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Home » Learn » How to Make Chocolate Cage

How to Make Chocolate Cage

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By: Shinee Published: 4/23/2018Updated: 1/15/2022

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This simple yet elegant chocolate cage is a quick and easy way to decorate your homemade cake. No special skills or equipment required!

Easy chocolate cake decoration to instantly add a wow-factor to your homemade cake. It's so easy to make this chocolate cage, you don't even need any special skills! #cakedecorating #chocolatecage #easycakedecorating #chocolatecakedecoration

Table of Contents

  • Why you’ll love this cake decor:
  • Things you need:
  • 3 tips for perfect chocolate cage:
  • Troubleshooting Tips:
  • Chocolate Cage – Chocolate Cake Decoration

Why you’ll love this cake decor:

Cake decorating isn’t necessarily my specialty. I like simple, effortless ways to decorate my cakes.

And that’s why I love this simple chocolate cage idea so much!! You don’t even need a great cake frosting skills to pull this off. Because you’ll hide all the imperfections with the chocolate design you’ll create!

And the best part you only need 1 ingredient and less than 15 minutes!

Things you need:

  • Dark chocolate, either bittersweet or semi-sweet, works best for this technique. And I recommend a bar of chocolate over chocolate chips, as chocolate chips are designed to hold its shape better and doesn’t melt as easy.
  • I find that wax paper is the easiest to work with, because it’s thinner than most parchment papers, and peels off of chocolate easier. You can also use clear acetate strips, if you have it.

3 tips for perfect chocolate cage:

  • This’s the most important part: we need to melt the chocolate gently without raising the temperature of the chocolate over 90°F in order to keep the chocolate in temper. That way your chocolate design will set quickly, have a nice sheen and will stay nice and crisp.
  • Work with 2 shorter strips of wax paper so that it’s easier to handle. Measure the circumference of the cake and cut the strips for the same length. For example, if your cake measures 30 inches around, you’ll need two 15-inch strips.
  • I used pretty thin decorating tip for piping my chocolate “cage” design (Wilton #2), but if you’d like to make a specific design, like flowers, or hearts, I suggest using a bigger round tip. You don’t want too thin lines, because it won’t be sturdy enough.

Troubleshooting Tips:

If the chocolate doesn’t set within 5 minutes, it means chocolate was heated a bit too much and lost its temper.

But that’s not a lost cause!

Just wait for another 10 minutes, and then place it in the fridge for a few minutes to firm, if needed. Check often every few minutes so it doesn’t firm up too much, or it’ll break.

Chocolate Cage – Chocolate Cake Decoration

This simple yet elegant chocolate cage is a quick and easy way to decorate your homemade cake. No special skills or equipment required!
5 from 4 votes
serves: 1 cake
Total : 15 minutes
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Ingredients

  • 4 oz dark chocolate Note 1

Tools you need:

  • Wax paper
  • Piping bag
  • Round piping tip
Note: I test all my recipes with both measurements for the most precise and accurate result!

Instructions

To prepare wax paper:

  • Measure the cake circumference and cut 2 strips of wax paper for that length. (For 9-inch cake, you'll need two 15-inch strips. Height of the strips depends on the design you're planning, whether you want it the same height as your cake, or taller, etc. TIP: Add an inch or so extra room on top of the height of your design.)
  • Using a ruler and a pen, draw 2 lines on wax paper strips for guidance, ie how tall your design is going to be.

To melt chocolate:

  • Place the chopped chocolate in a medium silicone (or plastic) bowl.
  • Microwave for 30 seconds at 50% power. Then stir well and put it back for 15 seconds at 50% power. Stir well and continue microwaving in 15-second increments at 50% power until the chocolate is fully melted, stirring well in between.
  • Transfer the melted chocolate in a piping bag with a round tip.

To draw the design:

  • Start piping your design within the lines, making sure it's thick enough to stand. Too thin lines will be too fragile.
  • Set the chocolate for about 3 minutes at room temperature, or until it's firm yet still pliable. If the chocolate is still in temper, the chocolate will set in less than 5 minutes. (TIP: If the chocolate doesn't set, just wait for another 10 minutes, then place it in the fridge for a few minutes.)

To apply:

  • Carefully lift the wax strip with chocolate design, and wrap around the frosted cake. Repeat with the other side.
  • Carefully peel off the wax paper. (TIP: If the chocolate is still soft, put the cake in fridge for 30 minutes or longer, and then peel the wax paper off.)

Tips & Notes:

Note 1: Dark chocolate, either bittersweet or semi-sweet, works best for this technique. And I recommend a bar of chocolate over chocolate chips, as chocolate chips are designed to hold its shape better and doesn’t melt as easy.

Nutrition Facts:

Calories: 678kcal (34%) Carbohydrates: 52g (17%) Protein: 9g (18%) Fat: 48g (74%) Saturated Fat: 28g (175%) Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g Monounsaturated Fat: 14g Trans Fat: 1g Cholesterol: 3mg (1%) Sodium: 23mg (1%) Potassium: 811mg (23%) Fiber: 12g (50%) Sugar: 27g (30%) Vitamin A: 44IU (1%) Calcium: 83mg (8%) Iron: 13mg (72%)
* Disclaimer: All nutrition information are estimates only. Read full disclosure here.
Author: Shinee
Course:Dessert
Cuisine:American
Did you make this?Show me your creation! Tag me @shineshka and hashtag it #sweetandsavorybyshinee!
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  1. Robin May says

    Posted on 29 August 2022 at 2:31 pm

    5 stars
    I did not make this recipe however it looks great.
    I’m looking for a GGBO recipe for Rahul’s Choc and Orange Layer cake and Briony’s Dark Choc and Salted Caramel Creation. Do you have them?
    Thank you so much.

    Reply
    • Shinee says

      Posted on 21 September 2022 at 10:34 am

      Hi, Robin. No, unfortunately I don’t.

      Reply
  2. Haadia Amra✌🏻 says

    Posted on 18 March 2022 at 12:14 am

    Hi,

    This looks amazing!I did not even realise how easy it was, yet so elegant!I just wanted to know, will this stick to a cheesecake?The filling for the cheesecake will be made of cream cheese and cream.What do you think?

    Reply
    • Shinee says

      Posted on 20 March 2022 at 4:54 pm

      Hi, Haadia. I haven’t tried wrapping a cheesecake. If you have cheesecake filling exposed on the side, I think it’ll stick.

      Reply
  3. Linda says

    Posted on 14 January 2022 at 11:57 am

    You don’t specify the amount of coconut oil in the ingredient list, but the directions say to add to chocolate in the Instruction section.

    Reply
    • Shinee says

      Posted on 15 January 2022 at 11:20 am

      Hi, Linda. Thanks for the questions! And I apologize for confusion. I recently updated the recipe as coconut oil isn’t necessary, and I removed it from the ingredient list.

      Reply
  4. Avery says

    Posted on 12 August 2021 at 5:55 pm

    Wow! What a cool idea! For my birthday cake, I plan on doing a thin vanilla cake layer at the bottom, then a thick strawberry mousse layer, topping with a thick lemon curd layer. I don’t like frosting, and don’t think it would work with my idea, do you think this cage would stick to the cake listed above?
    Thanks so much!

    Reply
    • Shinee says

      Posted on 14 August 2021 at 9:49 pm

      Hi, Avery! Your cake sounds amazing!!! And yes, chocolate cage will stick to it.

      Reply
  5. Maria says

    Posted on 12 March 2021 at 3:11 pm

    5 stars
    I made this cake it was perfect my friend loved it!! Thank you!

    Reply
    • Shinee says

      Posted on 12 March 2021 at 5:22 pm

      Yay, so happy you tried and loved it, Maria! Thank you for your feedback!

      Reply
  6. Jo says

    Posted on 16 February 2021 at 4:34 pm

    Looks amazing!! Didn’t realize how easy it is!! Thank you for sharing! Qq: Should the cake be refrigerated when sticking the chocolate cage to it?

    Reply
    • Shinee says

      Posted on 18 February 2021 at 2:51 pm

      Hi, Jo. I’m not sure if I understood your question. Cake doesn’t have to be refrigerated prior to applying the chocolate cage, but it can be.

      Reply
    • Carrie says

      Posted on 18 November 2021 at 2:34 pm

      Haven’t made this yet, but how much coconut oil do you use?? I don’t want to add too much and have it not set right. Thanks!!!

      Reply
  7. JW says

    Posted on 4 February 2021 at 10:22 am

    Would it stick to a cake that is unfrosted or one with a little ganache or glaze dripped down the sides?

    Reply
    • Shinee says

      Posted on 5 February 2021 at 10:51 pm

      Hi, JW. No, it won’t stick to bare cake. There needs to be some sort of frosting, ganaches, etc.

      Reply
  8. Maricris Warren says

    Posted on 16 August 2019 at 6:10 pm

    Hi! I tried to make this, it get harden but after letting it out in the fridge for few minutes it gets soft again. I used a semi sweet chocolate chip. What can i do to make the chocolate hard even it’s out from the fridge?

    Reply
    • Shinee says

      Posted on 17 August 2019 at 12:03 pm

      Hi, Maricris. Is it really hot in your kitchen? I would let it harden in the fridge a little longer.

      Reply
  9. Sunee says

    Posted on 30 January 2019 at 1:49 pm

    Hi yday I did white chocolate designs but after taking from the fridge it melted can you please let me know the reason 
    Thankyou 

    Reply
    • Shinee says

      Posted on 9 February 2019 at 2:52 pm

      Hmm, what do you mean? So the white chocolate didn’t harden in the fridge?

      Reply
  10. Melissa says

    Posted on 29 December 2018 at 12:14 pm

    Awesome ! Thank you soo much! This was super
    Easy to do and super easy to put on my cake! I actually used parchment paper and it worked great!  I ended up using white almond bark and it was beautiful!  It has opened my eyes to even more cake possibliles now, I’m super excited!
    Thank you again!!

    Reply
    • Gloria says

      Posted on 28 February 2020 at 8:04 pm

      Do you have to remove the chocolate before you cut the cake or can you cut thru it easily?

      Reply
      • Shinee says

        Posted on 29 February 2020 at 1:16 pm

        Hi, Gloria. No, you don’t need to remove the chocolate decoration. It’ll cut through just fine. You can see the picture of the sliced cake here.

        Reply
  11. Marni says

    Posted on 28 November 2018 at 6:23 pm

    This sounds perfect! How can I be sure hat the chocolate sticks to the cake? I find that my homemade frosting hardens quickly and decorations fall off. I’m going to watch your video now! Thanks.

    Reply
    • Shinee says

      Posted on 28 November 2018 at 9:16 pm

      Hi, Marni. What kind of frosting are you using? I’ve used this chocolate cage on buttercream and cream cheese frostings and it sticks just fine.

      Reply
  12. Jean says

    Posted on 18 September 2018 at 12:13 pm

    I tried this for a birthday cake and it was too thick to go through my frosting tip.  I added a bit of milk to make it thinner, then it would not get hard enough to put on the cake.  I put it in the frig…then in the freezer..still was to thick.  What did I do wrong…???

    Reply
    • Jean says

      Posted on 18 September 2018 at 12:24 pm

      I am sorry, I misspoke… when I added the milk it was thin enough, but it did not set up firm enough that I could put it on the cake.   Thanks for your help.   Jean 

      Reply
      • Shinee says

        Posted on 19 September 2018 at 2:57 pm

        Hi, Jean. Sorry you had trouble. It sounds like your chocolate wasn’t fully melted. If it was too thick, you needed to melt it a little bit more. It should be pretty runny. Also what size of frosting tip did you use? And adding milk makes it a ganache, which usually doesn’t set properly.

        Reply
    • Tanya Sipani says

      Posted on 30 April 2020 at 8:10 pm

      How early can I put the cage on the cake? I am having a party but we aren’t cutting the cake until a hour or 2 into it

      Reply
      • Shinee says

        Posted on 1 May 2020 at 2:49 pm

        Hi, Tanya. You can put the cage any time as you finish decorating the cake.

        Reply
        • Mansi says

          Posted on 4 February 2021 at 3:35 am

          Had a similar question. I’m planning to make a whipped cream+ cream cheese frosting. Can I make it like 5-6 hours in advance? Should the cake be kept in the fridge after putting the cage?

        • Shinee says

          Posted on 5 February 2021 at 10:48 pm

          Hi, Mansi. Yes, you can make the chocolate cage 5-6 hours in advance. And it can be refrigerated.

    • Janelle says

      Posted on 29 April 2021 at 12:23 pm

      I just used a tiny hold in the corner of a small ziplock bag. And instead of using milk, use a tiny drizzle of olive oil stirred into the dark chocolate chips. It will help it soften into a silky drizzle but won’t impede the hardening at all.

      Reply
  13. Lily says

    Posted on 24 December 2017 at 1:16 pm

    5 stars
    you just save my christmas cake!!!! thanks so much for helping!!!!

    Reply

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