Fail proof chocolate glaze
There is something about applying a perfectly shiny glaze on a cake. If done properly and successfully, it can feel quite rewarding. There are so many things that can go wrong when glazing a cake, such as applying it at an incorrect temperature, when the mousse cake have defrosted too much, incorporating too much air bubbles in to the glaze, not levelling off excess glaze from the top with a palette knife fast enough after applying, and the list goes on.
When applying glaze over an Entremet (a French style layered mouse cake), there is no time for hesitation. Palette knife ready! Glaze and level! If you have a moment of doubt and takes too long to "palette" off the excess glaze from the top of the cake, you are setting yourself up for a cold set glaze with drip marks on the edges. If that is the case, there is little you can do to salvage it without compromising the quality of the cake and the glaze itself. If you hold the palette knife too deep in to the glaze when trying to level off the excess, you'd end up scraping too much glaze off. If the mousse cake is too soft or not cold enough, you'd end up creating a melting mess.
There is no tip to success on how to glaze a cake perfectly for the first timers but to practice, practice and practice. In here I will share with you some tips and tricks to maintain a good shiny glaze and the rest is really up to your own experiment and determination.
Whether you are new to glazing or is looking for a fail proof recipe, below is the chocolate glaze that I always fall back to. The trick in making the glaze shiny and free of air bubble is to ensure that you heat the glaze to the correct temperature before cooling it down, stick blend the glaze mix as carefully as possible and make sure you use the right type of stick blender. I use Bamix and they seem to do the trick all the time. I have tried using Kitchenaid but because of the way the tip and blade is shaped, it incorporates too much air bubbles in to the glaze, so I wouldn't recommend using Kitchenaid for blending glazes. If you are looking for a cheaper stick blender and still does the job, cuisine art is a good option as well.
So here it is and I hope you find good use for this recipe as much as I do.
It is recommended that the glaze is prepared a day ahead for best result.
RECIPE
Shiny Chocolate Glaze
Cream (35% Fat) 300 g
Water 150 g
Caster Sugar 350 g
Cocoa Powder 140 g
Gelatin Sheets (GOLD) 18g
Instructions:
1. Soak gelatin in cold water for at least 15 minutes prior.
2. Add water, sugar, cocoa powder and cream into a pot. Whisk the ingredients over the heat until it comes to a boil. Keep stirring aiming at the bottom of the pot to avoid the mix catching at the base and can cause the glaze to burn. If that happens, do not scrape the base and transfer the glaze in to a new pot.
3. Once glaze starts to boil, turn to low heat and keep boiling for another 3 to 4 minutes to reduce and slightly thicken.
4. Remove the pot from the heat, squeeze out as much water as possible from the soaked gelatine and add them to the glaze mix, then whisk/mix until all the gelatine are fully dissolved.
5. Transfer the glaze into a container with cling film touching the surface and store in the fridge overnight.
6. To use the glaze the next day, re-heat 2/3 of the glaze in the microwave with short burst of time intervals, gently stirring the glaze every so often to prevent the sides and bottom from burning. Melt the glaze to roughly about 45°C to 50°C, then add in the rest of the 1/3 cold glaze in to the hot glaze and stick blend until smooth ensuring that you do not incorporate too much air bubbles.
Cool down the glaze at room temperature, occasionally gently stirring it to avoid skin forming on the top. (You can do this by keeping the glaze in the jug and swirling the jug)
Use between 32°C to 35 °C depending on how cold the cake is that you are glazing. The leftovers glaze can be reheated and reuse.
Note: Left over glaze that has been repeatedly heated will thicken over time. If glaze is too thick, simply add in some water. Do not be tempted to add in too much water as this can cause the glaze to become too runny and dull, just add enough water to bring it back to a pour-able consistency. One teaspoon of water at a time. If there are lumps, simply stick blend the glaze without incorporating too much air bubbles into the glaze.
tips:
Right Depth, angle and procedures
When stick blending the glaze, it is best if they are blended in a deep jug for better depth in order for the tip of the stick blender to fully submerge. Therefore, it is advisable to not to make the glaze in small quantities which can make stick blending a difficult task.
Tilt the jug at an angle and have the stick blender tip slightly angled the same way and half way in to the glaze, then blend at high speed.
You should be able to see the glaze spin at the top without making any sloshing sound. Make sure that at no point should the tip or the blade be above the surface of the glaze, as this will incorporate air and will make it hard to remedy. If too much air is incorporated at this point, simply heat up the glaze slightly and add fresh glaze (unheated) and proceed to carefully stick blending again.
Do not over heat
The best way to melt the glaze is by heating up 2/3 of the glaze you will be needed to between 45°C to 50°C, while stirring gently with a spatula between intervals. Once the glaze is fully melted, add in the rest of the 1/3 non-heated glaze and gently stick blend the mix until smooth and let it cool. This will prevent the glaze from boiling and create air bubbles in the microwave. By adding 1/3 of the cold glaze also allows the glaze to cool quicker. Tap the jug and swirl before using to get rid of any air bubbles that may be at the surface.
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