chocolate techniques

[devlin]

I'm not really sure whether, strictly speaking, this is "marbelling" or not, but how might one perform such a thing?

[etalanian]

Drizzle or drip the contrasting color around the top of the product, and then use a toothpick, skewer, or similar instrument, and drag it through the drizzles.

Eileen

[devlin]

Drizzle or drip the contrasting color around the top of the product, and then use a toothpick, skewer, or similar instrument, and drag it through the drizzles.

Eileen

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Thank you. That's the instruction I've read here and there, but without an accompanying photo, and it sounds so simple and that it wouldn't produce anything quite this pretty that I wondered whether that could really be the way to do it.

[Linzerbear]

How are you making the cake? Glazing first then adding your marble effect?

I have done a marble glaze where i dipped the entire cake in a white ganache that i have floated streaks of thinned down dark ganache on top, as you pull the cake up through the dark steaks twist the cake and the two ganches marble together. I have not done it in years but used to use this all the time on cakes and small individual cakes, for a huge hotel. Gives a more realistic looking marble effect

Edited August 1, 2008 by Linzerbear (log)

[devlin]

How are you making the cake? Glazing first then adding your marble effect? 

I have done a marble glaze where i dipped the entire cake in a white ganache that i have floated streaks of thinned down dark ganache on top, as you pull the cake up through the dark steaks twist the cake and the two ganches marble together.  I have not done it in years but used to use this all the time on cakes and small individual cakes, for a huge hotel.  Gives a more realistic looking marble effect

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Well, this is new to me, and so that's why I asked if I was using the correct term. I'm thinking what I want to do isn't actually marbelling, but called something else I don't even have the vocabulary for.

Sorry, I'm a total idiot right now about this subject.

[HQAntithesis]

The correct term is probably feathering, although it's usually done in a more regular pattern like in mille feuilles. If you wanted a marble effect without needing to make an excess of glaze, you could swirl your fingers through it rather than use a toothpick.

[dystopiandreamgirl]

hey I recognize that smudge! that's the least attractive part of my cake:

i learned that technique (the marbling, not the smudging) from Cocolat; it is tempered white and/or milk chocolates piped onto still-molten glaze in loops, then a very thin paintbrush drawn through in a specific pattern, from the outside. by the time i got to the middle of the heart it was all setting up and i ended up with the smudge. i find this pretty amusing as i was fuming about it and a friend said "no one will ever notice", then that very detail ends up being enlarged and isolated on the internet for everyone to see.

anyway. it is a little tricky getting and keeping two different chocolates in temper (i don't have a machine) to have ready immediately after pouring your glaze, which also has to be a specific temperature, onto your cake which she advises for chilling an exact 10 minutes. i would recommend reading Alice's instructions, she has some diagrams which are helpful.

here is a better example, with both milk and white:

and i think it is probably more technically correct to call it feathering, but Alice calls it marbling, and I have a vague memory of her mentioning she took an italian marbling class to perfect her technique.

[devlin]

hey I recognize that smudge!  that's the least attractive part of my cake:

i learned that technique (the marbling, not the smudging) from Cocolat; it is tempered white and/or milk chocolates piped onto still-molten glaze in loops, then a very thin paintbrush drawn through in a specific pattern, from the outside.  by the time i got to the middle of the heart it was all setting up and i ended up with the smudge.  i find this pretty amusing as i was fuming about it and a friend said "no one will ever notice", then that very detail ends up being enlarged and isolated on the internet for everyone to see.

anyway.  it is a little tricky getting and keeping two different chocolates in temper (i don't have a machine) to have ready immediately after pouring your glaze, which also has to be a specific temperature, onto your cake which she advises for chilling an exact 10 minutes.  i would recommend reading Alice's instructions, she has some diagrams which are helpful.

here is a better example, with both milk and white:

and i think it is probably more technically correct to call it feathering, but Alice calls it marbling, and I have a vague memory of her mentioning she took an italian marbling class to perfect her technique.

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I'm wreathed in smiles right now

THAT was the least attractive part of your cake??? Good grief. It's gorgeous. I just snipped a bit to post here because I didn't want to violate some ehtics code about posting other people's work. But truly, I'm admiring as all get out. You do such beautiful work.

And thank you for that little tutorial. That's very helpful. I just put that book in my Amazon cart a couple of days ago, and I guess I'll be buying it sooner than I'd planned.

Thank you!

eta: But also, your friend was right. Until you labelled it a "smudge" it just looked intentional and all of a piece. I understand though, I always see what I consider the worst part of anything I do, while everybody else stands around scratching their heads and saying, "No, it's gorgeous!"

Edited August 2, 2008 by devlin (log)