How to Transfer a Picture Using Chocolate

Beehive cake with "bee," "Pooh" chocolate transfers

Creating chocolate transfers is a fun alternative to using buttercream transfers in cake decorating. Chocolate transfers can also be made days in advance.

Things You'll Need

• Candy melts/chocolate in desired colors
• Image you would like to transfer, printed in reverse
• Decorating bags
• Round tips, sizes 2, 3, 4 and 5
• Microwave-safe bowls, one for each color
• Spoons
• Shortening
• Microwave
• Cookie sheet
• Wax paper
• Tape

Instructions

1. Tape a printout of the image you want to use onto a flat, portable surface, such as a cookie sheet. Tape a piece of wax paper over the image.

2. Put candy melts in a bowl, using the color in which you want to outline your image. Following the package directions, melt the chocolate until it is smooth, with no lumps. If you have no melting instructions, set the microwave at 50 to 75 percent power and melt in 30-second increments, stirring each time. If the chocolate/candy melts seem too thick, add a small amount of shortening and stir until completely melted.

3. Fit a decorating bag with a 2 or 3 tip and fill it with the chocolate/candy melts. Pipe your outline.

4. Melt the other colors you will need to fill in your picture, one at a time. Pipe them in the appropriate places with a slightly larger tip, such as a 3 or 4.

5. 

   Once your image is complete, pick up the cookie sheet and gently tap it on the counter to reduce the number of air bubbles in the chocolate. Set aside for one hour or more.

6. 

   Gently lift the tape from the corners of the wax paper and carefully peel away the wax paper from your transfers. To store, place in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Tips & Warnings

• As an alternative to reusable decorating bags, which are difficult to clean after using candy melts, parchment triangles can also be used.