Glossy Dark Chocolate Frosting

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup tap water
• 1/4 cup (1/2 a stick) of margarine
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Get out a two quart sized saucepan. In it, combine the sugar, cocoa, cornstarch and salt. Mix this up nicely. Then gradually stir in the tap water. Cook and stir the mixture over medium heat until it boils. You don't have to stir it constantly, just stir it enough to keep it smooth. When it starts to boil, stir it constantly so it won't scorch on the bottom. Boil it for a full minute. Remove it from the heat and stir in the margarine and vanilla. While it is still hot, pour it over a warm cake and spread it smooth. Allow to cool slightly before slicing and eating.

This makes enough to generously frost the top of a 9" by 13" rectangular cake. The flavor is that of a very deep chocolate. I like this recipe for several reasons. First off, it tastes out of this world, but that is just for starters. I doesn't use powdered sugar, which makes it cheaper than other frostings. It can also be spread on a hot cake, which saves me the cooling time. It sets up almost immediately, producing a very pleasant creamy texture.