This cake is decorated with strips of modeling chocolate, sheeted and cut with the Kitchenaid pasta attachments.
Modeling chocolate is make with chocolate and light corn syrup. Baking chocolate or chocolate melts work well, but chocolate chips make the modeling chocolate too crumbly. For this project I just used what I already had - semi-sweet baking chocolate for the dark modeling chocolate, and Wilton melts for the white modeling chocolate.
Dark modeling chocolate:
12 oz semi-sweet baking chocolate
1/3 cup light corn syrup
White modeling chocolate:
16oz (1 bag) white chocolate melts
1/3 cup light corn syrup
To make modeling chocolate:
1. Melt the chocolate according to the package directions. Keep mixing until the chocolate cools to about 90°F.
2. Add the light corn syrup and mix until it comes together.
3. Wrap the mixture in plastic wrap and let it cool to room temperature.
To make and assemble sheets of modeling chocolate for the cake:
When the modeling chocolate has cooled, it will be hard. Knead small pieces with your hands until it warms up and can be rolled out.
1. Form pieces into thin rectangles and run them through the pasta roller attachment as you would with pasta dough (continue to knead dough by folding sheeted pieces in half and running them through again.) Strips will need to be long enough to fit around the cake. For a 5-inch round cake, strips will need to be approximately 17 inches long.
2. When strips are long enough to fit around the cake, run them through the fettuccine cutter attachment to cut them into equal sized stripes.
3. When you have enough stripes of each color, arrange the pieces on a non-stick surface, pressing them together so that there aren't any gaps. Then roll out an additional sheet of modeling chocolate and press it on top of the pattern to hold all of the pieces together. (This seems to work best with white modeling chocolate since it is more sticky.) This side is the back.
The side on the bottom will be on the outside when wrapped around the cake.
4. Each cake will also need a circle of chocolate to cover the top. Using a piece of chocolate that has been rolled into a sheet, press the rim of the cake pan into the chocolate to make an imprint, then cut along the line.
5. Attach the side piece to a crumb-coated cake by rolling the chocolate up on the side of the cake. The edge can be trimmed if it is too long. Last, press the chocolate circle on the top of the cake.
