You know. You receive visitors and now you would like to prepare a tasty cake. You like to make cakes with chocolate, but before there is a tasty chocolate cake on the table, you have already done dozens of tries. Cooking with chocolate seems easy, but it is an art. Once you get the hang of it, everyone will love your chocolate art pieces. If you follow these tips, your chocolate failures will be a thing of the past!
Melt chocolate
If you want to melt chocolate, try to melt the chocolate as evenly as possible and without burning.
For this it is best to chop or grate a chocolate block into small, equal pieces.
This also applies to white chocolate. Once the chocolate has melted, make sure you work quickly, otherwise the chocolate will solidify again. Make sure that the chocolate does not come into contact with water or steam. Even a small amount of moisture can damage the chocolate and make it unusable.
It may still come into contact with moisture. You will notice this because the chocolate becomes a pale, non-slip substance. You can then sometimes save the chocolate by adding a tablespoon of cream or vegetable oil. If you accidentally burned the chocolate, you will have to start over with fresh chocolate.
Try not to do the melting too quickly.
The old fashioned way
You can melt chocolate the way our grandparents have done for ages. Place the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Half fill a saucepan with water and bring it to the boil. Remove the pan from the heat and place the bowl of chocolate on the saucepan. Make sure that the bowl does not touch the water anywhere. Stir occasionally until the chocolate has melted.
The microwave method
Chop the chocolate into small pieces and place in a microwave safe bowl. Run the microwave on medium for 30 seconds each time, stirring in between. Once the chocolate has melted in the microwave, it will keep its shape. By stirring you can check whether the chocolate has actually melted. Do not try to melt the chocolate on a higher setting, as it burns easily.
Storing chocolate
The chocolate can be stored for several months, depending on the quality. Wrap it in aluminum or plastic wrap and store it in a cool, dry place. A sudden change in temperature can cause a white ‘deposit’ on the chocolate. It can arise from chocolate that has been heated too much or has just been frozen. It doesn’t affect the taste. Old chocolate can also have deposits. This chocolate is no longer tasty and you should throw it away.
Tips
- Grate chocolate with a vegetable grater or in a food processor and use the result as a decoration for cakes.
- Pastry chocolate is the best for decoration, especially for imaginative designs. It solidifies well and stays in shape at room temperature. You can also use mixed chocolate for it.
- If the chocolate is too thick to garnish, you can add a small amount of vegetable oil
- Before bringing chocolate into contact with cakes and pastries, make sure that the food does not contain moisture. It will affect the chocolate and make it unusable. After applying the chocolate, place the cake on a wire rack to let it solidify at room temperature.