Chocolate cake topping with a light crunch?

The friendliest place on the web for anyone that enjoys cooking.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

s_mack

Cook
Joined
Mar 27, 2002
Messages
51
Hi there. I'm making a cake for a birthday and I want to do a coating I know I've eaten before but I'm not even sure how to identify it. It is chocolate (or at least chocolate flavored), it is thin and smooth... and it forms a bit of a hard-ish shell such that there's a light "crunch" to it. And I mean light. "Crunch" really is too harsh of a word, but I'm not sure how else to describe it. More than a stiff icing, but less than that hard-shell ice cream coating you get at Dairy Queen :)

Anyone know what I'm talking about?

I'm not even sure where I'm remembering it from. In all likelihood, its probably some cheap Hostess type cake I'm remembering.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

- Steven
 
Yeah. You want the cake icing version of the coating on a Nestle Crunch ice cream bar.
bars_nestlecrunch.png


There are a number of version of Nestle Crunch Icing. One melts 32 ounces of Nestle Crunch bars in a double boiler, then stir in a 1/2 cup sour cream and 2 tsp vanilla and beat until smooth. You can probably vary the amount of sour cream for a sticker icing.

Other similar effects have been had with milk chocolate, Nutella, butter, and crushed corn flakes.

If more adventurous, you can use "pop rocks," available unflavored. You can use them with fat-based flavorings, which should include chocolate.

Popping Candy (unflavored)
 
No no... see, I knew "crunch" wasn't the right word :)

What I'm looking for is JUST chocolate... no nuts, rice, pop rocks, etc. I just mean the shell itself is slightly... well... crunchy. That is, when you bite into it, it snaps off with your teeth rather than your teeth sinking into it. I don't want to say "hard" but I guess maybe that's what it is... thin and hard.
 
7 ounces of any chocolate (the kind you like), 2 tablespoons of good coconut oil. Zap in the microwave a very few seconds, stir, if needed zap a couple more seconds. This will firm up on a cool cake or ice cream or cold berries or cold apricots. Slightly warm makes a thick shell, warmer (melted more) makes a thinner shell.
 
Thanks Oldvine. Sorry, I didn't see this until just now.

But especially THANK YOU MARGI for sending me your grandmother's glaze recipe via pm... it worked wonderfully and tastes marvelous. Went on so smooth. The picture doesn't really do it justice.

IMG_1214.jpg


- Steven
 
Can I make a suggestion? The next time you make this cake, do it on the rack placed over or in a cookie sheet with sides. Makes cleanup so much easier. BTW, the cake looks divine. Glad you found the solution to your problem. Care to share the recipe with the rest of us? :chef:
 
Can I make a suggestion? The next time you make this cake, do it on the rack placed over or in a cookie sheet with sides. Makes cleanup so much easier. BTW, the cake looks divine. Glad you found the solution to your problem. Care to share the recipe with the rest of us? :chef:

And you can save any overage. An inexpensive trim and turn cake stand is a must if you are into baking cakes.

So what was the crunch, op? Letting the Chocolate(well, the sugar in the choc) get a little crystallized?
 
A few pictures of the final product were posted here: http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f41/cake-18-cream-instead-of-whole-milk-80671-3.html

I don't want to double post them.

Thanks for the tips on cleanup. I can't say I'm really "into cakes"... this was the first decorated one I've baked since moving here, and I've been here since 2007 so its not exactly a regular occurance :) But this was fun, so you never know. Plus I have a kid now (his first b-day is coming up!) so a turntable cake stand is probably a reasonable investment. I wasted a LOT of chocolate with the run-off. I had no use for it anyway, but it was still sad to see that much go in the garbage.

The chocolate coating turned out fantastic... however, in the end it wasn't quite what I was envisioning. I thought it was... but biting into it, there was no crunch at all. It was still delicious, it just didn't have the texture I was imagining. It would have been exactly right, I'm sure, had I served it frozen... but then, of course, the cake would be frozen too and that's not what I wanted.

I made a few mistakes. Overall though... success I think :)

- Steven
 
Thanks man...
The stranger said:
The Dude abides. I don't know about you but I take comfort in that. It's good knowin' he's out there. The Dude. Takin' 'er easy for all us sinners. Shoosh. I sure hope he makes the finals.
 
A few pictures of the final product were posted here: http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f41/cake-18-cream-instead-of-whole-milk-80671-3.html

I don't want to double post them.

Thanks for the tips on cleanup. I can't say I'm really "into cakes"... this was the first decorated one I've baked since moving here, and I've been here since 2007 so its not exactly a regular occurrence :) But this was fun, so you never know. Plus I have a kid now (his first b-day is coming up!) so a turntable cake stand is probably a reasonable investment. I wasted a LOT of chocolate with the run-off. I had no use for it anyway, but it was still sad to see that much go in the garbage.

The chocolate coating turned out fantastic... however, in the end it wasn't quite what I was envisioning. I thought it was... but biting into it, there was no crunch at all. It was still delicious, it just didn't have the texture I was imagining. It would have been exactly right, I'm sure, had I served it frozen... but then, of course, the cake would be frozen too and that's not what I wanted.

I made a few mistakes. Overall though... success I think :)

- Steven

Ganache frosting can be made to the desired crunch you want. It requires playing with the recipe so that when it sets, it will harden. Look at the link that was posted by another member. The recipes are available. Also, any runoff can be saved and reheated for other projects at a later date.

You baby's first birthday is going to be a celebration if you do even just half the job you did on this cake.

Another suggestion, if you don't mind. To make the rainbow cake again, make a batter for just one cake. Then divide it into four parts and bake each color separate. A thin layer of ganache frosting between layers. You can still make the layers of a regular cake using the rainbow layers between them. In other words, let me make it clearer. The bottom layer is a regular layer. Cover with ganache, next a rainbow layer, cover with ganache, a regular size layer, cover with ganache, another rainbow layer, cover with ganache, etc. By baking the rainbow layers separate, they will be the same size as your regular layers and the color will go all the way to the edge. Wait until each layer of ganache has hardened before placing the next layer on top of it. It is a lot of work this way. And I would suggest that perhaps you invest in a couple of extra non-stick cake pans to make the work go faster. Make sure you grease and flour each pan. I don't know of any baker who truly trusts the "non-stick" to work on its own. You would also have to adjust the bake time on the rainbow layers. They will bake quicker than a regular layer as they are thinner. And when you are spread the layers of ganache make sure you don't allow it go over the sides. Otherwise it will make for an uneven layer of frosting for the final cover. Happy baking. And give that youngster a big hug from me.:angel:
 
Last edited:
Yep, thanks Cerise :) I did see it... too late though. I've since found a few recipes for a hard ganache that I think is probably perfect.

Addie - what you're describing is a regular rainbow layer cake. That's a bit too... umm... structured, for my taste :) Same reason why I put the flowers off center and assymetrical. A little whimsy and chaos, to me, makes it work. The look I achieved with the rainbow was exactly what I was going for (you seem to be saying it was a mistake. If that's not what you meant... no worries).
 
S. Mack & Addie: 2 Glazes & 1 Ganache Recipes

Buon Giorno Addie & S_ Mack,

Firstly, the butterfly and floral white cake is absolutely gorgeous. Which filling does it have ?

I had sent 3 recipes on Saturday to S. Mack and he had chosen one of the 3.

I have no problem if Mack would be kind enough to write down the three recipes in his spare time and share them on this thread.

Otherwise, I would have to re-translate them, from my Mom Eva and her Mom Margot. My older daughter is visiting with her 2 children, and I had scribbled down the data on loose paper, and not in my notebk.

Have a lovely Sunday.
Thanks,
Margaux.
 
Last edited:
Margi Cintrano said:
1) CHOCOLATE GLAZE NUMBER 1 :yum:

2 TBLSPS BUTTER OR 40 GRAMS
2 OZ. OR 60 GRAMS COOKING CHOCOLATE
2 TBLSPS. BOILING WATER
1 CUP CONFECTIONER SUGAR
A PINCH OF SALT
1/2 TEASPOON VANILLA EXTRACT

a. melt together the butter and the chocolate
b. beat or whisk in the boiling water gradually, then the sugar and the extract of vanilla.
c. Combine until you have a glaze texture


2) CHOCOLATE GANACHE GLAZE :)

2/3 cup heavy cream
6 ounces semi sweet chocolate finely chopped

a. in a small heavy saucepan, scald the cream
b. remove from heat and immediately add the chopped chocolate
c. cover and let stand 5 mins. and then stir gently until the chocolate is fully melted and smooth
d. let cool until room temperature
e. stir the glaze to test it
f. it is ready to use when a small amount mounds just a tiny bit when dropped from the spoon disappearing into the mixture
g. if the glaze is too thick, and the mound remains on the surface, add liquor of choice or warm water by teaspoon until consistency is correct
h. if too thin, add more chopped melted chocolate and then let cool again.

3) MY FAVOURITE IS NOT CHOCOLATE, HOWEVER, I USE IT FOR MY FRAISIER CAKE AND ADD STRAWBERRY COLORED FOOD COLORING TO IT: :chef:

90 grams sugar
125 ml. Kirsch ( Swiss Clear Cherry Brandy )

a. dissolve the sugar in 65 ml. of water and simmer slowly
b. then, let boil 1 minute and remove from stove
c. add the Kirsch or other Fruit Brandy of choice
when it has reached room temperature and place in refrigerator to harden
I did #1 as it was the only one I had the ingredients for. Thanks again!
 
S. Mack,

Thanks for posting the three recipes I had sent you. I hope that your desired Glaze shall turn up ...

Have a lovely Sunday and Happy Birthday to your lovely Mrs. Mack.

Ciao, Margi.
 
Back
Top Bottom