I had never made these before, so I had no idea this would happen.... I made some white chocolate covered strawberrie to put on a cake order, and when I pulled the cake out of the fridge this morning there was juice all over the cake! I was able to rearrange the berries & sop up some of the juice with a paper towel, but it was pretty scary since this was my first order for a stranger!

Does this always happen? Should I have just made the strawberries the day of pick up and put them on the cake at the last minute?

Melissa

What kind of chocolate did you use? I know that Giradhelli chocolate coats really well. I have not had any problems with the strawberries leaking when I used that brand.
traci

I used the almond bark, which is what a friend told me to use.

Actually it shouldn't have anything to do with the kind of chocolate you are using. Chocolate covered strawberries are meant to hold up for about 12 hours max. The closer to serving or delivery time you place them on the cake, the better. Your strawberries should be ripe but firm, with as much moisture paper towelled off as possible. Do not soak them to get them clean, in fact most pastry chefs only wipe them with a dampened paper towel and then dry them. If you have to do them up ahead. line a cookie sheet or plastic container with paper towels and refridgerte them separately, only placing them on the cake close to serving or delivery time.
Some people will tell you not to refridgerate them, but actually this creates more of a moisture issue.
It is the moisture from the strawberries that naturally leaks out, has nothing to do with the chocolate you are using. Candy melts or any chocolate meant for dipping or chocolate that has been tempered, is fine.
Be cautious if you are not removing the stems or leaves as sometimes these will grow mold while in the refridgerator. I have seen this happen several times.
Hugs Squirrelly Cakes

I used chocolate dipped strawberries on a cake covered in gnache and had the same problem with the juice coming out of the chocolate... since it was just on gnache I was able to gently wipe them up before delivery. The next time I do this, however, I will wait until just before I deliver to place the strawberries on the cake,

Next time I will definitely wait and make the strawberries the day of. Live and learn!

Melissa

Heehee, how do you think I learned, haha! I still remember my nice stabilized whipped cream topped cake with the pools of red, haha! I also remember rescuing a cake for a neighbour. She had made a gorgeous cheesecake and had place the full strawberry with leaves, dunked in chocolate on top of the cake. It was for a christening and hubby and I were going over to get the food tables set up for her while she was at the christening. I took the cake out and there was mold growing on the leaves, yuck! Fortunately none of the mold was touching the cake, so I just removed all of the strawberries and pitched them and made up flowers out of cut marshmallows with drained maraschino cherries in the centres. It was pretty funny because when she came home and saw the cake she got this puzzled look on her face. I took her aside to explain what had happened and none of the guests was any wiser. We had a good chuckle about it after the guests left. We were calling it the "Penicillin Cheesecake"!
Hugs Squirrelly