Wrapping A Cake In Chocolate By Shirleyw

Decorating By stephanie214 Updated 13 Mar 2014 , 8:27pm by ellavanilla

stephanie214 Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
stephanie214 Posted 26 Dec 2006 , 8:33pm
post #1 of 222

Hi Everyone,

This is ShirleyW method for wrapping a cake in chocolate.

I buy Mylar, a clear plastic that comes in sheets from a plastic store but I think that art supply stores or maybe Home Depot carry it as well.

There are different thicknesses of Mylar; you don't want it too thick or it will try and pull away from the cake when you wrap, too thin and it will wobble and make the wrap look wavy when the chocolate has set. You just have to go by feel, trial and error till you find the one that is perfect.

I measure the circumference of the cake plus about 1/4" and the height that I want the wrap to be, usually a tiny bit taller than the iced cake; say about 4 1/2".

Lay the strip of Mylar flat on a table top or counter, spread the melted chocolate smoothly over the strip with an off set spatula; thickness is probably 1/8" or so. You don't want to be able to see the plastic through the chocolate but you don't want it too thick and globby either; again, trial and error.

Have the iced cake ready on a covered cake board.

Pick the strip up carefully at both ends with the tips of your fingers at the top edges. Get in as close as possible to the bottom of the cake where it touches the cake board; tilt the top of the strip back towards yourself just slightly. Let the bottom of the strip touch the cake board just next to the cake, move your hands in, bringing the strip top up so the plastic is standing straight and is touching the cake side.

Begin moving your hands in opposite directions as you go around the cake until the strip is completely wrapped around. Touch one end of the strip to the cake, you will have a tiny bit of overlap when you bring the other end around; touch it to the end of the other strip.

Put the cake in the fridge for about 10 minutes or until completely set.

Carefully take your fingernail or a sharp knife point and work loose the outside edge of the strip where they join together. The strip will almost release itself but you can help it along, just carefully peel it off from one end to the other.

I make chocolate curls and fill in the top but you could do just chocolate shavings or flowers if you want.

One tip I will give you is, when you attach the strip and begin moving your hands around the cake from the left and the right, get the bottom of the strip in first; then upright the strip and it will attach itself at the top.

People have a habit of going around after the wrap is on the cake and smoothing the outside of the strip with the palm of their hand. If you do that, it will cause the strip to wave and the set chocolate will be wavy and uneven.

After the strip is secured to the cake and before refrigerating, you can carefully run your finger along the top edge of the strip to wipe away any excess chocolate. Just don't push in or down on the strip.

221 replies
megankennedy Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
megankennedy Posted 26 Dec 2006 , 8:41pm
post #2 of 222

thanks!!! I can't wait to be able to try this....can I use candy melts as well as chocolate? (for color...)

beachcakes Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
beachcakes Posted 26 Dec 2006 , 8:42pm
post #3 of 222

Thanks ShirleyW and thanks stepanie for posting! I can't wait to try this!!!

ShirleyW Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
ShirleyW Posted 26 Dec 2006 , 9:04pm
post #4 of 222

Thanks for posting that for me Stephanie. I wish I had step by step photos to go along with it but I live alone and no one to take pictures as I work. There are several chocolate wrap cakes in my photo gallery and other CC members have done some beautiful wraps as well. Here are a couple I did awhile back. It is a very easy way to make a simple cake look elegant.
http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=coppermine&file=displayimage&meta=allby&uname=ShirleyW&cat=0&pos=88

http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=coppermine&file=displayimage&meta=allby&uname=ShirleyW&cat=0&pos=18

tyty Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
tyty Posted 26 Dec 2006 , 9:20pm
post #5 of 222

Thanks for posting I will have to try this one day.

stephanie214 Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
stephanie214 Posted 26 Dec 2006 , 9:27pm
post #6 of 222

Anytime icon_biggrin.gif

Gosh Shirley...your cakes and flowers are truly amazing thumbs_up.gif

ShirleyW Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
ShirleyW Posted 26 Dec 2006 , 9:29pm
post #7 of 222

Thanks Stephanie. icon_wink.gif

eagerlearner Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
eagerlearner Posted 27 Dec 2006 , 1:26pm
post #8 of 222

This may be a stupid question, but is the chocolate side of the strip touching the cake, or the plastic???

aobodessa Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
aobodessa Posted 27 Dec 2006 , 3:21pm
post #9 of 222
Quote:
Originally Posted by eagerlearner

This may be a stupid question, but is the chocolate side of the strip touching the cake, or the plastic???




Not totally stupid, just a question a learner would ask. The chocolate side of the strip should touch the cake so you can peel the plastic away neatly, leaving the chocolate exactly where you want it to be.

Odessa

beachcakes Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
beachcakes Posted 27 Dec 2006 , 3:41pm
post #10 of 222

What kind of chocolate do you use? I'm guessing it needs to be tempered? which i have no clue how to do...

ShirleyW Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
ShirleyW Posted 27 Dec 2006 , 5:24pm
post #11 of 222

You can temper, but for just a single wrap you don't have to. I use whatever type chocolate I have on hand, even chocolate chips, but I add a bit of vegetable oil to the chocolate. It gives the wrap a bit of shine and flexibility. For 1 lb. of chocolate I use about 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil, so adjust to the amount of chocolate you are using. You can use melted cocoa butter but it isn't always available locally and is more expensive than oil. Just melt the chocolate till smooth, don't overheat it, then stir in the oil.

beachcakes Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
beachcakes Posted 27 Dec 2006 , 5:44pm
post #12 of 222

Thanks, Shirley! I can't wait to try this! It's so elegant!

JoanneK Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
JoanneK Posted 27 Dec 2006 , 5:57pm
post #13 of 222

I am so excited about trying this. The cakes look so nice this way.

I have a few questions myself before I give it a go though.

Can you use the chocolate candy melts? If so, do you add the oil?

Do you put the chocolate strip on while still wet or do you let it dry first?

How do you do the chocolate folds like in your cake?

Beautiful! Just beautiful!

oolala Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
oolala Posted 27 Dec 2006 , 6:01pm
post #14 of 222

This one here is done by CakeWork in San Francisco:
LL

ShirleyW Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
ShirleyW Posted 27 Dec 2006 , 7:32pm
post #15 of 222
Quote:
Originally Posted by JoanneK

I am so excited about trying this. The cakes look so nice this way.

I have a few questions myself before I give it a go though.

Can you use the chocolate candy melts? If so, do you add the oil?

Do you put the chocolate strip on while still wet or do you let it dry first?

How do you do the chocolate folds like in your cake?

Beautiful! Just beautiful!




I am not sure if those questions were directed at me Joanne. What folds are you speaking of? I have never used candy melts, if they don't set up too firm or too quickly they would probably work. I would experiment with them without adding oil to begin with, if they seem to harden too quickly or crack when you wrap the cake you may need to add some oil. I attach the wrap while it is still in a soft stage, just after smoothing it with the spatula. If you allow it to set up for too long I think it will develop cracks in the finished wrap.

The striped cakes done by Cakeworks are lovely, I've been to their shop in San Francisco, gorgeous! But that is something I wouldn't try until I knew I had the basic wrap technique down pat. Add a stripe and then building beside it with other colors seems tricky. My guess is the first color will have set too much by the time you got the last one done, I can only think that after doing all of the stripes you might hit the entire wrap with a hot blow dryer to soften it enough to wrap the cake.

mkolmar Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
mkolmar Posted 29 Dec 2006 , 8:44pm
post #16 of 222

I'm so glad I for this thread! I'm usually to chicken to try fondant of Chocolate wraps but I think I might just have to learn so I can make cakes that look 1/2 as good as all of yours. Lot's of good info and questions.

cocorum21 Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
cocorum21 Posted 10 Jan 2007 , 5:01pm
post #17 of 222

After I put the melted chocolate on the strip how long should it sit before I try wrapping the cake?

ShirleyW Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
ShirleyW Posted 10 Jan 2007 , 6:49pm
post #18 of 222

I don't let it set at all, I apply it to the cake as soon as I have smoothed the chocolate on the strip.

sweetbaker Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
sweetbaker Posted 16 Jan 2007 , 3:30pm
post #19 of 222

The instructions say to have iced cake ready on board. Do you ice the cake in buttercream first then apply the chocolate? Have you ever just applied the chocolate directly to the cake without a base of icing?

FuturamaFanatic Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
FuturamaFanatic Posted 16 Jan 2007 , 3:51pm
post #20 of 222

Wow, this sounds (and looks) so awesome. But along with all the questions, here's mine. Does the chocolate really peel off that easily or do you have to grease the plastic somehow?
Your cakes look great!!

ShirleyW Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
ShirleyW Posted 16 Jan 2007 , 4:22pm
post #21 of 222

I suppose you could wrap without icing the cake but I think it would be kind of dry and tasteless. I ice in buttercream for a white chocolate wrap, and Sarah Bernhardt chocolate glaze for a semi sweet chocolate wrap.

The chocolate peels away from the plastic on it's own once it is cold and completely set. No need to grease the plastic.

christeena Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
christeena Posted 16 Jan 2007 , 4:41pm
post #22 of 222

I just tried doing a chocolate transfer sheet and wrapped it around my purse cake (in my pics) with white candy melts. NOT EASY!! First off the candy melts, if left at toom temp. took up to 20 minutes to even begin to get firm enough to wrap. So... then I tried putting it in the fridge and if I wasn't watching it like a hawk it would get to hard to work with. I managed to complete my cake but I think I'll try using chocolate chips with a little crisco added to it like Shirley suggested. I tried to place the tranfer sheet up against the side of the cake and the chocolate "slid" down, marring the design a bit. I need more practice for sure!! Of course, DH said i shouldn't try something new on a major cake project like a purse cake!!

JanH Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
JanH Posted 16 Jan 2007 , 6:37pm
post #23 of 222

Wow!!!

Thanks Shirley and stephanie icon_smile.gif

ShirleyW Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
ShirleyW Posted 21 Jan 2007 , 5:58pm
post #24 of 222
Quote:
Originally Posted by christeena

I just tried doing a chocolate transfer sheet and wrapped it around my purse cake (in my pics) with white candy melts. NOT EASY!! First off the candy melts, if left at toom temp. took up to 20 minutes to even begin to get firm enough to wrap. So... then I tried putting it in the fridge and if I wasn't watching it like a hawk it would get to hard to work with. I managed to complete my cake but I think I'll try using chocolate chips with a little crisco added to it like Shirley suggested. I tried to place the tranfer sheet up against the side of the cake and the chocolate "slid" down, marring the design a bit. I need more practice for sure!! Of course, DH said i shouldn't try something new on a major cake project like a purse cake!!




Christeena I would suggest making the plain chocolate wrap first, let it chill completely and remove the plastic, then cut a transfer sheet to the exact size of the wrap, coat it with chocolate and wrap it around on top of the first wrap. It will give you more stability and something for the transfer sheet to cling to.

And Jan, your welcome, happy to help.

christeena Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
christeena Posted 21 Jan 2007 , 9:06pm
post #25 of 222

Thanks for the suggestion, Shirley, as I got an order for a chocolate lovers birthday cake and I want to try to do another floral transfer sheet that I got form Beryl's on that cake. I think I will do a small practice cake first, just to be sure!!

ShirleyW Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
ShirleyW Posted 21 Jan 2007 , 9:10pm
post #26 of 222

Good idea, then you won't be stressed when you do the cake order.

sweetbaker Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
sweetbaker Posted 22 Jan 2007 , 2:46pm
post #27 of 222

Shirley, Thanks for your response.

ShirleyW Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
ShirleyW Posted 22 Jan 2007 , 7:10pm
post #28 of 222

Your quite welcome.

icedbycarrie Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
icedbycarrie Posted 23 Jan 2007 , 3:41pm
post #29 of 222

oooh, I can't wait to try this! thanks for sharing your tips, Shirley!

ShirleyW Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
ShirleyW Posted 24 Jan 2007 , 1:44am
post #30 of 222

Your welcome, post photos when you do yours please?

Quote by @%username% on %date%

%body%