How to make an inscription beautifully with chocolate: advice from confectioners
Before you make an inscription on a cake at home and move on to decorating your baked goods yourself, it would be a good idea to familiarize yourself with the recommendations that experienced confectioners can give to beginning cake makers.
So that the inscription can be easily seen even in the photo of the dessert that birthday people love to take, it must be made in a contrasting color in relation to the general background. So, on a cake covered with light cream, an inscription is made with dark chocolate, and light letters will look good on dark glaze.
Before you start writing wishes on the cake, its surface must be perfectly leveled. Otherwise, raised letters on a non-smooth surface will be deformed, which will make them look sloppy.
For an even and symmetrical inscription, barely noticeable markings are made on the prepared cake. A thin toothpick is suitable for this purpose. First, mark the center of the dessert, and then from it to the sides mark the place for each letter, punctuation mark and space between them.
The chocolate for the inscription should not be too hot, its consistency should be fluid and slightly warm so as not to melt the glaze. It is better to cool the cake itself well so that the chocolate ink does not spread too much, but quickly sets and hardens on the surface of the dessert.
If a mistake was made during the writing process, there is no need to try to eliminate it immediately. It would be better to cool the cake in the refrigerator, and when the letters have hardened well, carefully remove the incorrectly written ones.
Another important rule: first write a wish on the cake, and only then place other decorative elements.
Chocolate recipes for writing on a cake
There are two options for chocolate “ink” that can be used to write on a cake - fondant and icing. The fondant is more homogeneous, flexible, lays down in an even layer and is easy to write beautiful letters with. Chocolate glaze is more shiny due to the butter in its composition.
Chocolate fudge recipe
Proportions of required ingredients:
- 100 g chocolate;
- 200 ml milk;
- 30 g powdered sugar;
- 2 g vanillin.
Cooking sequence:
- Combine milk, powdered sugar and vanillin in a saucepan. Place this mixture on the fire and heat almost to a boil.
- Finely chop the chocolate with a knife or grate it on a coarse grater. Pour the resulting crumbs into the milk and stir until smooth.
- Boil the fudge over moderate heat until thickened, stirring constantly so that it does not burn or stick to the bottom of the pan.
You can apply fondant to a homemade cake when its temperature drops below 40 degrees.
Chocolate frosting recipe
Proportions of products used:
- 40 g cocoa powder;
- 60 ml milk;
- 50 g butter;
- 30 g powdered sugar.
Step-by-step preparation:
- Combine milk and butter in one container and heat until the butter melts.
- Mix the powder with cocoa and add to the butter-milk mixture.
- Stirring, heat the glaze until thick.
Important! When preparing the glaze, the mixture should not be allowed to boil, so the heat should be minimal and stirring should be continuous.
Making fudge
Prepare fondant for writing with chocolate on the finished cake from:
- chocolate - 100 g;
- powdered sugar - 1 tbsp is enough. l.;
- glasses of milk;
- pinches of vanillin.
The preparation process is not complicated - grind the chocolate (it is advisable to use a grater) and pour it into heated milk. Then powder is added to the mass and the mass is boiled until thickened, stirring constantly.
Before applying the fudge to the baking surface, cool to 40–45 degrees.
How to write an inscription on a cake
Observing from the outside how easily and quickly professional confectioners decorate cakes, it seems that it is very simple, but in practice you will have to train for a long time to achieve the same skill. There are many devices for forming inscriptions that will help a novice pastry chef get the hang of it and make the work of a pro easier.
An edible marker is a silicone tube with a hole that resembles a ballpoint pen, filled with chocolate fondant or icing. The wish is expressed by pressing on the tube. In this case, uniform pressure is important for a beautiful inscription.
A pastry syringe or pastry bag works on the same principle. A round nozzle of small diameter is installed on the device, and the syringe or bag is filled with chocolate mass, which is then squeezed out in thin lines.
Silicone molds. Those who are not good at chocolate calligraphy will benefit from a volumetric mold made of soft silicone. Melted chocolate is poured into it, then it is put in the refrigerator, and when the letters have hardened, they are carefully taken out and the inscription on the cake is laid out from them.
Stencils can be used for both flowing chocolate mixture and grated chocolate or cocoa powder. A stencil with the selected inscription or design is applied to the cake and a thin layer of chocolate fondant (glaze) is applied on top or cocoa powder (fine chocolate chips) is sifted. Then remove the stencil, and the inscription is ready.
A parchment cornet or a thick plastic bag is what you can use to make an inscription on the cake if there are no other devices at hand. The bag is filled with a mixture for decoration, a small corner is cut off and, by pressing, a congratulation is written on the dessert.
Lettering with cream
You can find several hundred options for how to prepare cream for a cake; the composition itself can be absolutely anything, but we will offer a classic version of butter cream. For beginner cooks, it will be more convenient to work with a thicker base; for this reason, you can make a creamy mass. To do this, take a can of condensed milk and one stick of soft butter. These products are whipped until smooth and fluffy. If desired, add a packet of vanilla powder to the finished cream.
Once the cream is ready, you can make an inscription with it; the easiest way to apply the design is with a pastry syringe. Here you just need to take a suitable nozzle, then fill the container with cream and apply the letters to the finished product. Since the creamy mass here has a light shade, it can be colored in any desired shade using dyes. You can also use a little melted chocolate or cocoa for coloring.
What to write on the cake: original ideas
When choosing which wish to place on dessert, you need to remember two things: a cake is not a greeting card, and that brevity is the sister of talent. The ideal inscription is short and concise, so the numbers do not need to be written in words. "Happy 50th Anniversary!" will look better than “Happy 50th Birthday!”
It is better to avoid inscriptions like “To my beloved Natasha from Alyosha!” or “To my dear grandmother from my granddaughter,” since they can evoke non-holiday analogies with mourning ribbons.
And the most important rule: everything written on a sweet gift must be without mistakes, because the cake will be eaten, and illiteracy will be remembered for a long time. And for inspiration, below are examples of cool and original congratulations for various celebrations.
The inscription on the cake is “Happy Anniversary!” can be replaced with more original phrases:
- 18 years old is good, but 50 years old is cooler!
- From the anniversary start to new heights!
- 20 is forever, the rest is experience!
- Even at 50, may your desires coincide with your possibilities!
- How are you already 35? Yesterday it was 18!
The original inscription on the cake is “Happy Birthday!” might look like this:
- Happy birthday, old stick! – for a friend with a sense of humor.
- My passport is lying, my mother is 18! - for my beloved mother.
- Sveta is 18 years and 348 months old! - for a friend.
A wedding anniversary cake can be signed as follows:
- The year is over, everything is ahead!
- The years are running, the years are flying, we are already 10 years old - hurray!
- 2 years under one blanket!
- 17 moments of love!
- 30 happy years together!
Wedding initial cake design ideas
If you imagine a cake with only the initials of the newlyweds on it, it will be a boring delicacy, even if you make it multi-tiered and with delicious filling. By adding figurines of newlyweds, decorating with various edible flowers and bows, confectioners will make the design of the wedding treat more attractive. Many guests try to photograph the confectionery creation as a souvenir. The newlyweds always have a place in the archive for a photo against the backdrop of a magnificent cake with their names.
Decorated with flowers and initials
A beautiful combination of blossoming marzipan or cream buds and letters indicating the names of the newlyweds is a classic of the confectionery genre. Flower petals, made carefully and with love, bloom as if alive on the tiers of the cake. The initials of the bride and groom, skillfully crafted in the form of monograms, towering between the beautiful flowers, are an eye-catcher.
Cake with lace decor
The delicate work of professionals in creating lace on the surface of the wedding dessert deserves admiration. The original drapery of the translucent mesh lays smoothly and elegantly on the cake layers. To make the appearance of the delicacy more delicate, the thin openwork is made in white or light pink tones. Contrasting tones of confectionery decoration give a bright effect, even some boldness. Lace made from mastic does not lose its shape, adheres securely to the surface of the cake and gives a special charm to the confectionery delicacy.
With names and figures of the bride and groom
Many newlyweds, and guests too, cannot imagine a wedding cake without the figures of the bride and groom decorating it. Often these images are injected with humor by depicting newlyweds in unusual situations. The figures made from multi-colored mastic are edible, but, as a rule, they are not eaten for ethical reasons. The initials or full names of the newlyweds placed on the cake are decorated with hearts and floral motifs.
Decorated with ribbons and bows
It’s rare that a wedding dessert is complete without decoration in the form of satin ribbons and bows. Encircling the tiers of cakes placed on a stand, mastic ribbons convey every curve and volume of the decoration. The skill of confectioners improves every year; bows decorating wedding delicacies are accepted by many from afar as natural. The beauty and delicacy of each product brings joy to the newlyweds and their guests.
Cake with initials decorated with scattering rhinestones
In recent years, it has become a fashionable trend to decorate wedding desserts with rhinestones. An unusual approach to the decoration of confectionery products with small details gives the wedding a glamorous touch. A scattering of rhinestones shimmering in the rays of light creates a special aura of romance and mystery around the cake. The jewelry style in decoration often echoes the model and style of the bride's dress.
How to write "Happy Birthday" on a cake
In order for the hand-made chocolate inscription on the cake to be neat and beautiful, you need to do it as follows:
- Level the cake and let the cream set in the refrigerator, then use a toothpick to make barely visible markings for the future inscription.
- Prepare fondant or icing and transfer it to a piping bag or other device. Wait until the chocolate mass has cooled to operating temperature.
- Take the pastry bag in your right hand, and with your left you should hold your right hand, so it will not tremble from overexertion.
- Next, pressing evenly on the bag, write the inscription “Happy Birthday” on the cake. This should be done in separate lines; the desire to write without interruption can do a lot of harm here.
Important point! The tip of the writing tip should be at a height of 1-2 mm from the surface of the dessert. If it is higher, the chocolate will stretch, and if it is lower, it will be imprinted into the cream or smeared.
Photos of wedding cakes with the initials of the newlyweds
There is an unconfirmed folk belief that the sweetness of family life begins with the wedding cake. The variety and uniqueness of the decorations only confirm that the imagination of confectioners has no limits. A wedding cake with initials is always an original solution for choosing a treat on such a special day. A non-standard approach is much nicer than a mass-produced dessert. An unforgettable experience will be guaranteed if the celebration is complemented by a wedding dessert with names.
How to write chocolate letters on fondant
On the mastic, a wish can be laid out from chocolate letters made using a mold, or written with an edible felt-tip pen, or you can use the method given below:
- On the computer, select the font you like and write a holiday wish with it. Then print it on paper.
- Insert the congratulations sheet into the office file. Wipe the surface of the file with a cotton pad soaked in edible alcohol or vodka for disinfection.
- Using melted chocolate (white or dark), trace the letters using a cornet.
- Place the file in the refrigerator to allow the chocolate to harden, then remove the chocolate inscription from the polyethylene and transfer it to the mastic coating of the cake.
An inscription on a cake with chocolate can be made using various techniques, so every housewife can find a way to her liking in order to bring even her most daring ideas into reality.
