# Decorative sponge. How do i make them?



## boychef (Aug 17, 2006)

Hi,

Many a times, i saw beautiful joconde sponge lining pastries. I onli tried the straight and wavy designs on my joconde as the only tool i'm able to get hold of is the icing comb.

How do the magazines do such intricate designs on their joconde? Do they pipe it out or use some special stencils? Can i use my icing comb for more complex designs?

Hope baking experts out there will give me a tip or two.


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## m brown (May 29, 1999)

there are special transfer sheets and special pans with pattern grooves.
also you can pipe the design or stencil the design.
:smiles:


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## foodpump (Oct 10, 2005)

Yes, there are stencils, which are expensive, and then there are a few other ways too...

Spread the garnish paste on a silicone and comb through with a rubber comb. You can find these rubber combs at home decorating places, used for applying "Faux" wood finishes to walls etc. After combing the pattern on the silcone sheet or silicone paper, spread on your sponge mixture and bake.

Now, if you're in a hurry and want something classy to wrap around your cakes, try this: Make your sponge as per normal on sheets, then sprinkle grated couveture over the entire sheet and bake. I like to dust the entire sheet lightly with "snow powder" or non-dissolving icing sugar as well.

Another way is to use those clear acetate "cake band' strips and plain sponge strips. With the rubber comb and milk chocolate I'll make a design on the strips, cool, then apply a thin layer of tempered couveture, quickly I'll brush on tempered couvture to cut strips of sponge and stick them on the acetate strips. While still warm I'll lay the strips inside the cake form, and fill the (cold, usually some kind of a mousse cake) cake, chill, pop out of the cake form, and peel off the acetate strips. This will give you an appearance of a rock-solid hunk of chocolate, albeit with with a wood grain pattern, or if you choose not to use a contrasting chocolate pattern, a solid plain hunk of chocolate.

Now, if you've got the money you can get the stencils and special squeegees that go with them, and if you're really loaded you can get custom stencils with your logo/website/whatever on it too.


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## felixe the dog (Jul 16, 2006)

You can also buy the plastic stencils that around 60x40cm, usually white and have symmetrical patterns or just rows of shapes cut out of them. They are cheap, durable and easy to use, you just spread colorued hippen mass with a palette knife. Stay away from anything metal (stencils) because once they buckle or crease they are ****** and you never get a flat surfact to work on again!


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## boychef (Aug 17, 2006)

Hi,

Thanks everyone for the invaluable info. I actually had tried the chocolate on sponge trick before. I cant get any stencil over here so i think i'm gonna serch for the rubber tool in home deco shops. If can't get anything at all, i'm gonna try piping my designs on my jaconde.


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## cocoberry (Sep 30, 2006)

Hi, my chef at school told me to just put the spreaded sponge mixture in the fridge till it thickens well (as a ganache would, I guess...) and then use a comb to make your stripes on your sponge. This way you should create "canals" and be able to see the bottom of your pan. In those canals you pipe, or according to my chef, spread with a spatula the other colored sponge mixture over the combed mixture (and canals) and bake! I don't know if this makes any sense :crazy: , good luck!


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## sgmchef (Sep 30, 2006)

Hello boy chef,

If you want a custom look you can do what I did. I bought a couple of inexpensive rubber squeegees and used an exacto blade to make graduated thickness lines of your choice. Such as making the first channel 1/8-inch, the next was 1/8-inch thicker and so on up to a single 1-inch thick band. Then I used the other side to go from thin to thick and back to thin in similar incremental gradations. Or you can go thin, thick, thin, thick, etc. Just use your imagination! The depth of your cuts should be approximately ¼-inch from edge. When using the squeegee try waving back and forth or apply diagonally. Yes it takes a little time to make them, but then you will have it for years to come. You can also use this same device when doing two tone, Chocolate work like straws or curls. These can then either mirror the pattern of your Joconde wrap or contrast the pattern if you use the other side! This is an inexpensive way to ensure a custom look to your pastries. Just make sure you can adequately sanitize them.


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## cocoberry (Sep 30, 2006)

forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=72260


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## boychef (Aug 17, 2006)

Well tks everone. you've indeed been most helpful. i juz bought a woodgrain design tool n can't wait to use them.


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