Rich & Shiny Chocolate Glaze: Perfect for garnishing drip cakes, donuts, or just drizzling over ice cream. Just 4 simple ingredients; so easy you’ll be making it over & over!

Rich, shiny chocolate glaze for drizzling over cakes or topping donuts.

Sometimes you just need a good chocolate glaze recipe.

It’s such a simple thing, but it can really add so much. A tempting drip edge on a Black Forest Cake, a luxurious drizzle on a Marble Bundt Cake, a rich topping on Sour Cream Baked Donuts, or even a way to elevate your favorite Brownies.

You’ll love having this recipe to garnish so many of your favorite desserts. It’s so easy to make, with just 4 simple ingredients, and it’s so shiny, rich, and chocolate-y!

Four ingredients for a basic chocolate glaze,

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What is chocolate glaze?

This is a useful and versatile topping that can be used in all sorts of different ways.

The texture is softer than just melted chocolate, and it has a beautiful sheen that you don’t always get with just ganache.

You can use it to enrobe cakes (such as this Boston cream pie), to glaze your donuts, to create a beautiful drip edge on a layer cake or bundt, or just to drizzle over ice cream or fruit.

What’s great about this chocolate glaze recipe

  1. Tastes great: This glaze is super chocolate-y and just sweet enough!
  2. Few ingredients: You only need 4 pantry staples to make it.
  3. Easy to make: It comes together in 10 minutes or less!
  4. Versatile: You can totally switch things up to make it your own!

What does chocolate glaze taste like?

This topping is very chocolate-forward! If you are a chocolate lover this is definitely for you!

It’s also creamy and a little sweet, with a hint of aromatic vanilla.

Ingredients

Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make this chocolate glaze.

Cream

Heavy whipping cream, aka: double cream, lends a silky richness to this topping and allows the flavors to linger on your palate.

For a dairy-free chocolate glaze, substitute with your favorite plant-based cream product.

Chocolate

Chopped chocolate is best since it doesn’t contain any stabilizers, but premium chocolate chips will work too.

I’ve used semisweet chocolate here, but you could use any kind of chocolate you like.

Corn syrup

Light corn syrup gives this glaze its beautiful shine, and also keeps it pourable and prevents it from seizing up.

Dark corn syrup works equally well!

This is not the same as high-fructose corn syrup, but if you prefer not to use it you can swap in the same amount of agave nectar or brown rice syrup.

Vanilla

Vanilla extract adds a subtly sweet flavor without being at all sugary.

For a more pronounced flavor, try using vanilla bean paste. You could also split a vanilla bean down the center lengthwise, scrape out the seeds, and add those.

Special equipment

Here are the kitchen tools you’re going to need.

How to make chocolate glaze

This chocolate glaze is made with just a few basic ingredients from the pantry. You’ll need chocolate, heavy whipping cream, corn syrup, and vanilla extract. That’s it!

Step 1: Heat the cream

Warm the cream over the stove or in the microwave until it’s steaming.

A small pot of cream simmering gently.

Step 2: Pour it over the chocolate

Pour the hot cream over the chocolate.

Pouring hot cream over chopped chocolate.

You can use chopped chocolate from a bar (like I do in the video below), or premium chocolate chips.

Let that stand for a minute or two, while you add the other ingredients.

Step 3: Add the remaining ingredients

Corn syrup makes this glaze gorgeously shiny, and keeps it pliable (more on that below).

Adding light corn syrup to chocolate glaze.

And vanilla extract just gives it a little flavor boost.

Step 3: Whisk

Whisk everything together until it’s smooth, and glaze away!

Whisking chocolate glaze in a glass bowl.

How to serve it

This chocolate glaze is so versatile. You can use it in lots of different ways. Here are a few ideas:

And those are just a few ideas! Really you can let your imagination run wild.

I’d even love it just drizzled over fruit or ice cream, with a dollop of whipped cream on top!

Whisk chocolate, cream, corn syrup, and vanilla together for a rich, shiny glaze for drizzling on bundt cakes.

Expert tips

Use any kind of chocolate you like

You can adapt this chocolate glaze recipe to suit your own taste. For the pics and video you see here, I used a semi-sweet chocolate that has a rich, full flavor.

But you could easily replace that with milk chocolate or white chocolate. Or with a deep, dark, bitter chocolate like a 70% cacao. I think that would be fantastic drizzled on cookies, with a sprinkling of sea salt!

Drizzling shiny chocolate glaze over a cake with a drip edge.

FAQ’s

Does this chocolate glaze harden?

As the chocolate glaze cools, it does thicken up. But it really won’t become hard at all, so that’s good if you’re using it to top a cake or bars. You’ll still be able to slice through it easily.

If you find your chocolate glaze becoming thick before you’re ready, just warm it back up in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds, and stir. That should keep it nice and workable for you.

Serving size

The nutritional info in the recipe card below is for 1 tablespoon of chocolate glaze.

You should get about 20 servings out of the recipe.

How to store chocolate glaze

This can be left out at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours, or kept in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.

You can also freeze it! Thaw in the fridge and reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave.

An easy recipe for basic chocolate glaze for drizzling on all sorts of desserts.

A few more of my favorite chocolate topping recipes

Rich, shiny chocolate glaze for drizzling over cakes or topping donuts.
4.30 stars (20 ratings)

Chocolate Glaze

Servings: 20 tablespoons (approx.)
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Rich & Shiny Chocolate Glaze: Perfect for garnishing drip cakes, donuts, or just drizzling over ice cream. Just 4 simple ingredients; so easy you'll be making it over & over!
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Ingredients

Instructions
 

  • Place the cream in a small pot over medium low heat, until simmering.
  • Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate (or chips).
  • Add the corn syrup and vanilla.
  • Whisk together until smooth.
  • Drizzle while warm.

Notes

Use this for drip cakes, as a drizzle on a bundt, to top donuts, or to ice brownies:
Serving: 1tablespoon, Calories: 66kcal, Carbohydrates: 6g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0.004g, Cholesterol: 7mg, Sodium: 5mg, Potassium: 38mg, Fiber: 0.5g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 90IU, Vitamin C: 0.04mg, Calcium: 8mg, Iron: 0.4mg
Cuisine: American
Course: Dessert, Topping
Tried this recipe?Mention @bakingamoment on Instagram or tag #bakingamoment.

Author

  • Allie

    Allie is the creator and owner of Baking a Moment. She has been developing, photographing, videographing, and writing and sharing recipes here since 2012.

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