Easy Chocolate Wedding Style Cake Decorating and Baking Tutorial

Paul shows us how to support the cake to avoid tears of frustration when transporting it. Get that spirit level ready and even out the cake surface by either scraping some ganache off or by adding some on. Do this slowly and keep using your spirit level to check your progress.

In this lesson, Paul introduces an irresistible ganache sauce recipe which you’ll be tempted to use for hot chocolate and add to your coffee or anywhere else you can sneak it in! Back to the cake – This ganache sauce is a little different. The addition of liquid glucose lengthens it’s shelf life, gives it a nice glossy look and more elasticity which makes it great to work with.

Let’s finish off making the sauce shall we? Get your hand blender at the ready and stay persistent – it will eventually become a smooth liquid. Paul tells us that 38 degrees Celsius is the perfect pouring temperature so bear that in mind when allowing it to cool.

Please have some chocolate beside you when watching this lesson as whatever else you are eating at the time will seem so boring. Paul shows us his set up to ensure a neat and tidy workspace even after this potentially very messy and fun job – don’t hold back with the chocolate! It might be useful to have another pair of eyes to assist you or perhaps a mirror so you can make sure you are covering the whole cake.

Paul has prepared and iced the board off camera, using a 12” round cake board and a 7” round cake board. Paul shows us a clever way to protect the board form rogue ganache by cutting out a 7” circle from baking paper and placing it over the board. Then it’s the scary bit – transferring the cake – but at least you get to lick the chocolate off your hands afterwards!

Just when we thought it couldn’t get any tastier, Paul introduces the selection of fruit he will be using to decorate the cake. This is where you can use your artistic eye and simply go with the flow or simply follow Paul’s design. What’s great is that no two cakes will look the same. A general rule of thumb is to add the largest pieces of fruit first around the centre of the cake forming the general shape of your design and then simply fill in with the rest. Something to bear in mind is how long the fruit will last and the effect it can have on the chocolate if the juices run from it. It’s a good idea to serve this cake soon after preparing it so that the fruit is lovely and fresh.

What we love most about this cake is the balance between beauty and tastiness – it really is cake you could eat every little part of! Now it is on to the finishing touches and just adding some foliage (well, eat almost every part of). This is optional and Paul almost went for flower petals but feel free to use whatever you feel will compliment your design best.

Paul gives us some extra ideas for the presentation of the cake as well as some other lovely decorations you can add.

Struggling for time? Why not watch the entire tutorial in 5:32 seconds!