This is one of Mike's of Mike's Amazing Cakes that I found on brides.com Can anyone recommend a book or direct me to a tutorial or dvd that shows the technique. From the the brief description, I know these are chocolate panels wrapped around a buttercream cake. What I don't know is...

Is this modeling chocolate made with corn syrup?
If so, is there a trick to get it to set to hold up to molding?
Are the flowers royal icing, piped chocolate, or modeling chocolate cutouts?

I tried to google more info on doing this type of chocolate work but I don't even know what or if there is a technical term for this type of pastry work.

I found something on flickr of someone that took a class back in 2008 with Mike in Houston. From her pics, he taught the paneling technique in the class but there was no more information providing details and her last comment or her flickr accout was several months ago so...

Here is the link to the cake...
http://www.brides.com/planning/cakes/gallery/editorspick/detail/174488/

Any help, suggestions, etc...THANK YOU IN ADVANCE!

You can take classes or buy one of Mike's DVD's:

http://tinyurl.com/ku3eyb

HTH

I have Mike's Car Cake dvd but he has not come out with any others yet. As far as classes go the only thing we have in the way of classes in my area are the Wilton classes offered at local crafts stores.

With that said I have to rely on CC, books, dvds, and tutorials so if anyone can point me in the right direction it would be greatly appreciated.

Try doing a search (not necessarily just on CC) for chocolate transfer. I've seen some good tutorials before that I think are probably what you're looking for...but of course right at the moment I can't remember where I saw them.

Okay, found one: http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=599861&postdays=0&postorder=asc&&start=0

Oh and it seemed to say in the description of the cake that the flowers were also made of chocolate. I think you could use fondant or gumpaste instead though and then use a tiny bit of melted chocolate to attach them if gum glue didn't do the trick.

Thanks Texas_Rose,

From the Flickr site, the blogger posted images from the class of rolled out chocolate and poster board template with a pic of Mike cutting out the design with an exacto knife. That unfortunately is where her description ends.

From seeing Mike on the Food Network and his car dvd, he uses modeling chocolate alot but to what thickness, setting time and application to the cake are what I'm foggy on.

Through google I am surprised that I have not had much luck but maybe I am not using the correct terminology for what I am looking for. All I keep getting are book suggestions for doing artisan chocolates but not modeling or sculpting with chocolate.

The description definitely said modeling chocolate for the walls and flowers. I would try that. The walls look thick(1/4"?). I would want to roll that out to get the thickness and smoothness. Also, I'm wondering if he didn't make a template ahead of time and carefully hide the seams behind the arching stems? Hmmm...

Oops double post

Thanks JanH and matthewkyrankelly.

That is a gorgeous cake, but I imagine it was a bear to cut and serve!

Nickilyn - I don't know where you are, but Mike will be teaching classes at two shops in Georgia soon - in Atlanta in October and in Savannah in November. It is a two-day class, and one day covers the chocolate panels like on that cake! It is obviously a smaller and simplified version, but ....... Contact Mike's store for contact details. And, they really aren't bad to cut and serve like you'd think. A sharp, thin knife glides right through.

Thanks ibmoser, I'm in Louisiana.