How to Make Chocolate Butterfly Cake Decorations

Butterflies are a symbol of new life in many cultures and are used to celebrate spring. Plain cakes can be dressed up with chocolate butterflies, as can cupcakes and mini-cheesecakes. Cakes for all occasions can be customized with butterflies in white, dark, milk or colored chocolates. Add just one or many butterflies to suit individual preferences. A butterfly cake will enhance any party, from a child's birthday to an elegant garden wedding.

Things You'll Need

• Molded Butterflies:
• butterfly molds
• chocolate candy melts
• paint brushes
• lollipop sticks
• double boiler or pan and metal bowl
• Challenging Butterflies:
• zipper top sandwich bags
• butterfly outline
• wax paper
• double boiler or metal bowl
• chopsticks, tongs or dowel rods

Instructions

Molded Butterflies

1. Place the chocolate in a microwaveable bowl, and heat for 30 seconds. Remove the bowl from the microwave, and stir. Repeat until the chocolate is completely melted.

   To use a double boiler (or metal bowl and pot), bring water to a boil, then remove from heat. Place the chocolate in the bowl or boiler top over the water, and stir until melted.

2. Fill the butterfly mold cavities with melted chocolate. Tap the mold lightly on the countertop, and gently pop any air bubbles that may surface. Carefully lift a clear mold, and check the bottom of the cavity for any trapped air bubbles.

   If you are using a lollipop mold, insert the sticks, and roll them so they are coated in chocolate.

3. Place the mold in the refrigerator to cool completely. Completely cool chocolate releases from the mold easier and will not be damaged in the unmolding.

4. Flip the mold onto a clean kitchen towel or paper towels to release the chocolate.

5. Make colorful butterflies by using colored candy melts. Paint the mold with non-shed paint brushes or toothpicks and a thin layer of chocolate for two or more colors in your butterfly. Remember the bottom of the mold is the top of the finished butterfly. Check the bottom of the mold to see there are no air bubbles. If you don't want the colors to mix, place in the refrigerator for the first colors to set completely.

6. Fill the cavity with melted chocolate and tap to remove excess air bubbles. Do not stir the chocolate in the cavities since the warm chocolate will soften the cooled chocolate already in the mold. Place in the refrigerator and cool completely.

7. Make 3-D butterflies easily with special three piece molds. Make the wings and body separately and put the pieces together with a little melted chocolate as glue.

More Challenging Butterflies

1. Draw, trace or print a butterfly pattern on paper. Make sure it has bold dark lines that can be seen easily through the wax paper. Simple patterns work best. Cover the pattern with wax paper and tape together so the pattern won't move or slip.

2. Fill a zipper top sandwich bag with melted chocolate. Snip one corner to make a small hole. Holding the chocolate bag in one hand, carefully press to allow a small amount of chocolate out of the hole. Do not push too hard or the bag may burst.

3. Trace the pattern with the melted chocolate. Make the lines of chocolate thick to make sure they don't crumble when assembling the butterflies; make the wings in two separate pieces. Colored butterflies can also be made by using different colored candy melts and adding the colors one at a time. Pop any bubbles you see with a toothpick.

4. Place in the refrigerator to cool completely. Peel the butterfly wings carefully away from the wax paper and place on a clean, flat surface.

5. Pipe a butterfly body using chocolate on another sheet of wax paper. Carefully, hold two wings at an angle and place the edges of the wings into the melted chocolate. Do not push or the bottoms of the wings may melt and change shape, distorting the butterfly. Hold until the chocolate body sets.

6. Place tongs, chopsticks or small dowel rods on a flat surface if you need a place to set the drying butterflies while you continue working on more. Set the wax paper in the middle of the chopsticks to hold the wings at an angle while they dry completely. This will allow you to continue working on the next butterfly while the others set.

Tips & Warnings

• Try using lollipop molds and making butterflies on sticks. These can be placed around the cake at different angles to make the butterflies look as if they are flying around the cake.

• When making the more challenging butterflies, always make more than you need in case of breakage.

• Never over cook chocolate. It needs to be melted slowly. Cooking will make the chocolate grainy or the finished product will be flat instead of shiny.

• Never get water in the chocolate or it will cause it to "seize" and become lumpy and it will no longer be usable.

References

• 3-D Chocolate Butterflies
• Chocolate Butterfly Instructions

Resources

• Butterfly Molds
• Butterfly Molds including 3D Butterflies