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Kitchen Guide

Chocolate Coating and Dipping

Chocolate coating or dipping is a very fun process. If you follow a few simple rules, you will succeed. In this section we will be looking at techniques for coating a cake or dipping fruit or cookies into the chocolate.

Tom Tom Founder
Published:
October 19, 2023
Recipes

Chocolate Coating

December 14, 2023

Some people (like me) think that everything coated with chocolate is better. Following this recipe will result in a nice, shiny, and slightly soft chocolate coating that would work great for most applications, including cakes and cookies. You will also find here modifications of this recipe to reach a really solid coating for dipping fruit, cookies, etc.

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Tom Tom Founder

To start, please see my recipe for “Chocolate coating”.

In addition to the tools required for preparing a chocolate coating, you will also need:

Tools for Cake Coating:
Cooling rack on a baking sheet
Kitchen towel
Large icing spatula
Small offset spatula

Tools for Dipping Cookies or Fruit:
Baking sheet with parchment paper

  • Never melt chocolate on top of a pot with boiling water of super high temperatures since you will be risking damaging the chocolate due to instant crystallization. Chocolate doesn’t need a high temperature to melt, and lightly simmering/steaming water will do the work perfectly.
  • The perfect temperature to work with a chocolate coating is between 90 – 105°F, so after you melt the chocolate, make sure that the temperature will decrease to this temperature while constantly whisking.
  • Monitor your chocolate temperature. If it drops under 90°F, return the pot with chocolate on top of the pot with steaming water (it doesn’t need to go back on the burner), and while stirring, slightly increase the temperature to get to 90°F.
  • I prefer to use a whisk for stirring, but you would also be fine using a spatula.
  • Store the remaining chocolate in a plastic container for later use (melt in a water bath right before usage). Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or place into a refrigerator for up to 2 weeks (optionally longer but it may start crystalizing).

Cake Coating

  • If the cake is covered with a marmalade/glaze or any kind of cream, I would strongly recommend that you place the cake into the freezer before coating for about 1 hour. This will make the surface layer stronger and prevent melting or other possible errors during coating. Do not leave in the freezer for more than that amount of time because the cake would get too cold and could make the coating a little harder.
  • Place the cake on a cooling rack on a baking sheet right before coating. The chocolate will drip on the baking sheet which will be able to be reused for the finish coat of the same cake or for another project.
  • Make sure that your chocolate is at a perfect coating temperature, between 90 – 105°F, and that the bottom of the bowl doesn’t have steam residue – wipe it with a kitchen towel.
  • Pour the chocolate in a circling motion right on the edge of the cake and quickly smooth the sides of the cake with an offset spatula.
  • Collect the chocolate coating from under the cake and then pour the chocolate coating onto the center of the cake (pour just enough to coat the top).
  • Then use a large spatula (which can cover the whole cake) and smooth the top of the cake. Since the chocolate starts drying fast, try to minimize the amount of movement (preferably you should use just one motion from the right to the left).
  • During the whole process, work fast and try to minimize the amount of movements.
  • If you would like to coat just the top of the cake, pour the chocolate only into the center of cake, and then carefully distribute to the edge using an offset spatula. When evenly distributed, smooth the chocolate coating using a large spatula.
  • Let it harden in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes (or more) before serving or further decorating.
  • If you are not satisfied with the results of the coating (ie., it is not smooth enough, you did not cover all, etc.), consider pouring another thin layer of chocolate coating after the current coating hardens.

Dipping Cookies or Fruit

  • It is much easier than cake coating.
  • Dip each cookie or fruit individually and place them on a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • If you are only partially dipping your ingredients, make a plan before you start — know the direction or design you want to reach, and hold it with your hand while dipping
  • If you would like to reach a full dip, you may have to use a wood skewer (works great especially with fruit) or tweezers (works great for small cookies). Another option is to dip one half, let it harden, and then dip another side.
  • Or you can place cookies close together on a baking rack over a cookie sheet that is covered with parchment paper. Slowly pour the chocolate over the cookies and spread with a spatula.
  • Let the final product rest in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes (or more) before serving.
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TomFounder
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