Decorations for Chocolate Cake

Chocolate is the party's life when it comes to cake decoration. To become a master of the chocolate arts, one must first understand the fundamentals of decorating with cocoa bean-based treats. This guide provides an introduction to the use of chocolate in bakery cake design.

Chocolate Melting

The first step in working with chocolate is melting it properly. Many novices fail at this stage because they attempt to melt the chocolate too rapidly. To successfully melt chocolate, the chocolate must first be broken down. The smaller the bits, whether sliced or shaved, the more surface area the heat has to work with, and the quicker the chocolate will melt. Place the pieces in a small container, such as a juice cup or measuring cup, and place the container in a saucepan containing warm to hot water. Do not use boiling water. Allow the chocolate to rest for a bit before stirring. Continue stirring until the chocolate has melted and is free of lumps.

Once you have the soft, velvety chocolate that we all adore, spread it on a flat surface, such as a metal baking sheet, being careful to create a thin layer. Allow it to cool naturally at room temperature. Once the dough has cooled, you can make curls or cutouts. To create chocolate curls, use a metal spatula to scrape the chocolate slowly. It will hopefully begin to form curls, which you can then place on parchment paper to further chill and harden. Cutouts are similarly simple. Utilize a sharp knife or another precise instrument to cut your preferred design or form.

Granulated Cocoa Powder

Using coco powder to adorn with chocolate is a simple yet gorgeous technique. Find or create a thin stencil-like paper design and place it on your cake. As you begin to dust the powder over the cake, a gorgeous powdered accent will begin to take shape.