Image is for illustrative purposes only.
Chocolate lattice is one of the simplest and most effective ways to dress a cake or a plated dessert. Melted chocolate paste is piped in a fine criss-cross pattern onto baking paper, left to set hard, then peeled off as a light, crisp web of chocolate that can be stood upright against a cake, laid flat over a mousse, or broken into shards.
The paste pipes cleanly and sets firm without tempering, so the lines keep their shape and hold a soft shine. Because each piece is thin and brittle, make a few more than you need and handle them with dry, cool hands. Made in one batch and stored flat in a cool, dry place, these decorations are ready whenever a cake needs finishing.
Ingredients
The weights in the recipe table below will yield the following 'weight per unit' and 'number of units'. If you would like to change the recipe to cater to a different 'weight per unit' and/or 'number of units',
you can use the Recipe Calculator Tool below the ingredients table.
Note: The Recipe Calculator Tool is available to subscribers.
Weight Per Unit: 150
Number of Units: 2
Unit Size: baking tray of piped lattice pieces, about 18 decorations
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WEIGHT
(grams)
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ALTERNATIVE METRIC
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INGREDIENT
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IMAGE
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CONDITION
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A
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300 |
0.7 pound
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Calypso Chocolate Paste
Calypso is a dark, chocolate flavoured baking paste used by bakeries to deepen the colour and flavour of chocolate cakes and sponges. At home the same weight of melted dark compound chocolate, or a little extra cocoa powder loosened with warm water, will do the same job.
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melted |
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300
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Recipe Calculator Tool
Using this tool, you can alter this recipe for your own requirements. Use the two fields below to generate new weights for the ingredients above.
STEP 1. Enter your Custom Weight Per Unit
The 'Custom Weight Per Unit' is already loaded with the weight per unit for this recipe but can be changed if required. If all you wish to do is change the number of units (or servings), just leave the current weight per unit.
STEP 2. Enter your Custom Number of Units
This is the number of units (or servings) you want this recipe to yield.
STEP 3. Click Calculate
The new weights for your adjusted recipe will be displayed in the table above.
Method
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STEP
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ACTION
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DETAIL
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CONDITION
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1 |
Prepare |
Cut sheets of baking paper to fit your trays. If you want all the pieces the same, draw the lattice shape on a sheet of paper in dark pen and slide it under the baking paper as a template. Make sure the trays are flat and the bench is cool and dry. |
Paper flat and smooth, with no creases that would distort the lines |
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Melt |
Melt A (Calypso chocolate paste) gently over a bowl of warm water or in short bursts in the microwave, stirring between each burst. |
Smooth and runny, no more than 40°C (104°F); never let water or steam touch the chocolate |
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Cool |
Stir the melted paste off the heat for a minute or two until it thickens very slightly. |
Still flowing freely but no longer hot, so the piped lines hold their shape |
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Fill |
Pour the paste into a paper piping cone or a small bag and snip a fine opening at the tip. |
Opening about 1–2 mm; a thin line pipes better than a thick one |
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Pipe |
Pipe straight lines in one direction across the paper, then cross them at an angle to form the lattice, finishing with a piped border or frame around each piece so it holds together when lifted. |
Lines joined at every crossing point and the outer frame unbroken |
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Set |
Leave the trays flat and undisturbed in a cool, dry place, or in the fridge for a few minutes if the kitchen is warm. To curve the pieces, drape the paper over a rolling pin or the side of a tin before the chocolate sets. |
Firm and dull to the touch, snapping cleanly when a test piece is flexed |
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Peel |
Turn the paper over and peel it away from the back of each lattice rather than lifting the chocolate off the paper. |
Pieces release cleanly without cracking |
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Store |
Stack the finished lattices flat between sheets of baking paper in an airtight container. |
Kept cool and dry, away from any strong smells; not in the fridge, where they will sweat |
Important Notes
The full commercial batch of 1.5 kg makes around 180 lattice pieces. Scaled down to 300 g, expect about 36 pieces, roughly 8 g of chocolate each, depending on how finely you pipe. Any leftover paste can be scraped back into its container and remelted, so nothing is wasted. Pipe a few extra pieces, as thin lattice is fragile and some will break in handling. Store the finished decorations flat in a sealed container in a cool, dry place and use within a few weeks; humidity and fridge storage will dull the surface.
Tools & Arrangements
Flat baking trays, baking paper, paper piping cones or small piping bags, a heatproof bowl and saucepan or microwave, a spatula, a thermometer, and a rolling pin or tin if you want curved pieces.
