I am talking here to myself 
Either I could
1)make ganache and use it for scroll work, that would work fine, but I am worried that ganache won't hold nicely on borders around the cake. I have recipe called for chocolate and cream, maybe if I add some butter, it might hold better??
or
2) Make chocolate Cream cheese (which I will use anyway for the filling) and add some piping gel to it, that should be OK with the scrollwork, and work fine with the borders??
What do you think will work better?? Or any other ideas??
I would do melted chocolate (candy coating), my instructor said once that if you a few drops of water to the melted candy coating you easily using for pipping, I've never tried it!
I would do melted chocolate (candy coating), my instructor said once that if you a few drops of water to the melted candy coating you easily using for pipping, I've never tried it!
If you add water to candy coating, you run the risk of it seizing. All you need to do is let the melted chocolate cool until it's about 84 degrees.
I would use ganache, like from Martha Stewart's website. Just let it get cool at room temp or fridge, and it gets stiff enough to pipe. It does get "melty" if you have hot hands. I just melt dark chocolate and mix it into my SMBC -not when it's warm or it will melt the buttercream. Don't mix in your metal bowl or the chocolate might harden into little chunks when it hits cold metal.
Seriously, I would just use your chocolate cream cheese filling that you are making anyway.
I really wouldn't want to pipe melted chocolate for the borders, but it's fine for scroll work. Just make sure you don't use a metal piping tip, or it will get too cold and harden/set up and clog your tip.
Well the instructor tried it and it looked fine, the trick is to add just a couple of drops to the melted chocolate!
thank you!!! I too think cream cheese icing with chocolate would work better, I just wanted to achieve the chocolate look (natural dark color). Will see I will practice next time I bake. Thank you again...
Glad to help 
I'm on here waiting for some replies to my own frosting questions, too!
I would do melted chocolate (candy coating), my instructor said once that if you a few drops of water to the melted candy coating you easily using for pipping, I've never tried it!
In culinary school we did the same thing with tempered chocolate, but as they mentioned you literally add a drop or two of water, stir it in and then pipe it... it works beautifully and does not seize!
Since you'll be making the choc cream cheese, I'd just use that.
I have also used store-bought dark choc fudge icing for just small amounts of piping and stuff. It is the perfect consistency for scrolls.
I used canned frosting for this wedding cake, too! I didn't have chocolate filling left, and it was light chocolate colored anyway. I was getting groceries and thought "perfect, no mixing dark chocolate icing!". It's such a small amount for piping, they couldn't taste it that much (as I don't like the texture or flavor of it as a rule). It's a little soft, which I like for scroll work. Here is my cake picture using it:
http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-photo_1302977.html
[quote="sweetiesbykim"]
Since you'll be making the choc cream cheese, I'd just use that.
I have also used store-bought dark choc fudge icing for just small amounts of piping and stuff. It is the perfect consistency for scrolls.
Your cake is so beautiful. I am going to use similar design. Do you think the store bought icing will be enough to decorate (scrolls) and for borders on 3 tier (14;10;6) round cake?? I should have probably two?
You're so sweet, ZlatkaT!
I only used half of a container for the scroll work and had a good amount left in the bag. I used a #2 tip because I was running late and didn't want to worry about the tip clogging with a #1. I don't normally have hot hands, but running late and nervous about delivery, my piping got quite soft. I would get 2-3 containers, and maybe stir in some 10X for a little more body to the icing if it's a star tip border, don't worry about it if it's just a small round tip pearl border. Maybe it was just my brand, but it was soft.
FYI -That cake was covered with fondant. By the time I went to imprint with the Wilton scroll designs, it was too set and they wouldn't press in! I just took a deep breath and began to pipe free-hand. I liked the freedom after I got over being upset, and it was probably quicker and better not having to follow those imprint lines so exactly. I mostly wanted them for the spacing, I guess.
sweetiesbykim,
thank you, I will check this out. I also bought the design imprint mat, but I am not using fondant, just cream cheese, I am little worry to do this, as it might stick to the icing, and mess out the smooth finish. I will need to do a practice cake. I am little bit disappointed with the impression mats, it would be nicer if they will make the designs deeper in the mats.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0008DI9XY/?tag=cakecentral-20
This is what I planned on using, but I have the gold/yellow old set with lots of C curls and a scroll looking "E" in cursive (hard to explain). These don't mess up the frosting job, you just press it in enough to see the design, then pipe over the lines. It might be easier for you than handling a whole mat.
Yes, I have this one too, but the lady I make cake for give me a pics of cake, and the design is different, so I ended up buying impression mat, I am curious how it will work. Like I said, it would be nicer, if they could make the impression little deeper to imprint on cake, I cannot imagine to do it on fondant.
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