Chocolate Raspberry Ruffle Cake

This is one of three cakes from a Craftsy class called Decadent Chocolate Cakes.  I'm just going to share some pictures as it was too complicated to explain all the techniques I learned.  However, I did have a post on how I make the Ruffled Chocolate Fans.  The instructor is Alice Medrich and she is excellent.  I highly recommend the class. 

3-D Printer Cookie Cutters Simplified

Now that I've created several cutters with the 3-D Printer at our local library, I feel like I can make any shape cutter that I want.  This post is my attempt to show the process in a way that is easy to follow and uses minimal software.  Basic computer skills will be needed.  A browser, CookieCaster and Tinkercad are the only software needed, and they are free.  If you have Photoshop or Gimp it can be helpful but is certainly not required.

1) First, do a google image search (www.images.google.com) that includes the shape you want and the word Silhouette.  When you find the image you like, click on it and you will see this next to the image.  Click on View Image.

2) You will then see the image by itself in the browser.  Right click on the image and select Save Image As to save it on your computer.  I recommend creating a folder specifically for this cutter as you will have several files related to it.

3) If you have Photoshop skills, you may want to open the file in Photoshop and make some modifications.  I removed the eye lashes on this girl because they are too small.  If I got the dough to come out of the cutter, it would burn in the oven.  When you are done, save your file.

4) Next go to CookieCaster (www.cookiecaster.com) and upload the image you either saved from the web or edited in Photoshop.  To do this, click on Trace, Upload an Image.  

5)  With your image loaded, click on the Magic Trace tool.  It will turn blue like in the screenshot below when it is selected.  Now click in the middle of your shape.

6)  The Magic Trace tool puts an outline around your shape.  If it doesn't, open a new browser tab and try again.

7) Set the download options as shown below and click on Download 3D File to save the .stl to your computer.

8)  Next we will bring the file into Tinkercad (www.tinkercad.com).  If you have not created an account, do so now.  It is free.  Click on Create New Design.

9)  On the right side, you will find the way to import your file.  Leave it in millimeters and bring it in at 120%.  Remember that the cutter has a very narrow cutting edge (.5 mm) from the CookieCaster export.  If we bring it in at 120% it will be a little thicker and stronger, but not too thick.  It is somewhere between .5 mm and 1 mm.  Click on Import. 

10)  Below Import you will find Helpers.  Drag the ruler tool onto your work surface so that you will be able to see how big your cutter really is.

11)  The height and width of your cutter will be shown as in the image below.  101mm equals 4 inches, which is the cutter size that I prefer.  This one was a little bigger.  You can convert from millimeters to inches in google by typing something like "4 inches in mm."  If your cutter is in the wrong size, you may want to go back to CookieCaster and export that file again with a different value for Max Size.  Or you select the shape and hit the delete key on your keyboard and import it at a different percentage.

12)  To export your file from Tinkercad, click on Design, then Download for 3D Printing.  

13)  You will see this dialog box.  Click on .STL.  Save it to your computer, then copy it to a jump drive.

14)  When you get to the library, ask them to print it with a Raft at 15% Infill.  You can break off the raft after they print it as it is only for support.  Infill is the honeycomb structure is created in what would be hollow areas.  Normal infill is 10% but I have had problems with it at that level so I prefer 15%.  

15)  With a little luck you will get something like this in a few days.  Mine cost about $1.50.

16)  My favorite sugar cookie recipe can be found here.  Notice the space between the back of her head and her pony tail before they are baked.

17)  Now notice the same space after it is baked.

18)  Make some Royal Icing and find some decorations if you have them.

19)  These were some of the results.  I brought them to work and they went like hotcakes.

20)  Kelley, she looks just like you!

Ruffled Chocolate Fans

This is an elegant decoration for the sides of a cake or a great topping on some ice cream.  The technique takes a little practice to master, but the fans can be made several weeks in advance and kept in the refrigerator for when you need them.  The tails can be cut off before placing on a cake, or used to stick into ice cream.

Ingredients:
1) Several (about 12) ounces of dark chocolate.  I use Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet.  It is available at my grocery store and costs about $2.59 for a 4 ounce bar.  You will need 1 bar per batch.  Use anything from milk chocolate up to 70% cacao.
2) One bar of each contrasting chocolate.  This can be white or milk chocolate.  (optional)

Equipment:
1) At least one aluminum cookie sheet.  It must not have a special coating or non-stick surface.
2) 2 cookie sheets or trays lined with parchment or wax paper for finished work
3) 8" offset metal spatula
4) Bench scraper
5) Large frying pan with lid
6) Instant read thermometer
7) Heat resistant rubber spatula
8) Sharp knife for cutting chocolate

Offset spatula and bench scraper on aluminum cookie sheet.

1) The first step is to make room in your refrigerator for the aluminum cookie sheet and the cookie sheet for your finished work.

2) Fill the large frying pan about 1/2 full of water and bring to a boil.

3) While waiting for the water to boil, break up your chocolate while still in the wrapper and place in a small pot or metal bowl.

4) Put the heat on the lowest setting and place your bowl in the water.

5) Stir with a heat resistant spatula until almost melted.  Remove from water bath.  Any small chunks will melt from the heat of the surrounding chocolate.

6) With the dark chocolate set aside, repeat the process for the contrasting color if you are doing one.  Note that white chocolate can overheat very easily.  I usually turn off the heat completely and even throw a few ice cubes into the water bath.

7) IMPORTANT: Warm your aluminum cookie sheet by moving it back and forth over one of your stove top burners.  Get it fairly warm, but not enough to burn you.  I skipped this step and ended up wasting a lot of time and ingredients because the chocolate splinters.

8) Pour about 1/3 of a cup (1 bar) of the melted chocolate on the warm cookie sheet.  Using the offset spatula, spread it out evenly.  It should be roughly the thickness of a sheet of construction paper.  A little thinner or thicker is fine.  The main thing is that you are aiming for consistency.  Hold the spatula as shown here.

9) If you are not doing a contrasting color, immediately put the aluminum cookie sheet in the refrigerator for a minimum of 1 hour.  

10)  If you are doing a contrasting color, warm it up a little more if it has cooled.  It should be a consistency where it will stream off of a small spatula or spoon.  Drizzle it on the dark chocolate.  Try not to get any globs of white like I did.  Immediately place in the refrigerator for a minimum of 1 hour.

11) Bring the chocolate out of the refrigerator and allow it to warm up a little.  In my house in the summer (73 degrees), that's about 15 minutes. 

12) Get your other cookie sheet ready by placing either parchment or wax paper on it.  This will hold your final work. 

13) Using a bench scraper in your right hand, and with the cookie sheet pressed up against your stomach, scrape off curved sections of the chocolate.  As the chocolate comes up on the scraper, use your left hand to pinch the bottom of the fan.  See hand positions below.  Transfer to your finished work tray for final adjustments if needed.  

14) Alternatively you can use a metal spatula to make the fans.  In this picture you can see the different results you will get.  The left one was made with the spatula.  The right one was made with the bench scraper.  If you use the spatula you will need to bend it on the end near the handle.

15) Place your finished work in the refrigerator as soon as possible.  Store up to several weeks in a sealed refrigerated container.

Troubleshooting: If the chocolate does not ruffle or gums up on the scraper, it is not cold enough.  Put it back in the refrigerator for 1 minute and try again.  If it breaks or splinters, it is too cold. Let it come to room temperature a little longer, maybe 5 minutes before trying again.

Mistakes and unwanted shapes or scraps can be re-melted for future use.