How to change this frosting recipe to get a thicker result?

Question

Making chocolate cake and frosting per recipe below from Hershey's recipe. The frosting we made is a bit too liquidy to put on the cake, more like icing. is there a way (or even hack) to make it thicker, short of adding a cup of powdered sugar to cut the ratio of the liquid ingredients?

"PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
2/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency.

Add small amount of additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. About 2 cups frosting.

Answer 1

Cream Cheese.

Whip in as much as you need to...

It won't be perfect Le Cordon Bleu, but it will be pretty good.

Bon Appetit

Answer 2

As with most things, when adding ingredients to correct a problem, do a small test batch and slowly incorporate the ingredients until your desired consistency is achieved. After you've found a ratio that satisfies you, then mix up the whole batch.

Here are my favorite add-ins for frosting thickness:

Dairy Alternatives:

Goat Cheese

Strained sour cream /creme fraiche (strain for 12+ hours; save the whey and use it for making biscuits later!)

Strained super-thick greek yogurt (same note as above)

Cream Cheese (Jolenealaska already suggested, see above)

Powdered milk

Powdered whey protein

Nutella

Dry Pudding Mix

Non-Dairy Alternatives:

Non-dairy Dry Pudding Mix

Peanut Butter/Almond Butter/Sunflower Seed Butter/ etc

• these obviously may change the flavor profile if utilized, especially peanut

Avocado

Strained coconut cream - use a nut milk bag to strain/press out liquid...this can be a pain

Powdered plant protein powders(hemp/soy/pea/bean)

• when using these, be aware that many of them impart a beany/grassy flavor if used in quantity...just depending on what you select

Black Beans

• I use about 1 T of canned beans without added salt when I do this...but I also run it through my Vitamix, so this solution may not be for you unless you have a powerful food processor/blender

Xanthan/Guar/Locust bean/Methylcellulose/Gelatin

• Use these sparingly, on the order of a few grams...these can be difficult to find if you are not in an area with specialty food markets (like Whole Foods/Trader Joe's)