Cake Decorating

Modeling Chocolate..... Making Sticky Sweat beads !?!

Hi Everyone,

I made a Modeling Chocolate Figure a week before i had to deliver the cake. Because we live in a humid area I listened and kept it in a dry place….. BUT when I got to it, it started making little sweat beads… all sticky.
I tried to whip it off with a wet cloth (this might have been stupid but seemed clever at the time). The beads disappeared for a day but came back and my whole figure is covered in sticky sweat beads. :(

What can I do in the future to prevent this ???

Cup & Cakes, South Africa, http://www.facebook.com/cupandcakes11?fref=ts

6 Replies

I have NEVER had this happen when I use modeling chocolate. In fact I still have my cake dummy that I did when I took my first modeling chocolate class and it’s as dry as a bone (it’s probably 2 years old now). I would be interested to see the recipe you are using to make your MC.

Jenniffer White, Cup a Dee Cakes - http://cupadeecakes.blogspot.com

That’s so strange. I thought this was a bit weird.
(Maybe it’s the glucose?)

I used the following Recipe.
250 ml Glucose
908 g White Chocolate (small pieces)

Melt the chocolate in the Microwave at intervals of 30 sec until melted not hot.
Heat the glucose in the microwave for 45 sec.

Pour the warm glucose in and stir slowly to mix the Chocolate and Glucose.
Put the mixture on plastic wrap with no air bubbles and cover up. Leave overnight to set.

My mixture did have a bit of water…. but after it rested it was gone?

Hope you can help!

Cup & Cakes, South Africa, http://www.facebook.com/cupandcakes11?fref=ts

Moisture or sweat is created when there is a difference in temperatures and a humid environment. Warm wet air lands on a colder item and causes sweat. It would not matter what the product was, modeling chocolate or clay. When the substance cannot absorb the moisture it stays on top until it evaporates again.

The way to not let this happen is to keep the modeling chocolate figures the same temperature as the surrounding air, or to keep it tightly covered until the temperatures are the same, then uncover it.

It is just like dew on cold grass that evaporates when the sun comes up and warms the land. Blow cool air from a hair dryer or a gentle fan can also help get rid of moisture that does collect. My website is Chocolate Craft Colors.

I don’t have my MC recipe in front of me, but it’s WAY different than yours. Mine is chocolate, corn syrup, and just a little glucose. You may live in an area that doesn’t have corn syrup. Have you used this same recipe before? If so, did you have problems with it then also?

Sugarqueen, if it was just “sweat” it should eventually dry out, not get worse, right? It sounds like it’s the glucose leeching out to me, but I’m not sure.

Jenniffer White, Cup a Dee Cakes - http://cupadeecakes.blogspot.com

Hi there

I have been manufacturing and selling (as well as using) modeling chocolate for over 20 years, using many recipes including glucose, powdered sugar, heavy syrup, corn syrup and more. The glucose will not suddenly leach out. If the recipe was incorrect, the modeling chocolate would have been overly soft and sticky after it set. This would not happen later without being exposed to additional moisture from the environment.

Hi Everyone!

@Cupadeecakes – Thanks a lot for your help. This was the first time I made this recipe so it was a bit of a surprise to me as I have never came across anyone that had this problem. I guess you learn as you go. Cover Cover Cover !! Would you mind sharing your recipe? I would like to try it and see if it makes a difference.

I think it was the humidity as we have had quite some rain and then a sudden hot spell. I did try and clean it up, I used a cloth with a bit of water and it came right.

I then Covered it with clean wrap and it was fine. No more stickiness and sweating :) “happy”

I will get myself some pockets “the ones they put in the all shoe boxes” to keep my MC dry and sticky free.

Thanks again for everyone’s input!

Cup & Cakes, South Africa, http://www.facebook.com/cupandcakes11?fref=ts