I'm a newbie, but have been asked to make a canoe cake. My plan is to make a rice krispie canoe on an ocean themed cake. The shows seem to have the top chefs covering their RCT creations in both fondant and modelling chocolate. Is there any benefit to using one over the other?
Please help, this is for next weekend and I am clueless! 
The best benefit I see is that you can completely smooth out seams on modeling chocolate.
Modeling chocolate sticks to itself, so you don't need water or any other type of glue to stick pieces together.
Rae
So there isn't any difference in say, the weight or difficulty, that would favor one over the other? I just started working with modelling chocolate so I am still getting used to the feel. My canoe is about 18 inches long, its going to sit on two 12 by 18 sheet cakes, so I am not sure if the size matters. I know the chocolate will defintely taste better! Thanks for the reply!
msulli10, I have been using the recipe posted on the wilton website for their choc melts, I believe they call it candy clay. I am sure there are much better recipes out there!
Thanks, but I think chocolate clay is different than modeling chocolate.
They're basically the same thing.
Wilton markets candy melts, not real chocolate, so they often call it candy clay.
If you use real chocolate, you get modeling chocolate, chocolate plastique, chocolate leather, etc.
Rae
Thanks, but I think chocolate clay is different than modeling chocolate.
My understanding is it's just 2 different names for the same thing.
That's what I think, too. I've used modeling chocolate b/c I just don't like the taste of fondant personally, and also because I can use it in conjunction with whipped cream icing. I've never covered a cake with it, but I've used it to make different figures, etc. Used it on my jungle cake to make the animals, and I also used it to make the tiara on my princess cake.
I think it's a little harder to work with, but the taste is much better! 
HTH!
where do you buy modeling chocolate?
You make it. It's the same as chocolate clay.
I use Mercken's chocolate/melts. They taste SO much better than Wilton -(I'm such a snob...I won't even look at Wilton! LOL!) They work really well.
When you are making it, it seems like with colored melts tend to excrete more oils, but I just blot it, and let it go in the fridge until it sets up. Then, I knead it a little at a time, until its pliable. It takes a few minutes to get it soft again after it sets up, but hang in there. The warmth of your hands helps get it going.
You can also color (I use Americolor) it after you've kneaded it to make it pliable again.
I guess depending on where you look, chocolate clay can or cannot be the same as modeling chocolate. My understanding was always that modeling chocolate is basically melted chocolate and corn syrup where chocolate clay is a chocolate mixture that includes fondant as one of the ingredients. However, various sites do show recipes for "chocolate clay" that is nothing more than chocolate and corn syrup.
I guess to decide which you prefer you'll have to do some 'xperimentin'! 
here's a tutorial I made on how to make candy clay.
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