Chocolate Collars

mzsweet wrote:well i had a disaster with mine LOL....so I now need to ask the question, do you let the chocolate set before you wrap it because thats what I did and I heard snap snap snap as I wrapped LOL Commonsence would tell you thats going to happen but with the three year old on a bad behaviour bender this weekend, one kid sick and a husband working 12 hour shifts.....my brain cells have become comprimised. On a positive note I did come away with the feeling that the join wont be too much of an issue when I do the next wrap.I also chose a dreadful chocolate to use, pulled white chocolate melts out of the pantry, another comprimised brain cell choice. What chocolate did you use gail?

Oh No! yes, white chocolate is much harder to work with...but it can be done!
but now, to answer your other question, you want to wait just a bit before placing the wrap around the cake, especially if you put it on thick. You should wait just long enough so that the chocolate is no longer warm and there is no threat of if still flowing off the wrap as you lift... am I making any sense? If you are applying it quite thin, then you can try to wrap it quickly, (YES!) before it hardens. You just have to be careful not to apply it too thin because then edges are sure to break when you peel the collar off the chocolate.

I just finished mine, I have been doing this for years & still had problems! I will post tomorrow... it is 3AM here.... my bed is calling me!

[img]http://cakedec.forumotion.com/ thanks facination, have a good sleep. Well we can add on the list of what NOT to do.....do not place your collar in the freezer to firm up prior to wrapping unless you want a panel style collar as seen here. LOL

Well done Gail you did a great job - see I knew you could do it.

looks great Gail! I have never done these.. but they do make a cake look lovely!!!

hello ladies ...
thank you for your patience - it's been a long day, but now...
voila! my latest:
this was for my sister-in-law's birthday; it is a chocolate cake, with chocolate buttercream filling and coating, top is light chocolate fondant, and of course the wrap is semi-sweet chocolate ... and the name is dark chocolate fondant, & the little decoration on top is a chocolate covered Oreo cookie!
that would be just about the right amount of chocolate for a real chocoholic!

I hope you can see the pattern, it was very small & delicate... an intricate kaleidoscope design. it was difficult to photograph..
Your comments are welcome!


!

Do you have a photo of the join?

Love it and yes it is a chocoholics dream!

Hello Gail
I will check though all the photos I took, however, I did have a problem and it cracked at the join, so, I covered it with a line of buttercream shells, & then did the same thing at the opposite side. you can just see it on the left side.

I just added a comment on another thread on the same subject. I am very impressed with the designs of the chocolate collars you have access to, like the stars. I have not seen anythihg like that here; I will have to find a way to shop there too!

Mrs KT wrote:I had a disastrous attempt on a square cake, which I quickly learnt doesn't work

Hello

I have been giving this some thought since I saw your post; though I have not tried a collar on a square cake, I now plan to try it.
I know it can be done. As soon as I find a bit of spare time, I will give it a shot.

check the images at this site...

http://www.emmascakes.co.za/wedding-cake-gallery.htm

hello again
I did more searhing ...
If you have the book: The Essential Guide to Cake Decorating By Murdoch Books Pty Limited; they show how to make a polka dot chocolate wrap; here is a link showing extracts from the book :


http://books.google.ca/books?id=ld1Q0pkg6s8C&pg=PA137&lpg=PA137&dq=%22chocolate+collar%22+-dog&source=web&ots=UQjM58zzhm&sig=dxTaOZIXds2t0YS3BT2CilabW8U&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=10&ct=result#PPA136,M1

and I will keep searching for more

Thanks for finding all these links Fasincation!

Love the cakes they are amazing and a square cake does look great with a collar.

I have that book too BTW and never even thought to look in it

I think it is a case of preferring to ask/look on here than a book and yet I keep buying books!!

The parchment/baking paper concept is interesting too but would be worried that it would be too flimsy. Have you tried that?

Hello Gail,
yes, I have tried the parchment paper, and I have tried a sturdy cellophane. both will work. however, the parchment paper is a bit tricky on a large cake. to add strength, I have cut my piece of parchment 2X as high as I need it & the folded it in 1/2. But if you let the chocolate set so that it is not flow (but not hardened either) you should still have no problem to wrap it around the cake...

Oh & I have so many books now that I have to buy another bookshelf!
& I haven't picked one up to check a technique in ages!
isn't that what this site is for?

Thanks for the link to Emma's Cakes, Fascination. Her cakes are gorgeous and I can see that it does work on a square cake. I will have to put this on my to do list and give it another go.

Hello again -
look what I found on Youtube -
it answers your questions about parchment paper and wrapping a square cake.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0F1bF0xJhY

you can fast forward through the first bit; check some of the other short videos at the same location ...

have a great day...

Great link Fascination and an Aussie one to boot!

Very good demo - did you think her white dots were too big - I did.

How long do you think she allowed that to dry for the white and the dark chocolate or does that depend on the weather?

It wasn't shiny either - why would that be?

Hi Gail -
I thought the dots were too thick, which would make the wrap really thick.
I don't know how long she let it dry; I always put mine in the fridge;
with the cellophane & parchment, you can tell when it is ready since it looks 'foggy' from the outside, & feels hard to the touch.
if you just leave it on the table & let it harden, then yes, time will depend on the weather (heat & humidity)
not shiny.... even on parchment paper there is a shiny side & a dull side; putting the chocolate on the shiny side has a shiner result (probably not as shiny as you would get with cellephone of one of the plastice collars).
I like doing it with cellophane or parchment becaue it allows you to make the wrap to the exact size you need.
you will be the local expert soon
ciao for now