Hi

Could someone share their tried and tested recipe for modelling chocolate? I have looked up all over the internet and found recipes with varying quantities / proportion of chocolate and corn syrup. I need a recipe that has been tried for white chocolate (I am planning to use normal bars, and not candy melts) and corn syrup.

Thank you!

Hi! I've been trying to respond to your question for 3 days, but this site has made it impossible.

I use modeling chocolate to cover all my cakes and for making decorations, etc.  It tastes so much better than fondant that I never use just regular fondant anymore. I have found that most online recipes are too soft due to the proportions of chocolate to corn syrup.  This is what I use:

Chocolate chips, candy melts, almond bark, bars - whatever type of chocolate (any color) you're using - around 24 ounces makes a good batch.

Corn syrup - no more than 1/2 cup.

Melt your chocolate slowly and then add the corn syrup.  It will thicken immediately and look like it has seized up and is ruined.  Stir well and turn out onto waxed paper on your counter.  AS SOON as it is cool enough to work with, start kneading the excess oil out of it.  It will be very messy and little pieces will fall off. Pick them up and keep going.  Just when you think it's never going to work, it will begin to smooth out and look beautiful. Cover with shortening and let it rest for at least 4 hours - preferably overnight.

At this point treat it just like fondant.  DON'T refrigerate it. You might need to soften it in the microwave for about 10 seconds when you start to use it and if you're using it for decorations that need to hold their shape, you may want to mix it 50/50 with regular fondant or gumpaste. You'll find that controlling the room termperature is key.  In a cold room it will be very hard while in a warm room it will be very soft.

I hope this works as well for you.  Good luck.

I use modeling chocolate exclusively for my figures and use Shawna McGreevy's recipe and method.  This two ingredient formula is deceptively tricky, so it is helpful to watch her detailed video.  She explains every step in great detail.  There is a learning curve with modeling chocolate compared to fondant and gum paste, but well worth the effort.

Thank you so much cakefan92. I really appreciate your trying to respond to my post for 3 days. This recipe comes in time for my little one's birthday. My first time with modelling chocolate, so useful to have a tried and tested recipe. It was getting too confusing with different recipes online.

Thank you so much Sandra. I did see this video and found it quite straightforward and helpful but the chocolate and corn syrup proportion was not matching with some other recipes I found. Good to know that you have tried it and it works. By the way, she uses chocolate chips for this recipe. Have you also tried it with bars?

Hi Cakefan92 

I tried the recipe today but mine turned out crumbly. I had used 24 ounces white chocolate and 240 ml homemade corn syrup. I guessed it has less corn syrup perhaps, so warmed up and added around 3 tables spoons (one at a time). That reduced the crumbly texture but still it felt like cookie dough texture ...crumbles and doesn't stretch like fondant or modelling chocolate should. My homemade corn syrup had crystallized. Could that be a problem? I tried to microwave the whole thing so as to melt any sugar crystals that may be undissolved perhaps causing the dry crumbly texture. But it still didn't come around. I had microwaved it at 50% power for 40 seconds (warm to touch). I was wondering what could the problem be and how can I resolve it. 

Hi newbee.  White chocolate can be a challenge, but it sounds like you didn't knead it quite enough - it takes a while.  My suggestion is to microwave it until it's very warm, just be careful not to cook it.  Knead it until you can't get any more oil out of it and it should smooth out. It might help to roll it in paper towels and lightly mash the oil out. 

Good luck.

I've been talking with a friend who lives in Germany and her son was in the cake business for over 25 years.  She asked him and he said they used Couverture to cover cakes and for modeling.  That's all I know about it ????

Thank you so much for asking your friend Sandra. Really appreciate it.