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This cake design will make everyone ask how you did it and the secret is surprisingly simple once
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you know a few tricks. Let's break the technique down into four steps. Skimming through the basics
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make sure you assemble a straight cake by lining each cake layer directly over the layer below
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and chilling the cake for 15 minutes in the freezer or 30 minutes in the fridge will set
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the filling to hold the layers in place while you frost them so that they don't slide or wobble to
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create a leaning effect. Chill the cake to set the frosting which takes about an hour in the fridge
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then wrap a ribbon or string around the cake to measure the circumference and also the height
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and then place that ribbon on a piece of parchment or wax or baking paper and cut the paper so it's
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the same length as the ribbon. For the height about an inch taller than the cake is ideal
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Now put the cake back in the fridge. To make a design you'll need melted chocolate. Melting
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chocolate is something people tend to struggle with but here are two tricks. Only heat the
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chocolate for 30 seconds at a time in a microwave and adjust the power to 80% to heat it gently so
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that it doesn't burn or seize. After heating for 30 seconds stir it to spread the heat since
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microwaves tend to create hot spots and then heat for another 30 seconds also at 80% power
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Stir until the chocolate is smooth with no lumps and then pour it into a sandwich bag
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and I folded mine over the rim of a glass to hold it open so I don't make a mess
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Cut a tiny piece off one of the bottom corners of the bag to squeeze the chocolate through but not
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too tiny because then your chocolate won't pipe in smooth lines and the lines will be so thin
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they'll be very fragile. Look at the difference if I cut a little bit more off the corner. The lines
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are thicker and smoother and neater. Cover your paper with loops or whatever design you want to
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create, keeping in mind that the closer the lines or loops or squiggles are to each other, the
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stronger the chocolate collar is going to be. Take your cake out of the fridge and lift the chocolate
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design up straight away before the chocolate sets. Lower it down to the cake, resting the bottom edge
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of the paper on the cake board so that the design goes all the way down to the bottom of the cake
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Wrap it around the cake to attach it to the frosting. If you can do this without getting
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chocolate all over your hands please tell me your secret in the comments! The paper will overlap
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itself where the beginning meets the end and that's fine. Put the whole cake back in the fridge for an
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hour to set the chocolate and then pinch the top corner and slowly peel the paper away from the
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cake, leaving the chocolate design behind. The paper will stick where the overlap was so for that
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peel downwards to snap off the excess chocolate and leave a neat seam along the join of the design
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To tidy up the cake board use a sharp knife or the edge of your offset spatula to scrape off any
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chocolate stuck to the board and then you can wipe any smudges off the board with a paper towel wrapped
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around your finger. The chocolate will soften at room temperature so after a few minutes you can
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trim around the top edge of the design with scissors to tidy that up too. I don't recommend
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wrapping a design any more than an inch above the top of the cake because the chocolate can droop
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at room temperature but that inch of chocolate creates a wall which you can fill with fruit
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chocolate truffles, flowers or any decorations you like. If the room is hot it's best to still the
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cake in the fridge to keep the chocolate design stable. To serve a cake with a chocolate collar
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take it out of the fridge an hour or two before you serve it so that the chocolate collar softens
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and the cake and frosting will taste better at room temperature too. Run your knife under hot
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water before you cut into the cake for the neatest slices. This is my perfect chocolate cake
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with my best chocolate buttercream and the combination is incredible! For more recipes and
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tutorials go to britishgirlbakes.com and check out my cake school for hundreds of cake designs
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and techniques and join my club for access to everything on my cake school! The link is at the
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top of the screen and in the video description or go to britishgirlbakes.com. Thanks for watching
