It said:To make the icing: melt the broken chocolate with the stout in a bowl set over a pan containing 5cm of barely simmering water, without the bowl touching the water. When it’s melted (5–10 minutes) take it off the heat. Beat in the butter and leave it to cool a little before beating in the icing sugar with an electric hand whisk.I read it twice, because putting anything containing water in with chocolate is a bad idea. It causes seizing. It was definitely correct though so I did it.
Beatng in the butter was OK. As soon as I added the icing sugar, it seized up into a horrible, grainy, mess. I'd used spreadable butter (as stated in the ingredients list). Maybe that was the problem?
I tried again, with ordinary butter, which I'd let soften. I waited longer before adding the icing sugar. Same result. I put it on Bernie the Bosch and beat the c*ap out of it to see if that helped. It was smoother, but still seized up.
I used some to sandwich the two halves of the cake together. There was no way on earth this was going to work as an icing. I looked at the picture of her glossy chocolate icing. I looked at my... my... attempt.
I googled delia chocolate beer cake icing and found someone else had had the same problem.
I felt better knowing I was not alone.
I had no more 70% chocolate in the house. I did have some 51% cocoa nibs, maybe I could use those?
"Can't you use Nutella?" DH asked. We have a ginormous jar as it's a staple of Small Person's pancake breakfasts. "tToo sweet!" I replied, shuddering.
And then I remembered. Tucked at the back of the cupboard..... a jar of posh dark chocolate hazelnut spread. Not Nutella.
I've used that now. I hope it saves the cake.
