer using 1/4 of the glaze over the top and sides of cake (cake must be at room temp).
11. Be sure to smooth rough surfaces and fill in any cracks.
12. Be careful not to get any crumbs into the bowl of glaze.
13. This is the'crumb coat', and it gives the cake a smooth and even undercoat for the final glaze.
14. The final glaze- Rewarm the glaze in microwave/double boiler for a few seconds.
15. Stir gently until smooth.
16. Do not overheat; glaze should be 90F for it to dry to a shiny finish.
17. If necessary, cool to proper temperature.
18. Once the final glaze has been applied, let cake stand at room temp until the glaze sets, about 15mins.
19. NOTE: Do no re-spread glaze once it has set, or it will have marks and dull streaks.