While working my way through grandma’s recipe box I found not one, but two copies of a recipe for Milky Way frosting. They are nearly identical, the only difference being one called for milk while the other called for evaporated milk. When I find two copies of a recipe I have to believe she liked it. It sounded really good (it has a melted candy bar in it), I just needed to come up with something to frost.
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I recently came across a great blog called yesterdish. They collect and archive old hand written recipes saved from estate sales, thrift stores, etc. They had an interesting recipe for scratch brownies so I decided to kill two birds with one stone. I did adjust the old recipe to use vegetable oil in place of shortening, and added a little more cocoa powder.
I’m a little frightened to calculate the nutritional statement on this one. I think it will fall under the “don’t eat this every day” category of delicious but not at all good for you.
Grandma’s Recipes Yesterdish.com brownie recipe The key ingredient
Scratch Brownies with Grandma's Milky Way Frosting
Scratch brownies with a delicious homemade caramel icing.
- 1 Cup sugar
- 1/2 Cup flour
- 5 Tbsp cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 Cup vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 Cups brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp flour
- 7 Tbsp milk (or evaporated milk)
- 3 Tbsp butter or margarine
- 1 Milky Way candy bar, cut into pieces
- 1 tsp vanilla
- Preheat oven to 300° F
- In a large bowl mix sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt oil, eggs and vanilla
- Pour batter into 8×8 or 9×9 baking pan lined with parchment paper. (if you don’t have parchment paper grease the pan well)
- Bake for 30-35 minutes. Brownies are done when a knife or tester placed in the center comes out clean.
- Heat butter and milk in a medium saucepan until butter is melted.
- Add brown sugar and flour, stirring constantly.
- Bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute
- Remove from heat and add pieces of candy bar
- Stir until pieces are dissolved
- Add the vanilla, stir until well mixed.
- Pour over brownies and smooth with spatula
- Allow to cool for at least 30 minutes, then cut into squares.
A full batch of this frosting is probably more than you need for a small square pan of brownies. There is certainly enough that you could make a double batch of the brownies in a rectangular baking dish and spread the frosting over the whole batch. This frosting would be be really good on a white cake or spice cake as well.

I am 70yr. old and just found my mothers Milky Way Icing recipe.She had all the ingredients but just said boil and add broken candy bar. Thank you so much for filling in the cooking instructions. I am thankful because I always enjoyed this on her cakes. I have my Black Magic Cake cooling so it’s into the kitchen I go. Thank you again!!
Rebecca – I’m happy to share. Many of my recipes are full of warm family memories. I don’t have a recipe for black magic cake though – I might need to borrow that 😉