When I first saw this effect, I was mystified and intrigued. The chocolate velvet finish is matte and fuzzy looking. It really highlights geometric edges compared to glazing, which tends to smooth things out. There are spray cans available to purchase, but the spray quality won’t be as fine or versatile as if you use a sprayer gun.
This process is the same if you have regular chocolate or sugar free chocolate. You will want to set up protection in the spray zone, as this will end up everywhere! I tape up plastic wrap and use a box. I also wrap up my one and only rotating cake stand. When finished, spraying, flush the sprayer well with warm water to minimize cocoa butter hardening inside the gun. This goes without saying, but the gun will be dedicated to food applications – no switching back and forth with actual paint! I have seen some discussion questioning if a paint gun is food safe, but since you are using melted chocolate, the working temperature is much lower than what might cause leaching of plastic components. If you are very concerned about this, there are specialty sprayers available for the serious pastry chef.
One of my first sprays…a little too chunky It’s chunky but it’s still a cool effect! A very fine-textured spray with ombre Perfect texture for rocky terrain
Ingredients
- 100g white chocolate or 200g dark chocolate
- 100g cocoa butter, chopped
- oil-based food color
- Hand held paint sprayer
- Fine strainer
Instructions
- Melt the chocolate and cocoa butter in separate bowls. They have different melting points and you don’t want to burn one accidentally. Microwave or double boiler works.
- Combine melted chocolate and cocoa butter, along with desired food coloring.
- Strain mixture into paint sprayer container. Lumps can clog the sprayer.
- Spray onto frozen goods at working temperature 40-45 degC.
I have a question can I spray a fondant cake with cocoa velvet spray and will the spray dry hard on the cake so I can travel with the cake and it won’t smudge if knocked.
Thank you
Hi and thanks for your question. I would not recommend chocolate velvet for this project because it cracks very easily. It’s a very thin layer that is meant to give way at a slight touch.
Hello can i use chocolate velvet to my whipped cream covered cake ?? And for the cocoa butter is it refine or unrefined?
Thanks for your question! I worry about applying the velvet spray to whipped cream because even if it applies well initially on the frozen surface, it will be super delicate and prone to cracking when it thaws. I have successfully applied to frozen buttercream but I can tell it’s very delicate. Using refined cocoa butter will give a cleaner taste and less yellow coloring.
Can one spray the velvet texture onto chocolate spheres? I saw a cake where someone had done that so was wondering.
Yes you can, as long as the spheres are very cold! The texture is achieved with thermal shock.