Hot chocolate in a water bath. Melt chocolate in a cake bain-marie

27.06.2020 Seafood dishes

Not everyone knows how to melt chocolate. But this ingredient is used in many desserts. We will talk about popular ways of this culinary process in today's article.

In order for the chocolate to melt well, you need to pay attention to its composition. It is desirable that the tiles have as few additional components as possible.

Ideally, the base should be cocoa beans. White, black and milk chocolate are suitable for kindling.

  • Porous tiles should not be used. It is rather difficult to predict in advance what substance will turn out after melting. Chocolate with fillings, nuts, raisins is also not suitable for these purposes.
  • Only couverture is suitable for mirror glaze. This is a special type of cocoa powder that is quite expensive. But only thanks to it you can achieve a delicious crispy crust. The product is sold only in specialized stores.
  • If your task is to make an inscription on the cake, then feel free to buy milk chocolate. Its consistency comes out thick and rather stringy.
  • When purchasing chocolate, carefully look at its labeling. Ideally, it should be marked "confectionery" or "canteen".
  • If you notice lecithin in the composition, it is better to take a closer look at another brand of chocolate. Manufacturers have been replacing it with cocoa butter for a long time.

If you care about your health, try to buy chocolate without harmful ingredients (flavors, emulsifiers, etc.).

Melting chocolate in water is quite simple, you just need to know the technology for making the glaze:

  1. You will need 2 bowls of different diameters. It is desirable that the smaller one has a non-stick coating.
  2. Fill one pot with water, place it on the stove and bring its contents to a boil.
  3. Reduce the heat, the temperature should be kept between 75 and 85 degrees.
  4. Break a bar of chocolate, place it in a pot with a smaller diameter. Make sure that there is no water in the container. Otherwise, the chocolate will burn, change its consistency and taste.
  5. Place the smaller saucepan in the larger one.
  6. Start stirring the chocolate.
  7. Add a little butter to the frosting (can be replaced with cream). This will make your chocolate mass more viscous.
  8. After the chocolate has melted, remove the bowl and cover it with foil, after making holes in it. In this form, the mass should cool.

It is better to heat dark chocolate in a water bath. White and milky can "take a piece" - there is not a lot of cocoa butter in these tiles.

Try not to overheat the product. If the thermal regime is violated, then the chocolate mass will surely crack after 3 - 4 hours.

There are 2 ways to melt chocolate in the microwave. Each of them has advantages:

  • the glaze does not burn;
  • there are no lumps;
  • the maximum cooking time is 3 minutes.

Both methods are so simple that even an amateur can handle them:

  1. Break the chocolate into small pieces and place in a glass bowl. Place it in the microwave for 1 minute, with the oven power at its maximum. Remove the frosting, stir. Microwave again for 30 seconds. Repeat the process 3 times.
  2. If there is a defrost setting in the microwave, you can use it. Place the chopped chocolate bar in the oven for 2 minutes. If lumps remain, add another 1 minute.

This type of chocolate is not very suitable for icing the surface of a cake. There is a high probability that the mass will crack. But figurines made from such chocolate are excellent, it perfectly holds the odds.

You can also melt chocolate on the stove.

An important point: the bowl in which the cooking process will take place must have a double bottom.

The cooking process is as follows:

  1. Break a bar of chocolate.
  2. Place the bowl on low heat, stirring constantly to prevent the food from burning.
  3. Once the chocolate begins to melt, add a lump of butter.
  4. To make the product liquid, pour in milk or cream. It is very important that the ingredients are warm, otherwise the mass will separate.

Once the frosting is ready, pour it into another bowl, otherwise it is very likely that it will burn.

Do not allow the mass to boil, the chocolate will lose its properties, it will exfoliate and crack.

How to melt chocolate to decorate a cake

Melted chocolate works well for decorating a cake. It is prepared only in a water bath.

In the recipe, the proportions of the ingredients are important:

  • black chocolate bar - 300 g;
  • heavy cream - 300 ml.

Cooking process:

  1. Prepare a water bath.
  2. Divide the chocolate into small pieces and place in the upper bowl.
  3. As soon as the mixture begins to melt, add warm cream.
  4. Heat the chocolate until the icing is stringy.

The secret from the pastry chefs! To make your chocolate crisp and not crack on the surface of the cake, cool the mass well and beat it with a mixer or blender.

For the preparation of glaze

Real icing should be shiny. You can achieve this effect with honey.

The recipe is as follows:

  • dark chocolate bar - 150 g;
  • homemade fat milk - 90 g;
  • natural honey - 30 g;
  • oil - 80 g;
  • icing sugar - 80g.

Stages:

  1. Prepare a water bath.
  2. Add chocolate. As soon as it starts to melt, pour in warm milk and add the powdered sugar. The mass must be intensively mixed so that lumps do not appear.
  3. Once the glaze is smooth, remove from heat, add honey and butter, and stir again.

Let the glaze cool, never put it in the refrigerator

Making liquid chocolate for fondue

Fondue or chocolate fountains can brighten any celebration. The dessert turns out to be delicious, rather unusual. Making liquid chocolate is easy.

Ingredients needed:

  • chocolate (it is better to choose milk) - 300 g;
  • cinnamon - 10 g;
  • cream or fat milk - 60 g;
  • strong brewed coffee - 25 g.

Preparation:

  1. Prepare a water bath.
  2. Send chocolate to melt.
  3. As soon as the mixture begins to melt, add the remaining ingredients.
  4. At the last moment, sprinkle the chocolate with cinnamon, bring to a homogeneous mass, remove from heat.

Chefs often add whiskey or strong brandy to chocolate fondue. These drinks give the mass not only interesting flavor notes, but also a special aroma.

There are tons of ways to melt chocolate. We have presented the most popular and proven recipes. Use our tips and your chocolate desserts will turn out delicious and beautiful.

What is chocolate? It is a mixture of cocoa beans, butter, sugar, vanilla and other spices. The preparation of this sweet is a rather complicated and time-consuming process.

It contains fats, carbohydrates, vegetable oils and minerals such as potassium, magnesium, sodium and others. The product also contains vitamins A 1, B 1, B 2, D and E. Today we can easily find out its chemical composition by reading it on the label. But there are no instructions on how to melt chocolate, so we will figure it out ourselves.

Fundamental rules

This sweetness can be melted in the microwave or over a hot water bath. How to melt chocolate in a water bath so that it turns out to be homogeneous? Here are some little secrets:

Step-by-step instruction

How to melt chocolate in a water bath? Everything is very simple if you follow these instructions.

Heat up a large pot of water. In another small heat-resistant bowl, crumbling our product. The pieces of chocolate should be small. Put a bowl with chocolate pieces in hot, but non-boiling water. We are waiting for a few minutes. When the chocolate begins to melt around the edges, it can be stirred. This must be done so that the mass is homogeneous and there are no lumps in it.

How to melt chocolate in a water bath so that it does not instantly freeze? The heating process itself is basically the same, the only thing you need to know is: after you achieve the desired consistency, you need to add a little lemon juice to the mass. The resulting paste will remain plastic for a long time.

How to melt chocolate in a water bath so that it acquires a cognac or creamy taste? The recipe for cooking is nowhere easier. In the already melted product, we add the liquid that you want to taste. For example, if you want the pasta to acquire a cognac aroma, you need to preheat the alcoholic drink, evaporate the alcohol from it, and then pour it into the chocolate mass. Melted chocolate will acquire a creamy taste when you add warm milk or cream to it. The proportions will be as follows: for every 50 grams of chocolate - 1 tablespoon of liquid.

A chocolate water bath is the best heating method. This method was also used in the last century, it is also used by modern confectioners.

Melting chocolate in a microwave oven

This electric appliance is perfect for stoking our sweets. Your task is only to put it in a container, set the desired temperature (usually not higher than 50 degrees) and close the microwave oven door. Thanks to electromagnetic radiation, the chocolate is melted evenly. And the stable temperature does not allow it to overheat and get lost in a lump.

Melting chocolate in a multicooker

A great way to save time and hassle. The programs that modern multicooker are equipped with require you only to press a button, and then the machine will independently choose the mode and time for heating the chocolate.


It does not matter at all where we melt chocolate - in a water bath, in a microwave oven or a multicooker. The main thing is the result that is obtained in the end.

Well, the melted chocolate is ready. You can decorate any dessert with it and enjoy the result.

How to melt chocolate so that it is liquid? A microwave oven or a water bath that you have built yourself at home will help you quickly make liquid chocolate for icing a cake from a chocolate bar.

Before making a liquid dessert at home, you should know how to soften the chocolate correctly, taking into account the properties of black, white chocolate with butter and milk with milk.

How to melt chocolate for a cake? In recipes for homemade desserts and sweets, there are not always instructions on how to make the hard chocolate liquid, the mass spreads well over the surface of the cake, and the chocolate icing is evenly applied to the sponge homemade cake.

Which cake chocolate should you choose to melt properly? We propose to make liquid chocolate for a cake out of chocolate, we draw your attention to what you don't need to do in this case.

Advice from the Miracle Chef. If you do not have enough experience in culinary affairs, then we do not recommend heating the chocolate on the fire directly in a saucepan, the chocolate mass is capricious, you should work with it carefully, very painstakingly. Fast melting of chocolate on fire without a water bath can only be done by an experienced chef. In this homemade method, it is important to adhere to a certain temperature regime, the correct proportions of milk and butter added when melting chocolate.

It's easy to heat a cake chocolate at home. The microwave recipe allows you to quickly prepare liquid chocolate for the cake, it is easy to make chocolate icing in a few minutes using a regular microwave.

It is not difficult to soften chocolate in a water bath, but to build a bath at home you need additional dishes in the kitchen.

Simple methods of making liquid chocolate - a water bath and a microwave oven - are within the power of absolutely everyone, the chocolate melts evenly, does not burn, and the finished icing spreads evenly over the cake.

When preparing a homemade cake for chefs, speed is important, so they will be interested in recipes: how to melt chocolate in a water bath and how to melt chocolate in the microwave.

These recipes are simple, using melting methods in practice, it is easy to make sure that the chocolate does not burn, no lumps form, and does not separate from the butter from the total mass of cocoa. The process of completely melting the tiles takes only a few minutes.

The recipe and the method chosen does not guarantee perfectly melted liquid chocolate - for quick and proper preparation, you must choose the right type of chocolate. Not all tiles are capable of melting evenly without creating streaks on the surface of the liquid glaze.

Remember! A porous chocolate bar is not suitable for making icing on a cake.

Advice from the Miracle Chef. The main principle of choosing the right chocolate is a high percentage of cocoa in the bar composition. The more cocoa, the better, but it should not be less than 55%. In addition to the high content of cocoa, the composition should not include herbal additives, fats, nuts, raisins, and various fillers. Correctly melted chocolate should be viscous, thick, with such a mass it is easy to decorate ice cream, make an inscription on the cake. After hardening, the chocolate gives a delicious crispy crust, becomes smooth, with a glossy sheen.

Knowledge about the choice of chocolate is useful, before you start cooking, you need to familiarize yourself with it in order to make a quality dessert, now is the time to determine which of the following methods is most suitable.

How to melt chocolate in the microwave


The time it takes for the chocolate to be heated in the microwave directly depends on the weight of the chocolate.

  1. Break the tiles at room temperature into small pieces.
  2. We put the pieces in a small glass dish intended for microwave cooking.
  3. We place the dishes in the microwave on medium power for 30 seconds.
  4. Then we take out the dishes, mix the not melted pieces.
  5. Repeat the process again until the chocolate is completely liquid.

With quick movements, apply liquid chocolate to the cake, fill it with a liquid mass, decorate the sweet one, level the surface with a spatula or a wide knife, otherwise the icing will harden and you will have to start over.

How to melt chocolate in a water bath


  1. We make a water bath with our own hands. To do this, take a saucepan and a metal, ceramic or glass bowl. The size of the bowl should be such that it can be placed on a saucepan without a lid, without reaching the bottom.
  2. Pour water into the pan so that the bowl does not come into contact with it. Thus, we have built a water bath at home.
  3. Then put the chopped chocolate into a bowl.
  4. We place the bowl on a pot of water, put it on fire.
  5. Then, after the water boils, the chocolate in the bowl will begin to melt, and you need to stir it so that the process goes faster and more evenly.

Both of the suggested recipes are simple and easy to do at home to melt the chocolate properly.

Hello everyone! Here, the other day I decided to bake a cake with chocolate icing. I wanted to do everything quickly, so I started looking for information on how to melt chocolate in the microwave. Yes, yes, it is with the help of a microwave. There was no time to mess with the water bath. And stand over the stove so that nothing burns out. It turned out that it is much easier to melt chocolate this way, and most importantly, faster. There are, however, their own nuances.

Since microwaves are of different power, you will have to adapt to your appliance. I will give general advice, but you will already be adjusting them yourself. Chocolate can burn, so you need to start with low power.

You will need to stir it at short intervals. When you get used to it, you will understand in which mode it is better to cook it. Someone will love to cook at maximum power in literally 30 seconds. And someone will set the defrosting mode and wait 5-10 minutes. At the same time, without worrying that the mixture will burn.

The choice of the product is also important. Can filled tiles be used? I would not recommend it. Raisins, nuts, puffed rice will lead to uneven heating of the product. And our task is to quickly turn solid tiles into a liquid homogeneous mass.


Likewise, porous chocolate is not suitable for our purposes. There are many different additives in it, but there is definitely not enough cocoa. Because of this, it does not melt, but curls up into lumps. This applies not only to porous tiles. On the Internet I saw the reviews of the hostesses, how "Alenka" rolled into balls in a water bath.

Choose any bar with a cocoa content of at least 60%. The exception is white chocolate. There is no more than 35% cocoa in it, but at the same time it does not roll into balls.

Another important point is the temperature of the tiles. Do not put it in the microwave right after the refrigerator. A sudden change in temperature can adversely affect its consistency. And most importantly, chocolate is afraid of water. It is enough to stir the mass with a damp spoon and you can forget about the desired consistency. The mixture becomes heavy. Stretches like rubber. Such icing is not suitable for decorating a cake, and even more so for a fountain.

How to heat chocolate in the microwave to keep it liquid


Now, let's go directly to cooking:

  • It is better to break the cocoa bar into small pieces. Can be cut into portioned squares with a knife. This will melt the tiles more evenly and faster.
  • Place the pieces of chocolate in a shallow bowl. Put in the microwave.
  • Start small. I advise you to set it to 30% of the maximum power. If you have 800 watts, choose about 250-300 watts.
  • Set the time to 15-20 seconds. After a lapse - stir the mass and set the timer for the same time again.
  • Stir the mixture every 15-20 seconds. This should be done until you achieve complete uniformity of the product.
  • If there are a couple of unmelted pieces left, do not rush to put the mixture back in the oven. Try mixing everything thoroughly. From the already melted mass, they can melt.

The most important thing is not to overheat the mixture. Otherwise, the mass will turn out to be too dense, with a bitter taste.

Note: If you grate the chocolate, it will melt much faster. In this case, the warm-up intervals should be 10 seconds.

Melted chocolate hardens rather quickly. In order to have time to apply it to baked goods, add a spoonful of sour cream. Warm milk or cream is also suitable for icing. I found it on YouTube. It shows you how to properly melt chocolate in different ways.

How to make cocoa cake frosting

It is suitable not only for covering the cake. It can be used to decorate cookies, cupcakes or cake. In order for it to be well applied and set, the proportions must be observed. This recipe will make your icing liquid.

We need: a bar of dark chocolate with a cocoa content of at least 72%. We will also use 40-50 g butter + milk, about 30 g (fat 3.2%). Two tablespoons of sugar and a tablespoon of cocoa powder.

Break the tiles into pieces and place them in a wide bowl. Add butter to it. It must be removed from the refrigerator so that it is at room temperature and kneaded with a fork. Next, the mixture must be combined with milk. It also should not be cold, since everything will be heated unevenly in the microwave. Unless you should.

Pour milk in a thin stream to our ingredients in a bowl. Then mix the cocoa with the sugar and stir in all the ingredients.

Put the resulting mixture in a microwave oven at 800 W for three minutes. Every 30 sec. stir the mass so that it does not burn. This glaze is easily applied to the cake, the mixture is moderately liquid.

There are many gourmet dishes with the addition of chocolate in the world. Its beneficial properties have been known for a long time. In addition, chocolate uplifts mood, invigorates and is one of the most delicious foods.

Almost all restaurants, cafes and shops offer desserts that contain liquid chocolate. For example, everyone's favorite ice cream with chocolate icing, muffins, cocktails and other goodies. Liquid chocolate is used to make fondues and sweet fountains.

Some home cooking lovers are wondering: how do confectioners manage to make delicate chocolate icing? How to melt chocolate so that it does not crumple or freeze?

Housewives often make mistakes that cause the chocolate to burn, curl and crumple.

To enjoy your favorite dishes at home and delight your loved ones, it is important to know how to properly melt chocolate. At first glance, it seems that it will not be difficult to do this. But in this case, as in any other, there are tricks. This is what this article will be about.

How to melt chocolate at home

The technology for making sweet desserts and cocktails at home using liquid chocolate is not as complicated as it seems at first glance. To bring chocolate to an even liquid state, you must follow a few simple rules.

Consider two methods that are available to everyone. The first is the preparation of liquid chocolate in a water bath. Anyone who has a gas or electric stove at home can do this, and, of course, everyone has one.

The second implies the presence of a microwave oven in the house. These days, most likely, this is not a problem either. Most people have modern household appliances. But, as a last resort, you can use a regular oven.

Method 1: preparing liquid chocolate in a water bath

To melt chocolate in a water bath, you will need to heat the water in a bowl to 60 degrees. The subsequent sequence of actions is simple:

  1. Take a heavy-bottomed saucepan and chop the chocolate into it. Anyone will do - white, milky or dark - depending on individual preferences. It is desirable that it be without fillers and additives in the form of raisins, nuts, waffle crumbs, etc. Another important point - the pan must be dry, otherwise the chocolate will burn.
  2. We place the container on the steam bath so that it does not come into contact with water. This is very important because the ingress of water, steam or condensation will alter the taste and texture of the product. This is especially true for milk and white chocolate, which melt faster than dark chocolate. Do not overheat.
  3. Reduce heat to low and stir chocolate constantly. The water in the pot should not be allowed to boil. If you notice boiling, you need to turn off the gas.
  4. After the disappearance of visible lumps, remove the container with chocolate and cover with a plastic bag or cling film. Leave for a few minutes to melt small pieces, and the mass becomes monotonous.

Possible mistakes

Chocolate can be overheated easily. If you want to make frosting or fondue, never heat the water bath to a boil. If the temperature is too high, it will melt unevenly and burn. As a result, the chocolate will harden and lumps will remain in it. But do not think that the product is completely spoiled and will have to be thrown away. The resulting mass is useful for making a cake or brownie.

Add butter to melt the icing chocolate. It will give a pleasant creamy taste and help to achieve the optimal state of the chocolate mass. The glaze will turn out to be delicate and will have all the necessary taste.

Failure can be caused by the quality of the chocolate itself. When buying, you need to carefully look at the composition of the product and the expiration dates. Chocolate often spoils due to improper storage, so it is better to buy it in those stores that you trust.

Before buying, carefully study the composition of the chocolate. A good bar should contain a high percentage of cocoa butter.

Method 2: making liquid chocolate in the microwave

This method, in turn, is divided into two more options.

First, put the crushed chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and set the timer for 3 minutes. After a minute, remove the container and mix the chocolate mass thoroughly. Put back, but it is already necessary to stir every 30 seconds until the time runs out (3 minutes).

Second: we put the chocolate in a container and put it in the microwave. We select the defrosting mode and set the time - 2 minutes. After the time has elapsed, take out the mass and mix. If necessary, set it for another 60 seconds.

How to choose the right chocolate

To prepare a certain dish, a certain type of chocolate is required. For example, one species will be viscous and viscous, another will quickly solidify, and the third will remain watery. Therefore, you need to carefully consider the choice of this ingredient.

The first thing to note is never buy the cheapest product. It is unlikely that he will give a successful result. Aerated chocolate is not suitable for these purposes. It is not intended to be melted.

Melted chocolate can be used as a frosting, as a base for baking, or mixed with cream and drunk hot. In order not to be disappointed with the result in any of these cases, you need to know how to melt chocolate correctly. Let's take a closer look at this process.

Which one is suitable for melting?

Before that, it is worth figuring out which varieties are more suitable for this. After all, this product is quite finicky and does not open to every confectioner. Problems can arise from the fast-setting tendency of chocolate and its concentration. For example, porous tiles are not very convenient to melt, the consistency is often far from the desired one. Also, don't choose bars with raisins, nuts, or other fillings. ideal for pastry purposes. It will serve as an excellent decoration for any dessert; it can be tinted in a different color with food coloring. The best solution for melting in this case is a chocolate water bath. Another suitable variety is culinary, with a particular body and flavor. These qualities depend on the content of cocoa butter in the product. If you plan to use chocolate for baking, plain dessert chocolate will work as well.

You don't really have to think about how to melt this kind of chocolate, since it is not too whimsical, but its density does not allow it to be used as a glaze. Finally, the most expensive variety is couverture. There is a lot in it, therefore, the melted couverture turns out to be very smooth in structure and is suitable for the preparation of real masterpieces of taste.

So let's take a look at the ways you can get melted chocolate. The most classic of these is the water bath. Place the pieces of chocolate in a dry bowl or saucepan. The dishes are placed in a water bath so that it does not touch the water, and the contents are mixed so that the chocolate mass is heated evenly. Once the chocolate is smooth, it can be used as intended.

Please note that the dishes with chocolate should be larger than the saucepan of water so that no steam gets into the chocolate when melted. Also, do not close the container with a lid, because condensation harmful to chocolate forms on it. To make it more convenient to remove the product from the dishes after cooking, it can be pre-coated with oil. Finally, remember that the maximum temperature for this ingredient is fifty degrees. There is another way to melt chocolate - in the microwave. To do this, you need to use the lowest power of the microwave oven (usually this is the "defrost" mode). This will prevent the product from overheating or hardening. Do not add anything to the bowl before melting the chocolate if using the microwave. The third way to melt is with the oven. Place the crushed tiles in a saucepan and put them in the oven for eight to ten minutes, the melted treat will be ready. This method is best for melting dark chocolate.

The easiest and quickest way to decorate your homemade cakes is to sprinkle them with delicious chocolate icing. Compared to the preparation of creams, and other confectionery coatings, this option will take, perhaps, the least time, and in appearance and taste will be seductive and aromatic. However, even this simple process requires a competent approach, otherwise the culinary masterpiece may be spoiled. There are not many proven ways to melt chocolate. Each hostess chooses the one that is easier and more pleasant for her personally and will give maximum pleasure to the guests.

The taste of chocolate goes well with the absolute majority of ingredients used in the production of desserts:

  • nuts;
  • ice cream;
  • fruits and berries, including dried;
  • coconut flakes
  • marmalade;
  • different types of creams;
  • condensed milk, etc.

With such a variety of options, calling on your design skills to help, you will certainly create an inimitable chocolate miracle, even from an ordinary gingerbread.

Which chocolate is better to take?

The easiest way to make a frosting is to liquefy the finished chocolate bar. The main thing here is the correct choice of the source material. Indeed, often in stores, under the guise of chocolate, sweet bars are sold with a minimum cocoa content, but the presence of chemical and other additives. When melting such a product, even in full compliance with the technology, you can get the most unexpected results, not to mention harm to health.

To avoid unpleasant surprises, you should choose high quality milk or dark chocolate with a high content of cocoa powder and cocoa butter. In such cases, in the composition of the product, these ingredients appear in the first lines.

It is necessary to avoid pastry bars saturated with trans fats and sugar. In addition, even from high-quality chocolates, it is better not to take for overheating those that contain nuts, raisins and other flavoring additives - unless as an experiment.

It should be borne in mind that milk chocolate, when melted, will give the most plastic and obedient glaze. The dark chocolate mass will harden extremely quickly and give a very dense surface. It is also convenient for molding decorative elements.

If this option does not suit you, add a couple of tablespoons of milk or cream to the chocolate when melting. A small piece of butter will also add softness and shine and prevent the frosting from burning, especially if you lubricate the bottom of the cooking utensil with it.

How to melt chocolate: basic methods

In the microwave

With the current massive availability of such an important achievement of technical progress as a microwave oven, the question of how to melt chocolate at home can be solved in no time. Here you will not need to stand at the stove, not taking your eyes off the boiling mass, when every second can be decisive.

It is enough to break the tiles, put the pieces in a glass or ceramic dish and put in for one minute at full power. After that, mix well and return back for another half a minute. Repeat this cycle three times to get a homogeneous mass.

There is an even easier way: melt the chocolate slices for two minutes in defrost mode. If after that there are small pieces in the mass, mix and turn on for another minute in the same mode.

The mass from the microwave acquires a special consistency, ideal for the formation of chocolate decorations of various shapes - flowers, leaves, letters, etc.

On the stove

The stove is always at hand, so any homemade pastry chef should know how to properly melt chocolate on it. The main risk here is sticking. To keep it to a minimum, it is best to use a double-bottomed pot. Add a spoonful of butter or heavy cream to the chopped chocolate and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.

The main thing is to immediately remove it from the heat, without allowing the mass to really boil, otherwise a uniform consistency will not work.

On a water bath

Unlike melting on a stove, this method will protect the glaze from burning, but it will still require utmost attention. A bowl with pieces of chocolate and 20 g of butter is placed in a deeper container with boiling water.

Throughout the entire melting time, the mass must be stirred, and as soon as it has become homogeneous, it must be removed from the heat and used for its intended purpose.

How to make liquid chocolate icing?

Milk

Milk-based chocolate glaze is considered the most delicate in taste. To prepare it, you will need, per one bar of chocolate: a quarter of a glass of milk, a tablespoon of sugar and a little butter to rub the bottom of the dishes.

Pour milk into this dish, add granulated sugar and gradually heat it on a not too hot stove for 3-4 minutes, until the sugar grains dissolve to the end. When this happens, remove the saucepan from the stove and stir in the chocolate melted in the microwave or water bath.

It remains to cool the resulting mass and apply it as directed.

With sour cream

The glaze with the addition of sour cream is very plastic, creamy, with a barely perceptible sourness. The fattier the sour cream, the richer the taste, aroma and texture of the finished product.

Take 100 g of 20% sour cream, 100 g of dark chocolate, 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar and 35 g of butter.

Chop the tile into small pieces in advance. Put the cream and powder in a container, bring to a boil and remove from the stove. Now you need to pour out the chopped chocolate, wait for it to dissolve for three minutes, add butter and mix well again. Then cool and apply in an even layer on the surface of the confectionery.

Creamy chocolate glaze is respected by many culinary experts for the fact that it allows you to achieve the formation of spectacular drips on the surface of the dessert. It is made from 80 g of dark chocolate pieces, 40 g of heavy cream and the same amount of butter from them. All this must be melted in a water bath, stirring, until completely homogeneous.

Impeccable chocolate glaze looks very impressive even without additional decor: smooth, shiny, silky, eye-catching. It gives the surface of cakes and other baked goods a perfect smoothness. It will be possible to achieve such a consistency if a number of conditions are observed.

  1. Cream and butter should be added if your goal is a glossy glaze.
  2. During the cooking process, the icing must not be covered with a lid: drops of condensation falling from the lid will break the chocolate idyll.
  3. Do not overheat the chocolate, otherwise the icing from it will be dull, dry, free-flowing or lumpy. When melting a tile, it is better to remove the mass from the heat a little earlier than later, even if there are small non-melting pieces in it - they will quickly dissolve with further stirring.
  4. Quality white chocolate can also be melted and used for enrobing purposes. But it should be remembered that it is more capricious than usual, so in this case it is better to refuse from the stove and use a water bath. It should be remembered that the white chocolate glaze hardens very quickly and forms a fragile surface, but an important advantage of this product is its mild taste and the ability to be colored in any color.
  5. If you add pre-soaked gelatin (10 g per 100 g of mass) to the freshly brewed, still not cooled glaze and mix well, you will get an incomparably shiny, mirror finish. Ideally, it should be applied to a frozen surface.

Conclusion

Chocolate glaze is one of the basic means of decorating confectionery products. Cooked flawlessly, it tastes and looks great even on its own. Knowing how to melt chocolate, you already have the required minimum of skills to make it.

Mother of two children. I have been running a household for over 7 years - this is my main job. I love to experiment, I constantly try various means, methods, techniques that can make our life easier, more modern, richer. I love my family.

Glaze is used in the preparation of various desserts, for example, sweets, cakes, pastries, and it is also used for decoration. It is also worth mentioning the popular dish - fondue. It is important to note that melting this product is not easy as there are many pitfalls. Now we will try to reveal all the secrets so that this procedure does not cause any problems for you.

What is the best way to melt chocolate?

Today, on the shelves of shops, you can find many different versions of this delicacy, for example, porous, black, etc. Each option has its fans, but not all of them can be heated.

Let's take a look at some of the details of popular candy bars:

You should not save money and buy cheap tiles, since you will not be able to achieve a good result. When buying, look at the composition, which should contain as few ingredients and additives as possible.

How to melt chocolate in a water bath?

This method is considered the best and highest quality. It should be used if you need to get icing for decorating and greasing cakes and other desserts, since the consistency is homogeneous and shiny.

It is recommended to get the tiles in advance, since the product will cook more slowly, and a sharp temperature drop can spoil the consistency and even taste. If you need to add a liquid ingredient, for example, some kind of extract, then you need to do this in advance.

Ingredients:

  • Chocolate.

Cooking method:

  1. Take a tile and break it into pieces and it is best if they are the same size. You can grate it to speed up the heating process. This is necessary in order for the product to evenly give in to heat treatment;
  2. Prepare containers of different sizes so that one fits on top of the other. It is important that they are absolutely clean and dry. The fact is that even a few drops of water can ruin the result.
  3. Put the crushed tiles in one container, and pour some water into the other, put on fire and bring to a boil. Place the containers so that the one containing the chocolate does not touch the water and completely covers the lower saucepan. The thing is that if steam gets into the product, it will stratify and become unusable. Stir the mass with a wooden spatula so that it evenly heats up;
  4. When all the pieces are melted, remove the container from the steam bath and the prepared food can be used.
  5. To make the glaze surface shine after hardening, you need to put a little butter.

There are some tips on how to melt a chocolate bar properly. First, in no case close the container with a lid, so that condensation does not form, since the consistency is stratified.

The stirring spoon must be completely dry. Secondly, the maximum permissible heating temperature is 50 degrees.

How to melt chocolate in the microwave?

Another popular option that is suitable if you do not need to use the product as a glaze. In the microwave, the process is greatly simplified.

Ingredients:

  • Chocolate.

Cooking method:

  1. Break or grate the hotplate and place the container in the microwave. Set the power to 50%;
  2. The time depends on the weight of the product used. So, if the weight is 30-50 g, then 1 minute is enough. For a weight of 240 g, set the timer to 3 minutes;
  3. For uniformity, uniform heating is important, therefore, if there is no turntable, then you need to rotate the container manually, after equal intervals of time;
  4. If done correctly, the container will remain cold and the chocolate will become liquid. When the bowl is hot and the food is overheated, transfer it immediately to a cold dish, add a few more pieces and mix thoroughly.

How to properly melt chocolate in the oven?

Another alternative option that has its own subtleties.

Step-by-step instruction:

How to melt white chocolate?

This option is more difficult to melt than bitter food because it has a lower melting point. It is best to use a water bath as the temperature can be controlled.

Step-by-step instruction:

The result is a homogeneous glaze that will have a shine. It can be used to make a variety of confectionery decorations.

What if the chocolate is overheated?

If lumps began to appear, do not be upset, since there are several options for how to fix the situation. Remove the frosting from heat and add a lump of butter or shortening to it. It is worth starting with 1 tsp, but as a result, the amount may increase to 1 tbsp. spoons for every 170 g.

You can save the situation with the help of vegetable oil without fragrances, milk or cream. It is important that the chocolate and liquid are at approximately the same temperature.

Now you know all the existing methods of melting chocolate. Observing all the stated rules and recommendations, you will certainly be able to achieve a good result.

Confectionery art is given special love and attention by liquid chocolate. The melted product is used as an ingredient, decoration and as an independent dessert. To obtain a rare homogeneous consistency, it is necessary to carry out heat treatment using steam. However, not every housewife knows how to make a steam bath for chocolate.

The main difficulties that inexperienced chefs may encounter in this process:

  • the chocolate mass can burn and significantly deteriorate its taste;
  • get a heterogeneous mass that will be unsuitable for subsequent processing;
  • the chocolate may split into an oily base and a watery froth.

In order to avoid such troubles, it is worth understanding the basic rules and nuances of a water bath for chocolate, since this wonderful product will appeal to every home.

Tips on how to make the right chocolate water bath at home

Before melting chocolate in a water bath for a cake, a novice culinary master should carefully prepare and take into account the advice of "experienced" masters. The main nuances to pay attention to:

  1. The first stage for thermal processing of chocolate is its crushing, which will not only speed up the process, but also ensure uniform melting without sticking and lumps.
  2. When heating a chocolate product, it should not be allowed to come into contact with water, otherwise all taste will be lost. Such a nuance should be taken into account when preparing the container in which the ingredient will be placed - it must be absolutely dry.
  3. The fire should be "small", which will make it possible to obtain a liquid consistency of the chocolate mass without burning and breaking the molecular composition. Haste in this "delicate" process is inappropriate!
  4. The temperature regime depends on the type of chocolate: for dark, you need to adhere to 55 degrees, and for white and milk - 45 degrees.

Such simple rules will allow you to prepare excellent chocolate in a water bath for a cake, which will be able to embody any fantasies of the master when creating the next culinary masterpiece. However, the end result will largely depend on how thoroughly the pastry chef sorted out the question of how to make a steam bath for chocolate.

How to make a steam bath for chocolate: a list of tools

Cooking is a kind of magic in which the pastry chef is the main magician and wizard. In his hands, any action with the help of ordinary improvised devices transforms familiar ingredients into unexpected and delightful masterpieces. The miracle of transforming a solid chocolate bar into a homogeneous liquid mass begins with preparing the tools for this "trick":

  • two containers, which can be used as iron bowls of different sizes;
  • a wooden spatula that serves as a "magic wand" for the culinary specialist;
  • finely chopped chocolate bar, which will be "reincarnated".

Such a small list of tools will be sufficient to perform a simple confectionery trick - a water bath for chocolate at home.

How to make a steam bath for chocolate: secrets and subtleties

  1. A large metal container must be filled with water and heated over low heat so that the temperature of the liquid gradually rises.
  2. Place small pieces of chocolate bar in a smaller dry bowl that can easily fit in a heated bowl of water.
  3. Avoid boiling the water, as splashes can get into the chocolate mixture and harm its taste.
  4. The main assistant in this process is a wooden spatula or spoon. It should be stirred continuously until the chocolate pieces are completely melted and in order to prevent sticking.

One-two-three - and a slight rotation of the "magic wand" creates a homogeneous product with an unsurpassed liquid texture without grains, burnt lumps and unnecessary foam.

These “magic steps” provide clear instructions for those wondering how to make a steam bath for chocolate. If we talk about the secrets and subtleties of such a procedure, then there are not many of them. It is enough to carefully control the heating process and ensure gentle stirring without interruption.

Expert advice on how to make a water bath for chocolate

For many novice culinary masters, the actual question is how to make a water bath for chocolate correctly. Despite the simplicity of this procedure, experienced pastry chefs recommend taking into account some tricks:

  1. For starters, do not confuse melting a chocolate bar with tempering it. These are radically different technological processes, although they are associated with heat treatment.
  2. Remember, chocolate "loves" attention, don't try to speed up the process by increasing the heat or stirring up quickly - it doesn't work!
  3. If the portion for melting the chocolate mass is large, it is advisable to divide it into several parts. In this case, it will be easier to control the procedure and maximize the desired results.
  4. For those who actively use a double boiler in the kitchen, the task of how to make a water bath for chocolate can be greatly facilitated with its use.
  5. Water is categorically contraindicated for the chocolate structure, so you should make every effort to avoid any hit of even the smallest drops of it.

Such simple tips and step-by-step instructions will enable housewives to work wonders in their kitchens. Magic is always with us, you just need to learn to notice it! Create, experiment, bring to life the most daring confectionery fantasies, delighting households and guests!

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