Is it easier to sculpt figures with modeling chocolate than it is with fondant? Where can I buy modeling chocolate? And can it be colored the same as fondant? Also, is Choco-pan the same thing?

yes.


http://www.pastrychef.com/MODELING-CHOCOLATE_p_7-779.html


with the use of candy/chocolate colors, it can be colored similar to fondant.


choco-pan is chocolate fondant not modeling chocolate...not the same.

I actually use modeling chocolate alot more than I do fondant, even to cover my cakes. I find it's much more forgiving than fondant and way easier to fix tears or smooth seams perfectly. Plus, many people tell me it tastes better than fondant, including MMF. I actually only use fondant when I am in need of either a very white color (white modeling chocolate is a very light ivory) or black because I don't feel like going through the trouble of coloring adding black to the dark modeling chocolate (it's a pain).

As All4cake mentioned you can color it, and definitely do not use regular food coloring to do this. You have to use candy coloring, it's the gel color you find in the chocolate section at Michael's. This is because the chocolate will absorb the gel colors much easier than the red food coloring w/o thinning out or seizing the modeling chocolate. Alternately, you can just do what I do, which is to use the Wilton colored disks to make the modeling chocolate. They come in tons of colors and if there's ever a color I need that they don't have I simply combine different colored melting disks when melting to get the right color and then maybe add just a touch of food coloring to adjust. You can also mix different colors of the finished modeling chocolate to get the color you like.

I don't buy my modeling chocolate because it's so easy to make. It's made mixing light Karo syrup with melted chocolate. The Wilton instructions don't work well for me so if you'd like just PM me and I'd be happy to share the instructions. Will cost you all of about $4.00 - $5.00 to make a lb of dark or 8.00 for 1.5 lbs colored and it tastes great.

Would you be able to send me your instructions too, to my email link? Just if you have time. I have used the premade kind before but the last time I tried making it, it totally did not work....it was way too hard...and then instead of getting softer it just would melt in my hands. I'd love to start incorporating it a bit more in some of my cakes.

Sure, I'll send it along to you. Just remember to use plastic gloves when working with it. It helps to shield some of the heat from your hands and keeps from getting the chocolate greasy. Also, if you find it getting too soft from handling then just pop it in the fridge for a minute or two and it will firm right up. After you've worked with it a couple of times you'll know exactly when you need to do this. Trust me, it's worth the extra effort when you see how forgiving this stuff can be compared to the fondant. With a smooth, flexible scraper you can smooth almost anything down with modeling chocolate, I love it. For this you can use small square with rounded edges cut from either X-ray film or the smooth side of a magnifying sheet (found at a craft store).

Do you know how modeling chocolate holds up in warmer climates?

Well, once it's set I've never had any problem with it. It's not like regular chocolate that would melt in the heat. In fact, come to think about it, the poker table that I made was made entirely from modeling chocolate in the heat of the summer (with exception of the playing cards because I wanted them to be as stark white as possible). This cake survived a 2 hour drive to Newport RI. Though I can't vouch for what it would do in 95 degree heat for 6 hours...You do want to be in the AC when you're working with it in the summer though.

I've had modelling chocolate roses melt in the heat here. It can soften up but it does okay if you can keep it cool. I wouldn't use it for flowers for an outdoor wedding in the summer, but I use it a lot in the cooler months. I would think that cakes that are covered with it would be fine in the heat, though. It's just the petals of the flowers that start to sag.

I have to agree with you costumeczar. I'd be careful about using any very thin pieces in the heat. I prefer to make the delicate items such as flowers in gumpaste just to be on the safe side if I can't keep the cakes refrigerated up until serving.

Hmmm, I wonder if you mixed 50/50 gumpaste with modeling chocolate.....uh oh, I smell another project brewing

I just saw this post about modeling chocolate and I am fascinated! I checked out the poker table that Anasasi did!!!Wow Is that a cake covered in it ( chocolate) or is it solid chocolate. I am guessing it is a cake covered? Sorry for what might be a stupid question, but I am new to this. I too would love to give this a try, and would love the recipe , if anyone has the time to email me with it.
Thanks for any info and what a forum of talented people

Anasasi, can you please PM me your recipe also? I made modeling chocolate using the Wilton recipe this past weekend, and didn't like the results. I would love to try a different recipe. Thanks!

Anasasi,
Is the cute little figure in your avatar made of modeling chocolate?

thanks poohsmamma, and yep it is. Odie's actually a 12" cake plus a half ball cake for the tush. It's all covered in modeling chocolate. Odie's head/ears/paws were sculpted from RKT and covered in the MC. Only the eyes and bone were covered in fondant for the stark white color. I've covered about 85% of my cakes in it (have some others posted in my pics).

costumeczar, thanks for saving my the time with that. Do you find that the 50/50 fondant and modeling chocolate holds up in the heat with the delicate stuff such as petals? Or am I better off sticking with gumpaste for those?

Anasasi:

I would love to have your molding chocolate recipe as well if you could email it to me. I am new at this also and am fascinated with all the talent on this website.

Thanks,
Cmgary

i mix 50/50 modeling chocolate with fondant. like pettinice. taste really great. little more stable for hot weather.

Perfect, thanks icer101! I will have to give it a try. Do you still get good details in flowers this way?

You can't get the petals as thin, but it's fine for most purposes!

I would love to have your molding chocolate recipe.

yes, you can still get good details. i take a lot of chocolate demos at ices. that is where i see and hear this. and then i do it. you can even use your petal and leaf veiners also. you have to do according to the weather, etc. don,t you think? again, thank you .anasasi for your recipes too. will try covering a cake with chocolate like you said.done most things with chocolate.. but never covered a CAKE!!!ha!

There is a product called 'chocolate coloring agent' from americolor that apparently, when added, allows you to use any normal gel color in your chocolate.

Anyone ever try this?

Thanks for the info. Can you please send me your recipe for the modeling chocolate?

Thanks for the info. Can you please send me your recipe for the modeling chocolate?

Is this recipe close to the one you use? It looks super easy...I think I'll play with it this weekend!

http://cakecentral.com/recipes/1608/chocolate-clay-modeling-chocolate

I had classes with Mike McCarey and Lauren Kitchens last week. They both use regular gel colors with their modeling chocolate (that they make). You have to go ahead and make your modeling chocolate and then add the gel color. If you add it to the melted chocolate, it will seize.

Mike's class was two days on modeling chocolate and Lauren's was only 4 hours (Muppets 101), so I got a lot more information from Mike. He uses a lot of powder colors, especially for the dark and/or vibrant colors. You can use gel, but it takes a lot more and you are changing the consistency of your modeling chocolate.