I made a 6" cake that I attempted to wrap with a chocolate transfer sheet. I used Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate. After the chocolate sheet had sat around the cake for hours, I attempted to pull it away. It was a total mess. It was like the chocolate never set. Most of the chocolate stuck to the wrap and not the cake. The chocolate that did come off the sheet just fell to the plate, it did not stick to the cake. Should I have tempered the chocolate? Did I spread the chocolate too thick on the transfer? help!

yes, you need to temper the chocolate. it also helps to let it set up in the fridge for about 20 minutes, which makes removing the sheet much much easier. if you made a six inch cake, you probably only needed about 1/2 a bag of chocolate chips, 2/3 at the most. did you have frosting underneath the chocolate? did you chill the wrapped cake?

last, did you save the cake and are you trying to repair it?

I've used chocolate transfer sheets for years, and I've never tempered the chocolate. I add a few teaspoons of shortening to the chocolate when I melt it. I spread it on about 1/8 inch thick. The chocolate must be warm when you spread it on the transfer or it won't come off on the chocolate.

I'm sorry you had so much trouble!

Jodie

Thanks for your help. Yes, I did have icing underneath the cake. I allowed the buttercream to crust. Was that a mistake? It did sit in the fridge first, but when I left to go to the mall I took it from the fridge and left it on the counter. I'm not trying to repair it. It was for my sister so I covered it with pirouettes instead. I'd like to make another one ASAP without having another disaster on my hands.

It shouldn't have mattered that the buttercream crusted. The chocolate should be starting to set when you wrap it, but not be runny. Then I gently run my hands over the transfer, pressing the chocolate to the buttercream and smoothing it. Then I put it in the fridge until the chocolate is hard and then peel off the acetate.