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Molded Truffle Wedding Cake


Jenjcook

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I need some advice. I have made wedding truffle towers before (on something similar to a cupcake stand), however i am going to a big bridal expo this month and I want to attempt to make something similar to a "cake bite wedding cake" (http://www.thedailymeal.com/wedding-cake-day-steampunk-cake) but with molded chocolates. I know the basic idea is a foam cake dummy covered in fondant with the cake bites, or in my cake molded truffles, stuck in place with tooth picks. Has anyone ever attempted one of these? and if so any tips to pass along? It seems relatively straight forward, but it is going to take ALOT of product to make so Id really rather avoid pitfalls and waste. I am thinking of using the 8 sided geodesic mold because it seems like the pieces would stack nicely side by side (http://www.jbprince.com/chocolate-and-sugarwork/geodesic-dome-40-cavities.asp)


Also has anyone ever made "dummy" chocolates for displays? ie something with a filling that wont spoil like a homemade play dough or the like (http://fun.familyeducation.com/sculpting/recipes/37040.html)
Im thinking if I manage to pull off this display I might try to make it out of something I can keep for future displays. If i use regular product (it will take about 300 pieces) they will have had a tooth pick stuck in them and basically be trash afterword.

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I wouldn't use plasticine - it's not going to have the surface sheen you're looking for, and it doesn't take surface finishes well. Maybe silicone or another type of catalyst-hardened semisoft resin? Of if you're looking for something cheaper than can be glossed up to a high sheen, maybe salt clay and layer upon layer of lacquer?

Elizabeth Campbell, baking 10,000 feet up at 1° South latitude.

My eG Food Blog (2011)My eG Foodblog (2012)

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I wouldn't use plasticine - it's not going to have the surface sheen you're looking for, and it doesn't take surface finishes well. Maybe silicone or another type of catalyst-hardened semisoft resin? Of if you're looking for something cheaper than can be glossed up to a high sheen, maybe salt clay and layer upon layer of lacquer?

I was planning to make the chocolate shells as usual. The chocolate will last a long time if stored properly, just looking for a filling that wont rot in that time.

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What if you did smaller display cakes and put them on pedestals? Instead of going with a 12/10/8/6 dummy, go with 8/6/4 and then get a plastic or foam pedestal (you could find something at a floral distributor) so it can be elevated on the table. Maybe use it as the giveaway at the end of the show to people who book an appointment with you.

Would you be willing to consider using a cone instead of round stacked cake dummies (sort of like a piece montee/croquembouche)? That might use less product.

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I wouldn't use plasticine - it's not going to have the surface sheen you're looking for, and it doesn't take surface finishes well. Maybe silicone or another type of catalyst-hardened semisoft resin? Of if you're looking for something cheaper than can be glossed up to a high sheen, maybe salt clay and layer upon layer of lacquer?

I was planning to make the chocolate shells as usual. The chocolate will last a long time if stored properly, just looking for a filling that wont rot in that time.

If that's the case, why not just mould up solids? Then there's no issue at all with spoilage.

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Elizabeth Campbell, baking 10,000 feet up at 1° South latitude.

My eG Food Blog (2011)My eG Foodblog (2012)

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I was planning to make the chocolate shells as usual. The chocolate will last a long time if stored properly, just looking for a filling that wont rot in that time.

If that's the case, why not just mould up solids? Then there's no issue at all with spoilage.

+1 You could insert the toothpick before the chocolate is fully set. Or cast the shells then fill with aerated chocolate so you're not using so much chocolate.

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I wouldn't use plasticine - it's not going to have the surface sheen you're looking for, and it doesn't take surface finishes well. Maybe silicone or another type of catalyst-hardened semisoft resin? Of if you're looking for something cheaper than can be glossed up to a high sheen, maybe salt clay and layer upon layer of lacquer?

I was planning to make the chocolate shells as usual. The chocolate will last a long time if stored properly, just looking for a filling that wont rot in that time.

If that's the case, why not just mould up solids? Then there's no issue at all with spoilage.

I'm definitely considering that. I was just thinking of the most economical solution

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  • 2 weeks later...

Wow. I know I'm a chocolatier, not a baker, but I really didn't think working with fondant would be outside my skill set....uuug. After five hours I eventually wadded it up in a ball, threw it the corner and quit! I clearly need to find something else to cover my cake dummies. I'd sooner spray them in cocoa butter that try the fondant against.

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When I worked in a bakery all our dummy cakes were made from polystyrene… I guess this is what you mean by "foam"? If you just need a spherical mould then you should be able to find small foam balls that might work for you, they're common in art and craft shops - our local chain calls them "polyfoam balls".

If you have something like a geodesic mould and you want a dummy substance to fill it with, I'd ask at your local hardware store. Plaster of paris is dirt cheap and easy to mix, tubes of acrylic filler are also very cheap. There's a model making place near where I work that sells the stuff dentists use to make impressions for dentures, even that might work well but I guess not everyone has niche shops like that near them.

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Wow. I know I'm a chocolatier, not a baker, but I really didn't think working with fondant would be outside my skill set....uuug. After five hours I eventually wadded it up in a ball, threw it the corner and quit! I clearly need to find something else to cover my cake dummies. I'd sooner spray them in cocoa butter that try the fondant against.

What recipe were you using? Fondant, made according to the simpler recipes, is as easy to work with as plasticine. But if you've got a weird recipe, it will frustrate you every single time.

EDIT - and secondarily, did you cover your dummies with buttercream or a similar soft icing before you attempted to fondant-cover them? Because if you didn't I can definitely see where you might get frustrated….

Edited by Panaderia Canadiense (log)
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Elizabeth Campbell, baking 10,000 feet up at 1° South latitude.

My eG Food Blog (2011)My eG Foodblog (2012)

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Wow. I know I'm a chocolatier, not a baker, but I really didn't think working with fondant would be outside my skill set....uuug. After five hours I eventually wadded it up in a ball, threw it the corner and quit! I clearly need to find something else to cover my cake dummies. I'd sooner spray them in cocoa butter that try the fondant against.

.

I know exactly what you are saying, I had a similar experience with store-bought fondant. I got it onto the cake on third attempt, accompanied by some choice words I wouldn't want my son to hear. :)

Have you ever worked with modeling chocolate? I find it easy to work with, you cut a round for the top of the cake/dummy, then a rectangle and you panel the cake with it. There are seams, yes, but if you cover it anyway, why worry about it.

Also, instead of using real chocolate for the molded pieces, have you considered using Wilton candy melts, or compound chocolate? It is a much cheaper option, since you are considering molding solid pieces.

I wouldn't go for anything non-edible, but that's just me.

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