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Modeling Chocolate Recipe

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Modeling chocolate, also known as plastic chocolate, chocolate leather, or candy clay, is a soft, pliable confection made fromchocolate and sugar syrup. It can be used in place of fondant for nearly every existing decorating technique. Although it requires morepatience and finesse than fondant, it is far superior in flavor and versatility. Sweet and creamy, it melts on the tongue like soft, candybar nougat. Slow to dry, it is the ideal substance for modeling shapes and figurines.

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Rolled modeling chocolate is the term for modeling chocolate that has been rolled by hand or through a machine until thin. Rolledmodeling chocolate is an excellent medium for rendering flower petals, leaves, ribbons, bows, and fabric effects. It can be used towrap cakes as an upscale alternative to fondant. It can be marbled or patterned with any design.

IngredientsFrom scratch, modeling chocolate has only two ingredients: chocolate + sugar syrup. There is no tempering of chocolate involved;however, the technique and handling requires a similar level of care and understanding of chocolate. Note that the quality of modelingchocolate is only as delicious as the chocolate used to make it. Additionally, the proportion of sugar syrup to chocolate in themodeling chocolate formulas may require adjustments depending on the brand/quality of chocolate used.

Chocolate

(Follow this link to the Wicked Goodies tutorial, All About Chocolate for advice on buying chocolate)

The Classifications of Chocolate and How They Pertain to Modeling Chocolate

Bittersweet or Extra Dark Chocolate hasthe lowest percentage of sugar and therefore, the edgiest flavor. It is often denoted by the percentage of cocoa materials present,which can range anywhere from 35100 percent. The higher the percentage of cocoa, the lower the percentage of sugar and themore bitter the taste. Bittersweet chocolate, rich in both color and taste, makes an excellent, not-too-sweet modeling chocolate.


Semisweet Chocolate or Dark Chocolate is typically intended for baking purposes and commonly found in chip form. It isessentially dark chocolate that has been sweetened at 1:2 ratio of sugar to cocoa. It works well for modeling chocolate.Sweet Chocolate is a term used only by U.S. standards to represent a lower quality sweetened chocolate containing no more than15 percent real chocolate liquor. It works fine for modeling chocolate but has a diminished quality of taste.

Milk Chocolate is dark chocolate with a milk product added. Although it can be used for modeling chocolate, its softness is notoptimal for ease of handing or stability.Compound Chocolate is the technical term for imitation chocolate that is made with some or all hydrogenated fats in place of realcocoa butter. Compound chocolate can be used for modeling chocolate, but it may be less stable and less tasty. The formula requires1020 percent less sugar syrup.

White Chocolate, a confection composed of sugar, milk and fat(s), is the basis of all colors of modeling chocolate except brown andblack. True white chocolate contains cocoa butter, which lends an ivory tint to the hue. Imitation brands like Nestls (U.S.) PremiumWhite Morsels and Merkens Super White Confectionery Coating substitute hydrogenated fats for cocoa butter.

Quality Comparison

Resulting Modeling Chocolate Hues


Resulting Modeling Chocolate Properties

Sugar Syrup

Corn Syrup, or light corn syrup, is the optimal sugar syrup for modeling chocolate because of its pliability and resistance tocrystallization. In the U.S., it is cheap and readily available. Outside the U.S., it is harder to find and may be prohibitively expensive.Unfortunately, its manufacturing process cannot be replicated in an ordinary home kitchen. Those who do not have access to cornsyrup may opt to use liquid glucose instead.

Liquid Glucose, a slightly more dense sugar syrup, may be substituted for corn syrup. It is too complex to produce in the averagehome kitchen but it is obtainable worldwide. It tends to be costly.Note: Corn syrup and liquid glucose are the most suitable sugar syrups for modeling chocolate. Golden syrup may be used but it willyellow the tone of white modeling chocolate significantly. Dark corn syrup may also be used but due to its brownish tone is onlyrecommended for use with dark chocolates.

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Boston Gingerbread House Competition 2012 Elephant Cupcake Tutorial

CommentsModeling Chocolate Recipe 69 Comments

Vidya on July 5, 2015 at 5:24 am said:

Hi,I live in India. The summers here are very hot with temp of 40-50 dergee. Do you think modelling chocolate can work in such weatherconditions. If yes then which chocolate should be used for the same.Thanks in advance

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Wicked Goodies on July 24, 2015 at 2:06 pm said:

Hi,Its fine to use if you have an air conditioned work space, air conditioned vehicle and the cake will be displayed indoors. Its probably nota good idea on a hot summer day if the cake is to be outdoors. Although I have pulled it off in hot conditions (up to 40 degrees C), I havenever used it in conditions hotter than that.

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Vidya on July 25, 2015 at 3:13 am said:

thnx for the response. will surely try and update you.:)

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Anna thuita on April 27, 2015 at 12:52 pm said:

Kristen wow,Ill purchase this book right away n hope to improve my chocolate modelling skills.

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May on November 6, 2014 at 5:12 am said:

My god I am soooooo happy I already Oder the book I cant wait to see what did I do wrong lol , thanks sooo much for all this info , I haveonly one problem is there any brand of chocolate inside what I saw above because I live in Germany and I dont know which brand or kind ofchocolate should I use? maybe thats why its not work with me I did one its was too hard and another it was too ok but not starching andnow I do anther one with you steps and I will see tomorrow I hope it work

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Wicked Goodies on November 6, 2014 at 2:28 pm said:

May,Im not sure what you have for chocolate over in Germany. Can you name some brands? If any of them sound familiar, I can let youknow. Any time that I switch marques, I have to start all over tweaking the proportions, so these are common pains that you areexperiencing. The ticket is to find a brand that works for you and then stick with it, measuring the two ingredients the same way everytime.

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Thanks sooooo much for the fast answer , well i tried this chocolate i will put the pic and my modeling chocolate its Hmm i dont knowwhat the Name of it lol , i will also put the pic for it and please pleassssse help me I tried sooooo much and alwyes hard or sapreadetand this time it about staching but its well you will see and I just got the book and its wonderful I lovvvve it ,forgive me English and ifyou have the answer for this problem in the book please tell me which page thanks thanks thankkkks

Share it!Share it!Posted in Recipes Tagged Birthday Cake Designs, Edible Cake Decorations, Frosting, Modeling Chocolate, Modelling Chocolate, Moulding Chocolate,Professional Cake Decorating, Recipes, Rolled Chocolate Techniques, Sculpted Cakes, Tutorials, Wedding Cake Designs permalink


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This is what I use it so far

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We have this chocolate Callebaut is it work good ? And sorry for my sooo many question :-))))))))

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Wicked Goodies on November 8, 2014 at 10:23 am said:

Yes Callebut is good. See page 24-27 of my book for answers.

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Thanks soooooo muchhhhh for your answer and I will read it right nowww thanks again

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Tia on October 20, 2014 at 3:38 pm said:

Reading above comments it looks like I overworked my white choc with liquid glucose.it is very oily.is there any way of saving it at this stageplz?

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Wicked Goodies on October 21, 2014 at 11:05 am said:

Tia, Try kneading the oil back in gently, a little at a time, over the course of 3-4 hours. Keep the batch in the coolest possible place whiledoing this. Only knead for 10 seconds each time, just enough to fold the oil back in.

Dont let the oil set up hard or you will then have worse problems to contend with.

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Delynn Tracy on October 24, 2014 at 7:58 pm said:

I just watched a video on YouTube how to fix modeling choc. and it looks as though it turned out just the same as the original.


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Jo Stephens on September 20, 2014 at 11:34 pm said:

Hi, great site! I followed the recipe for white chocolate and used callebaut and glucose syrup. the chocolate is now really hard. I tried to roll itbut nothing happened so i broke a smaller piece off and tried warming it in my hands slightly, then when i rolled it , it went crumbly. Did i notadd enough syrup as i havent kneaded it yet? Can it be saved? Thanks

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Wicked Goodies on September 21, 2014 at 10:27 am said:

Hi Jo,Sounds like you are following the right steps so if your batch of modeling chocolate is still crumbly after being worked, try kneading a littlemore glucose syrup into it. That should help balance out the dryness.

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Jo Stephens on September 23, 2014 at 6:21 am said:

Hi, I tried that but it didnt help, Ive made another batch with more glucose to start with and although it wasnt as hard its just ascrumbly, when adding glucose at the kneading stage it just goes greasy and still as crumbly. The dark chocolate one worked outgreat.Ive got your book, i melted the chocolate slowly and off the heat for most of the time.help??

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Ahhhhh I see. Thats a different situation when the chocolate separates and the fat comes out like that. Its very common withwhite modeling chocolate, usually due to overheating or over-mixing the batch. In this case, it was probably already separated tobegin with and then got overworked when you kneaded it. Although it can be frustrating, dont give up! Theres a lengthyexplanation with solutions in this book on pages 24-26. White chocolate is temperamental but modeling chocolate can almostalways be saved.

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Jo Stephens on September 23, 2014 at 10:25 am said:

ok, thanks, ill keep trying!!

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Grace on February 6, 2015 at 8:12 pm said:

Hi Jo,From what i read on the web, glucose is much thicker than the corn syrup used in the US. So you would need to add some waterto thin out glucose. You may want to check this on the net before you try again.Thanks!

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Wicked Goodies on February 16, 2015 at 7:38 pm said:

That is not necessary. The glucose is thicker but it can be used interchangeably with the corn syrup.

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Kym on September 18, 2014 at 1:43 am said:

Hello,I have made this in the past and loved it.I was just wondering if its possible to use this to do lace in the silicone moulds?If not not do you know of a recipe for icing to make lace with.Thank you

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Yes you can press modeling chocolate into most types of silicone mold. It works great with molds! I recommend brushing both themodeling chocolate and the mold with corn starch (a.k.a. corn flour) before pressing them together to prevent sticking.

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Kym on September 19, 2014 at 1:11 am said:

Thank you very much for you quick reply.I have just made a white chocolate batch and it feels very grainy.I used compounded whitechocolate and glucose syrup could either of these be the reason why? And is it fixable?Thanks

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Wicked Goodies on September 19, 2014 at 2:17 pm said:

Grainy modeling chocolate is usually a result of a batch that got over-mixed or over-heated so that the fat separated andhardened then got mixed in. Do you have my book? If so, there are solutions to this problem on pages 24-26.

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Madiha on September 17, 2014 at 11:17 pm said:

Hello,I have tried modeling chocolate today. Used semi sweet chocolate 290gms to 4 tablespoon of liquid glucose mixed with 1 tablespoon ofWater warmed for 30 sec in a microwave. I followed everything exactly at least I think I did, after 5 hours, my clay still is soft. I live inSingapore and its hot today. Can it be a reason? What should I do to save it, it was just my first time,wanted to experiment it plz help

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I dont have water in my recipe so you must have used someone elses recipe. In a warm climate, it can take a while to set up. If it nevergets hard, you can knead some melted chocolate into it. That will make an overly soft batch more firm.

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Madiha on September 18, 2014 at 1:06 am said:

Thank you so much, I checked your website today,after this mishap. yes its not your recipe. Melted chocolate right away or aftercooling? I have left it at room temperature, should I try putting it in fridge? Or just leave it at room temp. Will wait until tomorrow.Thank you so much for replying so quickly, means alot!

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I recommend leaving a new batch of modeling chocolate out overnight to set at room temperature in the coolest room in yourplace. I dont recommend putting modeling chocolate in the fridge (unless you are in a big hurry) as that will make it too hard andthen when you go to work with it, it will be slimy.

If your batch of modeling chocolate is indeed overly soft, you should be able to knead more melted chocolate right in withoutreheating the batch. Hopefully, though, your batch set up more overnight.

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Inge on September 2, 2014 at 10:24 am said:

Can I substitute Brown Rice Syrup for the corn syrup?

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I have read that rice syrup is a viable substitute for corn syrup but I cannot personally attest to its performance with modeling chocolateas I havent tried it yet.

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ice on August 5, 2014 at 6:29 am said:

Hallo, just came across your site,very enlightening.can I use glucose syrup for fondant as I cant get corn syrup in Germany and glucosesyrup is very expensive

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Wicked Goodies on August 5, 2014 at 7:32 am said:

Yes you can use glucose syrup. If you happen to have golden syrup, you can also try that instead.

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Kate on June 29, 2014 at 10:34 pm said:

Hi!

I want to make the child boots from modeling chocolate,because dont want it from sugar fondant or gumpaste over my cake. Say please, willbe its really nice and accurate pretty the same as I see plenty of booties from fondant or its will be really hard to make so beautiful?Thanks a lot for your respond!

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Wicked Goodies on June 30, 2014 at 1:28 pm said:

Yes it is entirely do-able to make baby booties with modeling chocolate and you can use the same templates that are available forfondant. You might want to put something like a bonbon in the toes to hold that portion up though in case its a hot day since themodeling chocolate wont ever set up dry like fondant.

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Christina Priest on April 23, 2014 at 7:07 pm said:

I have recently started watching cake boss and they constantly use modeling chocolate, which I had never heard of prior to watching theshow. I was searching the web for information on modeling chocolate and I found your site and have purchased your book. I am excitedabout the new things I will be able to do. I was wondering, when making figures out of the modeling chocolate, should I use a bendable metalwire to form the body when making the basic shape of my figure or can i just take a ball of the modeling chocolate and just mold it? What isthe better way to do this?

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Wicked Goodies on April 23, 2014 at 7:13 pm said:

When modeling chocolate figures are sitting down or standing up against the side of a cake, no wire is needed but I do use a lollipopstick to support the torso and head. When the figures are standing up or doing something that requires more infrastructure, Ill use wirecovered in gumpaste and cover that with modeling chocolate clothes. I prefer to sculpt the head out of modeling chocolate because thentheres more time to get the details of the face right (you can wrap the modeling chocolate right around a lollipops sucker). In my book,you will see a way for sculpting the heads and bodies separately so that you are less likely to squish your work.

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Monica Dornbusch on April 9, 2014 at 8:16 pm said:

I have your book and followed the recipe for modeling chocolate and added whitner and liquidd glucose it turned out very hard, and when Ikneed it it gets very mushy and oily , I used less liquid glucose because the chocolate I used is merkins what did I do wrong and can I savewhat I have already made. help

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Hmm well hard in the beginning is common. Even a good batch is quite hard at first. If its getting mushy and oily than it sounds likeyoure probably kneading it too much. So the hardness is probably normal in your case just go easy on how much you touch it.Remember that its made mostly of chocolate so it will melt by the heat of your palms. Treat it like a hot potato except whats hot is yourhands and what you want to keep cool is the chocolate.

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paula on April 2, 2014 at 10:14 am said:


can I form molding chocolate into shapes (ie pods for two peas in a pod) that will hold two small cake balls?? Will it stay soft or how do Iserve it??? thank you!!!

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Yes absolutely. If you form the peas and the pods separately then allow them to set/dry for a few hours, then they will better hold theirshape when assembled.

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Sally on February 27, 2014 at 11:25 am said:

I just came across your book on amazon and am ordering itWas wondering if could help with a particular problem Im having. I have great results with 1lb merckens white and 1/2 cup corn syrup aslong as I keep it white. As soon as I add a small amount of gel coloring and start kneading in the color pebbles start forming right before myeyes. Do you have any thoughts in what Im doing wrong?

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Yes it sounds like your modeling chocolate separated when you made it and what youre seeing when you add the color are the clumpsof fat that leeched out. They are slippery and therefore resist the food coloring. When you get my book, go to page 23 and read thatwhole troubleshooting section for all the solutions and ways to avoid that problem in the future. It is a very common problem butfortunately the modeling chocolate can always be saved.

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Madhu Gupta on February 20, 2014 at 4:05 pm said:

Looking to your website is just a dream come true. I was in search for this for along time. I am very greatful to you. One thing I want to ask iswhen you melt chocolate and we add almonds or we pour in the moulds and keep in the refigerator they tend to soft and sticky after fewminutes of taking out.is there any solution to this problem.Thanking youMadhu

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Are you talking about molded chocolate? This page is about modeling chocolate but if you are referring to molded chocolate as I thinkyou are, then the problem is your chocolate has lost its temper and is no longer as crisp and shiny and firm as a candy bar. Tempering isa more advanced technique but you can help the chocolate maintain its integrity better if you melt half of it very gently then take it off theheat and add the other half, stirring periodically over the course of 5 minutes while the rest of the chocolate melts. You will usually get abetter quality molded chocolate if you do that.

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Jenna on January 29, 2014 at 7:14 am said:

Hi, accidentally stumbled onto your site so very glad I did. You make easy for a beginner like me to understand methods and availableoptions. Thank you! I live in Australia and we have glucose syrup available in supermarkets is this something that is similar to liquidglucose?

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Yes its the same thing!

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nikki kemp on January 28, 2014 at 6:36 pm said:

Wow! Thank you for the amazing website!!! I have a huge passion for baking and reading this page has inspired me so much! I see that Ican buy the book on amazon but I wanted to know if its available in stores in south africa?

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Anonymous on December 30, 2014 at 12:58 am said:

Online shops like kalahari and loot sells it.

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Joan on September 25, 2013 at 9:42 am said:

I have a few Ghiradelli chocolate making and dipping bars. They are great for molding chocolates and dipping pretzels. They are a darkchocolate and have a nice shine to them. They do have some type of oil added to them probably similar to the Wilton candy melts. I waswondering if you think I could use this for modeling chocolate and what the ratio would be. I havent made modeling chocolate before andwas wanting to use up these bars. Thanks so much.

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Yes, you can use it. If there are synthetic oils in it, it will be a softer, slightly less stable modeling chocolate but it will definitely still work!

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Jasmeen on September 23, 2013 at 9:09 pm said:

Holy hell, what an amazing site! Youve put so much work into it! Thank you so much for alk the useful info! My self confidence levels aboutsuccessfully being able to produce MC have just increased twofold Now to see if I can order your book from here in India

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Great to hear! Yes you can get my book in India by ordering it from Amazon.com or you can use The Book Depository they do freeworldwide shipping.

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Nina on August 21, 2013 at 9:54 am said:

Hi! I came across your web site Ive been checking your web site since. Ive been trying different chocolate modeling recipes, but never camethe right texture, crumbly and dry. I do appreciate if you would sent me the recipe.I read in one of your comment , can you mix 50 percent fondant and 50 percent modeling chocolate for cake covering?Thank!!

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Hi there, I emailed you to let you know that the recipe is here. You just need to empty your browsers cache or delete cookies.

You can definitely mix modeling chocolate with fondant for cake covering. Then it will have the advantages of both mediums.

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michelle on August 20, 2013 at 5:02 am said:

hi, is that possible for using modaling chocolate to decorate cake in warm humid climate? my country is all year summer. i wish to decorateand making figurine with chocolate because fondant is really not tasty to eat.please help. thanks.

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Yes indeed. You can make it in a warm and humid climate. You just need to work in an air-conditioned room and make sure it doesnt getprolonged exposure to direct sun.

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Joy Jeana on August 4, 2013 at 12:05 am said:

Hi can i use glucose instead of liquid glucose??


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Wicked Goodies on August 5, 2013 at 12:51 pm said:

To my knowledge, you cannot make liquid glucose in a conventional home kitchen (without a laboratory), even from powdered glucose.They are unfortunately not interchangeable.

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Teresa Miles on June 26, 2013 at 5:06 pm said:

Just ordered my book, had to open an Amazon account. But! I also tweeted and shared on my FB page! Those pans are M-I-N-E :-)))))..just putting that positive energy out there.

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Victoria Palacios on June 15, 2013 at 7:02 pm said:

Hello. I bought your book . Amazon said it would mail out on June 24th. Please register me for the cake pans. That would be awsome to win:)Cant wait to get the book. Thank you for making it!!

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Anita Atcheson on May 31, 2013 at 1:24 pm said:

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, your book. Ive used your recipes for modeling chocolate and have great success and my cakes have turned out somuch better for the designs I have created. Thanks again for explaining the difference between chocolates and their porportions whenmaking the chocolate clay (this was a big help). And we cant forget to thank our Moms for all the Love and Patience they gave us growingup and learning about cakes and baking. Im not quite ready for a competition but youve inspired me greatly. Thanks again!

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Wicked Goodies on June 2, 2013 at 12:18 am said:

My mom will be very pleased that you noticed that Glad you loved the book and thanks for writing

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Juanita on May 30, 2013 at 8:43 pm said:

Im in Australia purchased the book pre-release and was very excited to receive. I love working with modelling chocolate and the book looksgreat. Cant wait to start reading it!

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Arilena on May 16, 2013 at 10:14 am said:

I love to learn about modelling chocolate since not every ppl kin on fondant. Would love to have the book but I cannot find it in theNeherland (where I live).

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Wicked Goodies on May 16, 2013 at 10:40 pm said:

Hang tight. We will get it there soon.

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Anonymous on January 4, 2014 at 9:51 am said:

Its for sale at the book depository in the uk free shipping world wide

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lora on March 26, 2013 at 4:34 pm said:

I have been waiting for this book .

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pamela dorsey on March 8, 2013 at 12:56 am said:

cake decorator learning new technique chocolate recipie. never used it before, but would like to learn how to use it. thank you

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