Hi!

My question is this....why do people choose to used modeling chocolate over gumpaste or fondant? I see this on "food challenge" all the time and wonder why they do this.

Thanks
LOri

In my experience, modeling chocolate is more firm than fondant or gumpaste and doesn't stretch as much when you go to put it on the cake. I like sculpting figures and things with it better than using a fondant/gumpaste mixture. However, when I have a cake that will be in a warm environment (like outside, in Iowa heat, in August) I will always use gumpaste, as it doesn't seem as affected by the heat as modeling chocolate.

Can modeling chocolate be airbrushed?

I use modeling chocolate or candy clay because it tastes much better, it's easier to work with and you can melt away any seams with the tip of your finger.

ditto what kitty says
diane

I was watching Cake Boss the other day and he said they always use modeling clay when they don't want any seams to show. You can smooth it all out.
I used it today for the first time to make roses for a bd cake; used Wilton candy melts and I loved it. I had already made several rosed in gumpaste for another cake and the modeling clay was much easier.

How much more expensive is modeling chocolate?

It's not very expensive, you make it yourself.

All you need is candy melts or chocolate and corn syrup. It needs to sit at least 6 hours or overnight first. Several of my books suggested using candy melts over real chocolate if you can because its not so greasy and easier to work with. Word of warning- this morning when I went to use the stuff, it was hard as a rock and I couldn't figure out what I did wrong so I looked it up again and it said that was fine, it would soften as you use it. And it did- it took me a coulple of hard pushed to start to work with it but I really made some beautiful roses with it.

1 package of candy melts plus 1/3 cup of corn syrup. Melt the melts, stir in the syrup and double wrap it in saran wrap and bag it. Leave it on the counter overnight. Add colors if needed or use colored melts.

Colleen

I personally use it because it tastes SOOOO much better than fondant. And healingforce is right - it will be rock hard when you get back to it. I just break off small pieces and work them a little bit at a time and the warmth of your hands will soften it enough to use. I love that I can use the colored melts, too, in order to get the color I want without the pastes or gels.
I have not used it to cover a cake yet, but it's on my "to try" list!

I use modeling chocolate whenever I can, because it tastes so much better than fondant. I can get people to taste modeling chocolate just by telling them it's chocolate, when the same people won't put a single sample of fondant in their mouths. [shrugs] Modeling chocolate is also really nice for figures because you can hide any seams. There is a brown horse (not the white one) in my photos that is modeling chocolate.

Deanna

Can you color modeling chocolate with regular colorings like you do icing and fondant or do you need candy colorings?

Has anyone tried covering their cakes with the modeling chocolate. There is a very well known and expensive bakery in my area that says their cakes are covered in rolled chocolate. Just wondering if it is the same thing.

I've covered cakes in modeling chocolate before, but it's a lot easier to do if you mix in a little fondant to provide some stretch to it.

HTH,
Deanna

you have to use powdered or candy colors; regular colors will be to liquidy. there is a good explanation on ehow.com that I found.

I have added color to white modeling chocolate - gel color, no problem. It did make it a lot softer, so I would suggest using a little less corn syrup if you are going to color it.

I've used Americolor gel with no problem, but I typically start with the color chocolate I need, before adding corn syrup, like mixing the different wafers to achieve my color.

I don't use the wafers, I can get white chocolate cheaper here, so I just color it.

i made modeling chocolate for the first time last week to play around with it. I used wilton white candy melts, 14oz, and 3 1/2 Tbs of corn syrup (followed a recipe online, it suggested to back off of the corn syrup when using white chocolate becuase of the oil content). It was very oily, and when i tried to make roses it crumbled. I just looked up the conversion of Tbs to cups (because i saw above, 1 bag of candy melts to 1/3 c of corn syrup) and what I used is more like 1/4 c. It seems to me if i used more to equal the 1/3 c it would make it even more greasy. Can some one educate me on this or give me some pointers?

I typically have to blot the clay with paper towels, b/c it does get oily. But keep working it and kneading it. I use the 1/3 c of corn syrup. I've been able to hand-mold it, and roll it (made the dots on my Mod Monkey cake with it, and the animals on the jungle safari cake) but it will work.
Hope that helps!!

With the wilton candy melts and 1/3 cup of corn syrup I've only ever had it be oily when it was chocolate. the white or colors have never ended up oily after they've sat overnight. I've tried to mess with it before it's ready and that when I seem to see the issue with it being oily

The more you play with it (knead it) the more oils will come forth.

I recently made my first batches of candy clay using Wilton melts (14oz pkg.) w/1/3 cup corn syrup (clear). Because I didn't know any better, I added Wilton gel color to the corn syrup just to see what would happen. Microwaved the melts according to pkg. directions, then stirred in the tinted syrup. Put on a latex glove, kneaded for a bit, then let sit to rm. temp. Kneaded a bit more, then wrapped it up in Saran. Came out great with really vivid color. Made another batch w/red melts, and added a bit of red gel...same results with yellow and green. Rolls out easily w/cornstarch-dusted surface and cuts great.

Thank you ladies for sharing your expertise working with modeling chocolate...and also for providing the websites and recipes.

There will be a difference in results between modeling chocolate made with couverture (cocoa butter based, real white chocolate) and candy melts (hydrogenated fats). The fats in the candy melts will emulsify with corn syrup more easily. When the cocoa butter comes out of the modeling clay made with real, cocoa butter based chocolate, it is because it is not emulsified with the water in the corn syrup. Adding a little more liquid and making sure the temperature of the clay is around body temp, which is where emulsions come together best, will allow the fats to emulsify and create an homogeneous product.

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Candy melts are less expensive and may be easier for you to work with. Real cocoa butter based chocolate will taste better and have a better melting point and mouthfeel for eating. I sell modeling chocolate made with real chocolate on my website, because I believe it is a better product. Charm City Cakes often buys modeling chocolate from me because of the quality.

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Thanks ChocolateCraftKits, I wondered why I had that issue - I much prefer white chocolate - it tastes so much better. So, I should melt my chocolate and let it come back down to body temp THEN add the corn syrup - & use more corn syrup? And that will help the emulsification? GREAT!!! I use a 12 oz bag of white chocolate chips & 1/3 cup (sometimes a little less) of corn syrup, is that enough?

Both the syrup and chocolate are best incorporated at body temperature, or slightly warm. I use weight measurements and also a heavy glucose, so my ratios are different, but about 2 parts chocolate to 1 syrup is the standard...it really does depend on the exact products used.