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1. When baking a cake from a mix, instead of adding oil, melt vegetable shortening, allow to cool and mix in with cake, this will give the cake a denser texture, so it won't rip apart when you go to frost.
2. Freeze a cake before decorating. This helps when you go to level off a cake, taking off the domes produced in baking.
3. Cakes can be stored in freezer with frosting either a crumb coat or fully frosted, allow buttercream to set first. Wrap frosted or unfrosted cakes in plastic wrap, then in tinfoil, sealing edges.
4. Thawing a cake only takes about 15 min - 1/2 hour at most. Leave in wrappings until you are ready to decorate.
5. Do not freeze cakes covered in fondant.
HOW TO MAKE MODELING CHOCOLATE.
(14 oz bag candy melts, light corn syrup, glass bowls, spatula, wax paper or plastic wrap, tupperware containers)
Purchase chocolate for candy making, I particularly like Wilton Candy Melts, they are already dyed, pick up black during Halloween, that can be a difficult colour to create.
Melt Candy according to directions in microwave, when melted, add in 1/3 cup clear corn syrup and mix until just blended - do not overmix. If you do overmix, don't worry, the candy will still mold properly.
Pour candy onto a sheet of waxed paper or plastic wrap, leave at room temp to harden, I like to place them in square tupperware containers. Chocolate will work best the next day.
Modeling chocolate will last for weeks if not months if kept wrapped in airtight container. Tastes like Tootsie Rolls, though some candy melts (like the tan-peanut butter) are flavoured.
USING MODELING CHOCOLATE
(wooden skewers or drinking straws, rolling pin or pasta machine, clay carving tools or toothpicks, rice krispy bars, cornstarch)
Make sure the area you are working in is cool, if it is too warm or sunny, the chocolate becomes too soft to work with.
If you are making a small shape or figure, you do not need to make a form. Break off a chunk of chocolate and hold in your hands allowing it to warm. When it is at the consistency of clay, form into desired shape, allow to air dry.
You can rework figures in one of two ways, hold in your hand until it softens (which may misshape it) leave in a warm (but not hot place) for a short period of time.
I prefer to take a small bit of chocolate and warm it in my hand and apply to the figure, using modeling tools to define details.
When rolling chocolate, dust with cornstarch, use clean brush to wipe starch off.
Do not try to harden chocolate in fridge or freezer, just air dry, when chocolate comes out of fridge and freezer it may sweat, dyes may come off.
LARGE MODELS
A large piece of chocolate is too heavy for a cake. Make a form out of rice krispy bars, compressing them to keep a shape. If you are making a large figure, you can drive wooden skewers into the forms, or mold rice krispies around an armature of drinking straws.
Once you have a stable form, use a rolling pin or pasta machine to make thin strips of chocolate about 1/8 inch thick. Dust with cornstarch to prevent sticking to your rolling surface. Apply these to cover the rice krispy form with your fingers, the warmth will make the chocolate stick. Try to use as large pieces as you can.
Allow the figures to completely dry and harden before adding clothing and detail.
When making clothing, try to use large pieces, these have less seams. You may add texture by pressing the chocolate with rubber stamps, score lightly with lines, etc.
IF you have a problem attaching chocolate to chocolate, melt some chocolate in a small plastic bag in microwave, keep bag half-immersed in a cup of hot water while you work. Snip edge off of plastic bag and run a line of melted chocolate (like glue) where you want new layers to adhere. You can also use melted chocolate to define eyes, lips, etc using a very small fine brush.
HEADS
(foam block, wooden skewers, carving tools, toothpicks, masking or duct tape)
If you want more distinct features, remove heads from bodies and place on wooden skewers. Wind tape around wooden skewer below the head so that the head can't slide further down the skewer. Place skewers into foam block so they can air dry.
To model features, carve with tools, not with fingers as chocolate will melt, think of thinly layering soft chocolate ontop of air dried chocolate a step at a time. When things get too soft, make sure room is not too warm and allow to air dry.
COLOURING CHOCOLATE
You can blend modeling chocolate that is already dyed, for example, white with tan to create a flesh tone, or use candy colours or frosting colours (never regular food colour) - wear vinyl gloves - not latex and add color by dipping a toothpink into the dye and wiping into chocolate, a little goes a long way.
Knead in your hands until colour is absorbed. Only dye white chocolate. Watch out when dyed chocolate becomes too warm, the colour might come off on your hands.
DETAILS
You can use food colour markers on larger pieces, or melted chocolate using a fine brush or toothpick, For shading, use a large soft brush and tap on cocoa powder, or spices such as ground cinnamon, etc. to define facial features, sort of like edible makeup!
BLOOMING
In places your chocolate may go grey or crack when it dries, in this case, just soften and layer on more chocolate, pressing down with fingers until it adheres.
STORAGE
When figures are completely air dried, wrap in layers of plastic, then tinfoil and seal edges, place in freezer. When removing and thawing, leave wrappings on until piece comes to room temp.
1. When baking a cake from a mix, instead of adding oil, melt vegetable shortening, allow to cool and mix in with cake, this will give the cake a denser texture, so it won't rip apart when you go to frost.
2. Freeze a cake before decorating. This helps when you go to level off a cake, taking off the domes produced in baking.
3. Cakes can be stored in freezer with frosting either a crumb coat or fully frosted, allow buttercream to set first. Wrap frosted or unfrosted cakes in plastic wrap, then in tinfoil, sealing edges.
4. Thawing a cake only takes about 15 min - 1/2 hour at most. Leave in wrappings until you are ready to decorate.
5. Do not freeze cakes covered in fondant.
HOW TO MAKE MODELING CHOCOLATE.
(14 oz bag candy melts, light corn syrup, glass bowls, spatula, wax paper or plastic wrap, tupperware containers)
Purchase chocolate for candy making, I particularly like Wilton Candy Melts, they are already dyed, pick up black during Halloween, that can be a difficult colour to create.
Melt Candy according to directions in microwave, when melted, add in 1/3 cup clear corn syrup and mix until just blended - do not overmix. If you do overmix, don't worry, the candy will still mold properly.
Pour candy onto a sheet of waxed paper or plastic wrap, leave at room temp to harden, I like to place them in square tupperware containers. Chocolate will work best the next day.
Modeling chocolate will last for weeks if not months if kept wrapped in airtight container. Tastes like Tootsie Rolls, though some candy melts (like the tan-peanut butter) are flavoured.
USING MODELING CHOCOLATE
(wooden skewers or drinking straws, rolling pin or pasta machine, clay carving tools or toothpicks, rice krispy bars, cornstarch)
Make sure the area you are working in is cool, if it is too warm or sunny, the chocolate becomes too soft to work with.
If you are making a small shape or figure, you do not need to make a form. Break off a chunk of chocolate and hold in your hands allowing it to warm. When it is at the consistency of clay, form into desired shape, allow to air dry.
You can rework figures in one of two ways, hold in your hand until it softens (which may misshape it) leave in a warm (but not hot place) for a short period of time.
I prefer to take a small bit of chocolate and warm it in my hand and apply to the figure, using modeling tools to define details.
When rolling chocolate, dust with cornstarch, use clean brush to wipe starch off.
Do not try to harden chocolate in fridge or freezer, just air dry, when chocolate comes out of fridge and freezer it may sweat, dyes may come off.
LARGE MODELS
A large piece of chocolate is too heavy for a cake. Make a form out of rice krispy bars, compressing them to keep a shape. If you are making a large figure, you can drive wooden skewers into the forms, or mold rice krispies around an armature of drinking straws.
Once you have a stable form, use a rolling pin or pasta machine to make thin strips of chocolate about 1/8 inch thick. Dust with cornstarch to prevent sticking to your rolling surface. Apply these to cover the rice krispy form with your fingers, the warmth will make the chocolate stick. Try to use as large pieces as you can.
Allow the figures to completely dry and harden before adding clothing and detail.
When making clothing, try to use large pieces, these have less seams. You may add texture by pressing the chocolate with rubber stamps, score lightly with lines, etc.
IF you have a problem attaching chocolate to chocolate, melt some chocolate in a small plastic bag in microwave, keep bag half-immersed in a cup of hot water while you work. Snip edge off of plastic bag and run a line of melted chocolate (like glue) where you want new layers to adhere. You can also use melted chocolate to define eyes, lips, etc using a very small fine brush.
HEADS
(foam block, wooden skewers, carving tools, toothpicks, masking or duct tape)
If you want more distinct features, remove heads from bodies and place on wooden skewers. Wind tape around wooden skewer below the head so that the head can't slide further down the skewer. Place skewers into foam block so they can air dry.
To model features, carve with tools, not with fingers as chocolate will melt, think of thinly layering soft chocolate ontop of air dried chocolate a step at a time. When things get too soft, make sure room is not too warm and allow to air dry.
COLOURING CHOCOLATE
You can blend modeling chocolate that is already dyed, for example, white with tan to create a flesh tone, or use candy colours or frosting colours (never regular food colour) - wear vinyl gloves - not latex and add color by dipping a toothpink into the dye and wiping into chocolate, a little goes a long way.
Knead in your hands until colour is absorbed. Only dye white chocolate. Watch out when dyed chocolate becomes too warm, the colour might come off on your hands.
DETAILS
You can use food colour markers on larger pieces, or melted chocolate using a fine brush or toothpick, For shading, use a large soft brush and tap on cocoa powder, or spices such as ground cinnamon, etc. to define facial features, sort of like edible makeup!
BLOOMING
In places your chocolate may go grey or crack when it dries, in this case, just soften and layer on more chocolate, pressing down with fingers until it adheres.
STORAGE
When figures are completely air dried, wrap in layers of plastic, then tinfoil and seal edges, place in freezer. When removing and thawing, leave wrappings on until piece comes to room temp.
(no subject)
Date: 2011-03-01 07:36 pm (UTC)