Spent an entire afternoon just trying to get a mirror glaze to set right

I was making a birthday cake for a friend and decided to go all out with a chocolate mirror glaze. The recipe said it would take 15 minutes to cool to the right pouring temp. Three hours later, I was still stirring a pot of glaze that was either too thick and clumpy or too thin and running right off the cake. I must have reheated and re-tempered it four times, checking the temperature every five minutes. My kitchen looked like a chocolate crime scene. I finally got it to work by putting the cake itself in the freezer for way longer than I thought, like a full hour, and then pouring the glaze when it was exactly 90 degrees. What a mess. Anyone have a foolproof method for this that doesn't eat up half your day?

3 comments

3 Comments

bailey.kelly1d ago

Ugh, I feel your pain, and @the_alice is right, it's total witchcraft!

henderson.oscar5d ago

My third attempt at a mirror glaze ended with me just throwing the whole cake in the trash and telling my family it was a new style of deconstructed dessert. The temperature thing is a LIE, it's like the glaze knows you're watching it and acts up on purpose. I've found the only foolproof method is to make a buttercream frosting and just tell people it's a "matte glaze".

the_alice5d ago

Honestly @henderson.oscar's buttercream plan is sounding pretty smart right now lol. That glaze is just pure kitchen witchcraft.