Question:
How do I make a chocolate glaze that will harden on a cake?
I'm making Pao de Mel, a Brazilian honey spice cakeI want to coat the whole thing in some sort of chocolate that will harden, like on a Ding Dong!Also- the cake will be in little rounds, like a cookieHow do I get the chocolate topping to completely coat them? Dip it and hold it while it dries?Thanks for helping this novice baker!
Answer:
It's a big problem if they freeze,don't do it.
I'd use an interior wall if at all possibleIf it's not possible, make sure the lines are as close to the inside as practicalA foam sleeve around the pipes would be a good idea too, and enlarge the holes in the floor and ceiling plates so you can extend the sleeve all the wayMake sure there's plenty of insulation in the between-floor spaces as wellAlso, this is an area where you might consider PEX tubingIt can still freeze but it won't burst.
bullwinkle, I have seen plumbers several times install copper water lines right up against the back of the drywallThen they put a steel plate on each stud and the plate covers the copper pipe running through each stud, it`s just made for this useThe 1/16 steel plate keeps the drywall-er from screwing a drywall screw into the copper pipeAnd it being a 2x 6 insulated wall and temperatures going below freezing should not be a problemI`ve done this to 2x 4 walls with a brick exteriorYou have a problem when the cold air gets in and gets to the copper water pipe, then it freezesYou could even wrap the copper water pipe with a foam insulated sleeve(used on copper water heater pipes coming out of the water heater), to help protect the pipe alone from coming into contact with any air that`s in the wallThen just foam('Great Stuff') in around the pipe going through each studGoing a little farther in making sure the pipe is well insulated is always better in the long runHoped any of this infohelped.
Melt chocolate almond barkIt will hardenMelt it in the microwave for 1 minuteStir itIf it isn't melted after a minute, put it back in for 15 seconds at a timeStir in between 15 seconds and watch until it meltsHot chocolate is easier to work with, so I suggest melting about 3 cubes at a time so it doesn't cool and make it hard to work withI would did the whole roundLay out some wax paper or aluminum foilPut the cake in the bowl of chocolateUse a spoon to cover the rest of the cakeUse a spoon to move the round to the wax paper or aluminum foilIt will only take about 5 minutes to hardenGood luck! (:
It's a big problem if they freeze,don't do it.
I'd use an interior wall if at all possibleIf it's not possible, make sure the lines are as close to the inside as practicalA foam sleeve around the pipes would be a good idea too, and enlarge the holes in the floor and ceiling plates so you can extend the sleeve all the wayMake sure there's plenty of insulation in the between-floor spaces as wellAlso, this is an area where you might consider PEX tubingIt can still freeze but it won't burst.
bullwinkle, I have seen plumbers several times install copper water lines right up against the back of the drywallThen they put a steel plate on each stud and the plate covers the copper pipe running through each stud, it`s just made for this useThe 1/16 steel plate keeps the drywall-er from screwing a drywall screw into the copper pipeAnd it being a 2x 6 insulated wall and temperatures going below freezing should not be a problemI`ve done this to 2x 4 walls with a brick exteriorYou have a problem when the cold air gets in and gets to the copper water pipe, then it freezesYou could even wrap the copper water pipe with a foam insulated sleeve(used on copper water heater pipes coming out of the water heater), to help protect the pipe alone from coming into contact with any air that`s in the wallThen just foam('Great Stuff') in around the pipe going through each studGoing a little farther in making sure the pipe is well insulated is always better in the long runHoped any of this infohelped.
Melt chocolate almond barkIt will hardenMelt it in the microwave for 1 minuteStir itIf it isn't melted after a minute, put it back in for 15 seconds at a timeStir in between 15 seconds and watch until it meltsHot chocolate is easier to work with, so I suggest melting about 3 cubes at a time so it doesn't cool and make it hard to work withI would did the whole roundLay out some wax paper or aluminum foilPut the cake in the bowl of chocolateUse a spoon to cover the rest of the cakeUse a spoon to move the round to the wax paper or aluminum foilIt will only take about 5 minutes to hardenGood luck! (:
