A simple tip from a baker preventing chocolate glaze from dripping off your cake

We often enhance the taste of a baked cake by glazing it with chocolate. Despite our best efforts to follow the recipe to the letter, the results aren't always perfect. However, there's a simple solution that has proven effective. Applying advice from an experienced baker, I've solved the problem of the glaze dripping off the cake.

Crafting a good glaze is both an art and a science. Sometimes, even the most thorough recipes fail us, resulting in a glaze that is either unappetizingly hard and dull or excessively runny, dripping off the cake. So, how do we tackle such a predicament? A helpful tip from a knowledgeable baker provides the answer. The solution lies in an additional step that only takes a few minutes but wonders. It will transform your glaze, giving it a lustrous shine and importantly, preventing it from dripping off the cake.

Creating a chocolate glaze is as simple as melting a bar of chocolate, with a dash of milk as an optional addition. However, there's one rule you must not forget - tempering your chocolate. By first heating the chocolate to 115-120 degrees Fahrenheit, cooling it, and lightly reheating it, the cocoa butter stabilizes. This results in a glaze that solidifies swiftly, while also boasting a splendid shine.

It's important to note that the chocolate we buy from stores has already been tempered at 82-90 degrees Fahrenheit, causing it to lose some of its original properties. Therefore, it's crucial to repeat the process at a slightly higher temperature.

You can temper chocolate using a water bath or, if you prefer, a microwave. So, what are the steps involved? Firstly, chop or grate the chocolate very finely. Next, place the bowl with the chocolate shavings in the microwave, setting it to 50% power for a minute. After this time, stir the melted chocolate and return it to the microwave. Repeat this step twice more, ensuring the glaze comes out perfectly. How do you check? It's easy. Just spread some chocolate on baking paper and check how quickly it solidifies.