Cake Decoration Workshop II

After pausing for near 2 years, I decided to further my bakery learning path towards the last stage - cake decoration. Unlike last time, this is not a full course for advanced cake baker, but just a simple workshop. I've yet to get myself enrolled into any formal cake decorating course due to the time constraint. Most probably would have to wait until my BB Alfred turn into 3 or 4 years then will be able to pursue my dream. Here's some tips and good recipes that I'd like to share with all of you:

Chocolate FUN

1. How to tamper the chocolate to correct temperature for demoulding to happen:
- Heat 2/3 parts of the compound chocolate using double boil method till his temperature of 60-62 degrees. Do not let it boil! Take it off from the double boil and continue stiring in the balance 1/3 part of the chocolate till it all melts. The temperature would have to drop back to about 25 degrees. Place it back over the double boil and let it stand for a short while till chocolate temperature gains back to 35 degrees max. To test, just put a little on the lips and it should feel warm not hot. Off the fire below and let it maintain sitting on it. Be always aware that should it thicken again, to restart the fire and put on very low. Do not let it harden or it would have lost its consistency. it is now ready for remoulding.
- pour into the moulds till its full than overturn it and hold at 180 degrees and let drip. When dripping turns little, overturn it back and using the scraper, glide it against the pc mould and clean up sides. Let it sit in the fridge for just 5 mins and it can be demoulded for use in modeling figurines
- to join the 2 parts together, you need to heat up a metal plate on very mild heat (maintain around just above body temperature. Very small fire will do. melt 2 parts and join together.
- Prepare a few moulds then later you can join them to make shapes..
- Using mazipan and mixing to desired color start decorating the figures with bows, cloth etc
- For making hollow tubals for fixing legs, arms etc, roll the wax paper using stainless steel rod and place inside plastic tubes. From the top, pipe in the chocolate and keep twisting the rods round. Look through it and keep tubes in 45 degrees and let it drip out hitting it lightly to guide it out. Once hollow out, do a quick rolling action to balance the chocolate inside to be even then place in fridge for 5 mins or more. Size of tube will depend on how much paper that you roll. The thicker the roll, the smaller the tubes.
- To cut tubes, you need to heat up the knife slightly then slitting it even and neat.


To make Pralines and chololate bites..
1. Do the shell first in the cases, fill in with the ganache (to mix 1/3 whipped cream with 2/3 chocolate) or nuts/fruits etc.
2. Fill in the top layer of the chocolate and clean off the top layer neatly. Place it in fridge to harden.
3. When serving it, demould it out and let it sit at room temperature for about 7 mins before serving else it be too hard.
4. Coating with another layer of chocolate you need to let it drip on a cake cooling rack then dust with cocoa powder etc.
5. Place into nice dollies and serve.
6. Marble effect is to mix white chocolate bits and stir using satay stick gently till it melts and form marble like patterns.