How to Make Chocolate Decorations for Cakes

A luscious and luxurious cake decorated with mounds, swirls and curls of delicious chocolate will make anyone's mouth water. Chocolate can be molded, curled, folded, piped or swirled into nearly any shape (see Resources).

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Dark chocolate melting discs
• White chocolate discs
• Milk chocolate discs
• Candy thermometer
• Waxed paper
• Transfer sheets
• Double boiler
• Candy molds
• Food coloring paste
• Pastry bag with piping tips
• Cookie sheet
• Marble slab for tempering chocolate
• Pastry knife
• Food coloring
• New dry paint brushes

1. Melt chocolate disks in a double boiler, being careful to keep all water out of the chocolate. If you are going to use more than one color or type of chocolate, work with the lightest and sweetest first, up to the darkest. This will prevent muddying of the colors later.

2. Heat semi-sweet chocolate until it reaches 118 to 120 degrees Fahrenheit, or until 116 to 118 degrees Fahrenheit for milk chocolate.

3. Temper the melted chocolate by taking some of it on a pastry knife and working it back and forth on a marble slab until it is thin and shiny. When it reaches 80 degrees Fahrenheit, add more chocolate discs and melt until chocolate is again smooth and runny. Pour tempered chocolate into a pastry bag with small piping tip. Practice piping chocolate onto a wax paper lined cookie sheet by moving the tip back and forth in "v" shapes going horizontally, then cross over them with more "v" shapes to make a waffle or trellis. Allow it to harden, then use it to decorate your cake. You can also practice making letters and numbers.

4. Pipe melted chocolate directly onto a cake using the shell or star tip. Go all the way around the base of the cake first, then all the way around the top. Make leaves by painting melted chocolate onto holly or apple leaves. Place them on wax paper-lined cookie sheet. Let them harden, then carefully peel the leaf away.

5. Cover a cake with white chocolate using a transfer sheet, then place the chocolate leaves around the top. Pour melted chocolate into rose molds and let harden. Add food coloring to melted white chocolate, then paint the roses using a new, clean, dry brush. Arrange chocolate roses on top of the cake. Grate a little semi sweet chocolate over the top of the cake as well.

6. See the Resources for more ideas on decorating cakes with chocolate.

Tips & Warnings

• Use stainless steel utensils and bowls, as these heat and cool faster.
• Work with the lightest-colored chocolate first, working toward the darkest to avoid muddying your colors.
• Use food coloring paste instead of liquid food coloring.
• Do not get water in the chocolate. It will turn to the consistency of raw liver.
• Do not work with chocolate on humid days.

Resources

• Decorating with chocolate
• Tempering chocolate
• Chocolate leaves