Can we spray chocolate?
In pastry, you must use a chocolate gun to create a velvet effect on a cake or a dessert. Indeed, this device is specially dedicated to flocking and it allows you to spray a thin layer of chocolate and cocoa butter on your recipe of the day in order to make it more aesthetic and more appetizing.
More concretely, the thermal shock instantly crystallizes the cocoa butter and the chocolate on your preparation and this is what will create small grains. Hence the velvet effect. By adjusting the air pressure of its stainless steel nozzle, it is possible to modify the width of the jet and the fineness of the spray in order to obtain other effects such as the pastel effect or the shiny effect on all your desserts.
The different techniques for spraying chocolate
Using an electric chocolate gun
The advantages of the food sprayer
To make pastry flocking , you can choose between different devices. For example, you can opt for a chocolate sprayer . This is an edible paint gun that you will reserve for baking. This way, you won't have any trouble getting the shade you want since you can mix it yourself and add the colors you prefer.
What is also advantageous with this chocolate gun is the fact that it is suitable for various applications, both for a velvet effect and a shiny effect or a mirror effect compatible with all soluble food liquids . There are several possible settings; jet width, spray fineness, chocolate flow. Its handling is easy and comfortable.
Finally, be aware that this is a cheap investment in the long term. It may cost less than 100 euros, but then it allows you to achieve velvet effects and frostings at will. It is the most practical cake decorating device because it does not have a flexible hose or air compressor , which facilitates its maintenance.
The main steps to follow
As far as the mix is concerned, you can choose between white flocking, colored flocking or dark chocolate flocking. For white flocking, you need 150 grams of white chocolate, 50 g of cocoa butter.
For the colored flocking, on the other hand, you must combine as ingredients: 150 g of white chocolate, 50 g of cocoa butter and food coloring of your choice. Finally, for the dark chocolate flocking, you need to get 140 g of dark chocolate and 80 g of cocoa butter.
Once the ingredients are combined, you must melt the chocolate and cocoa butter in a bain-marie. Then, you must not stop stirring. And to avoid lumps and small grains, do not hesitate to mix the solution. This will give you a balanced spray of chocolate from your food spray gun .
Also, if you find that the sprayer tank is too big, you can replace it with a small glass cup. Next, you must prepare your workstation by placing your dessert or your cake on a stand or on a table outside.
The ideal is to spray outside when the weather is nice. But when the weather conditions do not allow it, it is better to use a paint booth or to make one yourself with a large cardboard support. In order to obtain a homogeneous spray on your cake, install a turntable inside your flocking cabin . Then you need to lay the entremets and you can start spraying.
Wherever you do it, the chocolate spray should be in waves, left to right then right to left. But do a test out of the cake first to avoid the first squirts of coarse grains. When you go in waves, try to circle around the cake. Otherwise, use a turntable and rotate it between each spray. Finally, you must check your velvet effect and if you find any holes, you must respray them.
Using chocolate spray gun with air compressor
The second type of electric gun is the chocolate gun with air compressor . This method is rather reserved for professionals because the machine is very expensive but guarantees a much cleaner flow and power with its air pressure of 1.8 to 2.5 bar and a maximum temperature of 70°C.
This gun device promises a perfect visual result, a regular jet and also a homogeneous rendering without lumps. It is recommended for the flocking of large pieces mounted in pastry or chocolate sculpture rather intended for decoration than for consumption. Normally, this type of machine is sold only to professionals for chocolate or pastry artisans who use it daily. Be careful because these models are quite noisy and bulky.
As for the realization of the chocolate flocking , the procedure to follow is the same as for the previous technique. In fact, there is only the material that changes but it is always a question of spraying chocolate and cocoa butter on your cake or dessert by proceeding in waves. The chocolate spray booth is essential to use this kind of machine.
The use of a velvet bomb spray
The food spray in bomb is also a better alternative to create a velvet effect. It is a spray bomb available in specialized shops and generally ready to use. Its main advantage is the fact that it does not require any storage. This coloring spray is recommended for beginners to test pastry flocking before buying an electric chocolate gun . However it does not spray chocolate but only colored cocoa butter for the best of them. (Shake well before use and spray from a distance).
Its operation is quite simple, the spray brought to a certain temperature sticks to your cake or frozen dessert and it is the thermal shock that instantly crystallizes the chocolate and cocoa butter. Fine pearls are then formed and this is what gives the velvet aspect . The compressed air in these bottled sprays is not recommended for children because of its flammable gas, unlike the electric gun without a compressor .
The golden rules to follow for pastry flocking.
To make a success of your chocolate flocking , here are the rules to follow. First, your cake or dessert should preferably be frozen to allow the temperature shock with the chocolate. So, you should consider placing it in the freezer for at least 2 hours before spraying. Secondly, your flocking preparation, that is to say the chocolate and cocoa butter combination, must be at around 25°C in order to guarantee a fluid and regular flow of chocolate .
Aside from that, you shouldn't spray in pulses , but rather spray in continuous waves to get an even flow from the chocolate pastry gun or spray. Then, you must prepare in advance your workstation (cabin and turntable) and all the necessary equipment so that they are ready and at the right temperature at the same time.
Finally, the spray distance should be around 30 cm and the perfect temperature is room temperature, i.e. neither too hot nor too cold.
The best recipes with the chocolate spray gun
The Tiramisu Log
To give you an idea of a recipe based on flocking , try the Tiramisu log. It's a festive and tasty yule log that your family and guests will enjoy on Christmas Day. The ingredients you need depend on the dimensions of the log.
For a 30 x 11 cm log, for example, you must combine: 600 g of tiramisu biscuit, 1 kg of Mascarpone cream, 30 g of vanilla extract, 220 g of liquid coffee, 60 g of almond liqueur, 30 g of sugar and 3 g of bitter almond extract. Then, for the whipped ganache, you must also have 220 g of white chocolate, 6 g of gelatin, 550 g of liquid cream, including 200 g to be heated and 350 g to be kept cold.
Finally, for the pastry decoration , you must obtain 150 g of dark chocolate, cocoa butter and edible gold powder. In addition to the ingredients, you will also need some equipment including: an electric chocolate gun or chocolate velvet spray , a silicone log mold, guitar sheets, a pastry brush, silicone brushes, silicone spatula, angled pastry spatulas and cling film.
Then, you must also use: a mini non-stick baking sheet, a saucepan, a large stainless steel bowl, a whisk, a food processor, an electric mixer, disposable pastry bags and a flower petal triangle tip.
The steps to follow are quite simple because in fact, you must first make the biscuit, then the cream and the soaking syrup. Then you have to mount the log and you have to ensure the mounted ganache.
The next day, your log should be frozen and ready for flocking. So you have to unmold it, remove the guitar sheet and start spraying. Finally, you must place the stars because this is what differentiates a Tiramisu log from other logs and place everything in the fridge for at least 3 hours to bring it back to the right temperature.
Orange Chocolate Cushion Dessert
The other interesting chocolate airbrush recipe also based on flocking is the cushion dessert. It is a recipe with chocolate and Grand Marnier. It can measure 16 x 16 cm, 20 x 20 cm or 24 x 24 cm and you will need at least one genoa bread biscuit, 200 g of cream, 530 g of chocolate mousse, syrup at 30° baumé , liqueur, chocolate, cocoa butter and sugar balls.
Regarding baking utensils, you must equip yourself with a square silicone mould, angled pastry spatulas, a cake spray booth or cardboard box, a cake shovel and a chocolate spray gun .
Then, you will have on the program, the realization of the insert that is to say the cream and the freezing two days before; making the sponge cake and the chocolate mousse the day before; making the chocolate pastry flocking on D-Day and decorating the cake with the marbles a few hours later.
Almond and Lime Apricot Tree
If you particularly like apricots, you can also concoct an apricot tree. This is a delicious recipe with the chocolate gun device . In addition, an almond mousse comes with the apricots in melting jelly and all refreshed by lime.
For a menu for 6 people, you need to buy: 170 g apricot puree, 120 g sugar, 4 g gelatin sheets, 3 lemons, 3 eggs, 50 g flour, 2 g baking powder, 100 g of marzipan, 200 g of milk, 2 drops of bitter almond extract, 4 g of gelatin, 200 g of 35% liquid cream, 15 g of 30° balsam syrup, white chocolate, butter cocoa, decorative edible flowers, 2 apricots and edible black marbles.
In terms of materials, you must have a square silicone mold, angled pastry spatulas, a half-sphere silicone mold and a cake decorating spray gun or a cake spray . At the end, you can achieve a good dessert that is both aesthetic and exquisite.
Pear Log and Hazelnut Chocolate Mousse
In addition, there is also the flambéed pear and hazelnut chocolate mousse log. This is a gem of a recipe that you will surely love.
He asks for the following ingredients: 90 g of butter, 60 g of brown sugar, 60 g of hazelnut powder, 60 g of flour, 210 g of pears, 9 g of pectin NH, 45 g of vanilla sugar, 3 teaspoons of vanilla extract and 75 g of pear alcohol. Then, you also need: a biscuit to roll, 120 g of 30° baumé syrup, 160 g of milk chocolate, 270 g of hazelnut praline, 740 g of full liquid cream, white chocolate, cocoa butter, gold leaf and hazelnuts.
As for equipment and utensils, you will need silicone spatulas, a food processor, a non-stick baking mat, a perforated silicone mat, a baking sheet, a mini chopper, small stainless steel bowls and pastry brushes.
Then, don't forget: the angled pastry spatulas, the immersion blender, the whisk, the silicone log mould, the transparent film, the icing comb, the cake scraper and the electric chocolate gun or spray can .
The Raspberry of the Champs Elysées
The last recipe to present to you is the Champs Elysées raspberry bush. It is an exceptional raspberry that stands out for its elegance and taste. It is composed of an extra raspberry mousse and an insert of raspberry jelly and it is embellished with whole raspberries. Its almond biscuit is crunchy and its flocking gives it a nice velvet effect.
To make it, you must combine the following ingredients: 24 raspberries, a thick biscuit, 40 g of 30° baumé syrup, 20 g of raspberry liqueur, 20 g of ground almonds, 20 g of butter, 90 g of white chocolate, 4 g vanilla extract, 1 g salt, 40 g slivered almonds, 200 g raspberry puree, 30 g sugar, 5 g gelatin, 1 kg raspberry mousse, chocolate and cocoa butter.
On the equipment side, you must use: pastry brushes, an adjustable cake ring, a round silicone mold, a very high edge ring, transparent dessert film, cardboard cake stands and a chocolate spray machine .
The production process is the same as for the cushion entremets because you have to make the insert on D-2, the biscuit and the crisp on D-1, the flocking on D-Day and the finish a few hours later.
Do it yourself :
You are now ready to experiment with this original way of decorating chocolate gun cakes . This device will become your ideal companion for decorating your logs, cakes and pastries and as a dessert sprayer ! Discover our special pastry food spray gun by clicking on the image below: