chocolate garnish for wedding cake

[Theone Perloff Velez]

In the Fall 2001 issue of Martha Stewart Weddings magazine, on page 292, there appeared a wedding cake done by Wendy Kromer. It was totally covered with rose-petal-shaped chocolate. I attempted to recreate this, but with no success. I used Valrhona chocolate as directed. I would love to master the technique used to make this chocolate shape and am hoping someone can provide an explanation for how I might succeed the next time I try this.

[bkeith]

In the Fall 2001 issue of Martha Stewart Weddings magazine, on page 292, there appeared a wedding cake done by Wendy Kromer. It was totally covered with rose-petal-shaped chocolate. I attempted to recreate this, but with no success. I used Valrhona chocolate as directed. I would love to master the technique used to make this chocolate shape and am hoping someone can provide an explanation for how I might succeed the next time I try this.

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I haven't seen that particular picture, but I've got a friend who did something that matches your description a few years back. She used white modeling chocolate and a rose petal gum paste cutter. Rolled the chocolate, cut a squintillion rose petals, veined each on a silicone petal veiner, dusted a soft pink blush of color on each, and applied them one by one as the icing on the cake. Took forever. Looked amazing.

[Steve Klc]

I don't recall that particular cake, Theone, but I've seen other cakes by Wendy with modelling chocolate decor so this was likely modelling chocolate as well, so ditto what bkeith said. That's your first hurdle--modelling chocolate or trying to do the petals in tempered chocolate (how to do it in tempered would qualify as a really advanced technique.) Modelling would certainly be easier, and instead of making it yourself you could buy it commercially--there are several very good brands, some softer than others, I personally like the Cacao-Barry modelling chocolates.

You could make the petals themselves several ways, an alternative to a cutter is just squishing one of your squintillion balls at a time between two sheets of plastic film, which gives you the added advantage of being able to squish out a nice thin clean edge. Everyone finds their own way to do this quickly, at their given quality level, because roses are so popular. There are nice two-sided silicone gum paste presses on the market to vein rose petals but that might be a step you don't choose to do and this veining is often not seen or appreciated.

It takes a while, and the right season, for petals like this to air dry a bit to hold their shape. Ste them in something or on something to keep a curve.

[K8memphis]

Wull, I have not seen this picture but I have some ideas for you.

Now if you are just wanting to be a chocolate purist, get your choc the correct temperature and use a spoon and scoop up petal shaped kina free form petals. You could actually pour out your choco and wait till it starts setting up and touch it with a teardrop cutter and then scoop that up. Have fun.

Or or or you might want to use what some people call candy clay in order to roll the chocolate out and use cutters similar to what B Keith recommends. Candy clay is 14 oz of chocolate or candy melts melted & add one third cup of corn syrup, slowly stir together. I let mine sit in the container that I melted it in and smooth it all level on top or it separates. Cover well & let that harden overnight and pinch off & knead it in small portions to soften. If it does separate, just knead it all back together.

So you can use candy clay to make rose petals - but not super thin ones.

Or or or - But if I wanted a melty in your mouth candy to look like real translucent petals I would use two parts marshmallow fondant and one part candy clay.

Marshmallow fondant is nothing more than a 16 oz bag of marshmallows melted with two tablespoons of water and add two pounds of confectioners sugar - so put one pound of sugar in a bowl, pour in the melted marshmallows & water and any flavoring, mix and add the other pound of sugar - you will need to micro-zap this a few seconds (like 5-6 seconds) here & there to loosen it up so you can knead it all in.

So combine 2 parts mmf with 1 part candy clay. You can now roll this out nice & thin :). You can now cut out a teardrop shape. Put this on a cushy placemat or spongy thing, actually this is pretty important for success - it's called a celpad - get it at a cake deco store ten bucks maybe - dust with cornstarch first - take a ball tool which is a dowel with a ball bearing on each end - or just use a marble or ball bearing - and run it over the edge of the petal that is sitting on the celpad to thin the edge to remove the just cut look - then rub the marble over the belly of the petal and it pops up just like a rose petal - sit it in a spoon to let dry. Wa - a - a - la - yummy candy rose petals.

Oh yah and you can flavor these however you want too. You can color the dough with food color or airbrush afterwards, and/or brush with petal dusts also available at cake deco stores. Getcha' some super pearl dust at least and brush that over the finished product.

[Wendy DeBord]

Just to clarify: candy clay, chocolate plastic, modeling chocolate are basicly all the same thing. Their consistancy is close to a tootsie roll. You can use either real chocolate or candy melts, although I think the candy melts version is less versatile and not as good tasting as using real choc..

Can you post a link to a photo of that cake Theone? They might have it over at Martha's site.

The thing is Martha's magazines usually post very good dirrections on how to make everything, including wedding cake decorations. It's possible that they aren't using chocolate plastic (thats why a photo would help). There is a technique of forming flower petals by scraping a round cookie cutter over a soft block of chocolate.

[Steve Klc]

There is a technique of forming flower petals by scraping a round cookie cutter over a soft block of chocolate.

It turns out that's how this was done, Wendy, round metal cutter scraping down a soft block of milk chocolate. And the actual Martha instructions in this issue are very well-written. But this is like a lot of other things when it comes to real chocolate work--you read something and it seems doable--and then you actually try to do it and you get hung up--it's better when you have someone there to show you just how to hold the cutter, at just what angle to scrape, just how much to warm the block, etc. When I first was shown this technique, it was in an Ewald Notter class maybe 7-8 years ago, we did it with Carma white chocolate, and I remember not getting very good curls/petals on my own until he actually came around to our station and I could see his wrists, and see up close just what he did. Milk is softer and easier.

[K8memphis]

Wull, guys, I practiced today and thought I would write down my observations for Theone, but I mean I am jumping off of y'alls recommendations and just writing down what I did.

For the completly chocolate petal I held the cutter y'know at a bit of an angle to the chocolate, scraped the cutter into the choc for a bit and then pulled the cutter up towards me to finish, like I kind of dug in and pulled up on it.

So with arms still and elbows up, I bent my hand down at the wrist and pulled the cutter up by just bending my wrists. Which is the same motion as if I was waving at the chocolate with the cutter only of course you're making contact too, again elbows are up. I used the round end of a teardrop shape cookie cutter like Sinclair suggested.

When you draw up like that it makes the point of the petal.

But the big big deal is getting the choco at the exact perfect temperature. To practice today, I cheated big time and used the bottom of a big Cadbury bar - warm in the Memphis weather - then I had to warm it a bit with a hairdryer - but of course I'm not recommending that, aheh. !

If you play with your chocolate - and I recommend you 'play' with already tempered chocolate like Steve already said, or even candy melts. I mean if you gotta learn the whole tempering chocolate thing that's a huge learning curve.

You can do this petal thing though. I got a few passable ones even out of my Cadbury bar - Chocolate is always something I have to play with first a little to get back in the swing of it. Like getting on the merry-go-round when you were a kid - you gotta' get on just right and it's perfect but if you jump wrong you're dead ground meat. The chocolate and the merry-go-round 'travel' at their own speed and there is no mercy.

But but but you want to make a nice long smear of melted choco like a half inch or so deep & as long as you want and then watch as it sets up and keep scraping until it's the right temp & you go, 'wull, dang how easy was that'.

I could maybe take a picture of my scrawny offerings - I mean I only played with one candy bars worth. But I don't know how to post a picture and I'm still not sure what your cake looks like.

But I mean don't use a candy bar - I was just using that so I could do what they said so I could write down a similiar hand motion so you could get it.

(hey - I din know you can buy modeling choco - need to get out more )

Edited October 23, 2004 by K8memphis (log)

[Wendy DeBord]

But the big big deal is getting the choco at the exact perfect temperature.

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Ditto on that! It's ALL in having the choc at the perfect temp. all the way through the chocolate block. Patience is definately needed!!

I've left it in a turned off conventional oven, on a stove top with pilot lights, near heat vents.............the hardest part is finding a safe place to leave your chocolate over night where it won't melt but will soften all the way through. I recall thinking I had the perfect spot while at work and not taking into account the room temp. change over night-which was even warmer then day (because the hood fans were off). You can use ALOT of chocolate figuring this one out.

[Steve Klc]

There's actually a nice picture of the rose that Ewald teaches in his class made up of these petals here:

http://www.notterschool.com/gallery.php

white chocolate petals, tips brushed in red.

[nightscotsman]

We learned a bit more rustic version of the chocolate flower in school. Here's my attempt from class:

We used tempered chocolate spread very thinly on a granite table top. Let start to set a bit and and drag the tool quickly across the surface. We used a couple different tools - a garde mange tool that was like a stiff metal loop with a handle, and an increadibly heavy cast iron die originally intended for cutting out shoe leather.

[Deborah]

WOW! That chocolate rose is fabulous! Very striking.

[K8memphis]

Neil, that's awesome!! It's tall & confident, rustic yes, and very very cool.

(insert clapping hands smilie face)

[Tepee]

[Theone Perloff Velez]

Thanks to all of you who answered and gave me your suggestions. The directions in the back of the magazine said to use milk chocolate, but the description on the picture of the cake mentioned bittersweet chocolate curls and that's what I attempted to use. I realize now that had I used milk chocolate, the results might have been different, since milk chocolate is a softer texture.