• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Cake Journal

  • Cake Lounge
    • Easy Embossed Cookies Recipe
    • How to Make Heart-Shaped Cake with Buttercream Roses
  • Desserts
    • Best 3 Cookie Scoop Sizes and How to Use Them?
    • Babycakes Cake Pop Maker Review and Tutorial
  • Recipes
    • Traditional Castella Cake Recipe
    • Stabilized Whipped Cream Frosting (Easy Recipe)
    • Best Frozen-Themed Cake Ideas with Images
  • Tips & tools
    • What to Do With Cake Scraps? (8 Easy Recipes)
    • Luster Dust: If You Don’t Know About It, You Need To!
    • How To Use Edible Glue and How to Make It
    • How to Use Russian Piping Tips and Tutorial
    • What Is Wafer Paper and How to Use It? (Video Tutorials)
  • Tutorials
    • How To Make Royal Icing (Easy Recipe)
    • How to Flood Cookies with Royal Icing?
    • How To Use Candy Molds Properly
    • How to Make Cake Pops: Easy Step-by-Step Tutorial
    • Fondant On Cookies: Easy Way To Decorate
  • About Us
  • Contact

How to make a modeling chocolate basket

by Louise 7 Comments

how to make modeling chocolate basket 20
I recently started playing with modeling chocolate and honestly, I can’t believe I didn’t work with it sooner. It’s tastes really good… just like Tootise rolls (YUM!). It also hardens at room temperature but doesn’t taste chalky like gum paste, which is just awesome! 😀

I used it to make this cute basket. You can use this as a cake topper and fill it with whatever you like… candies, flowers, fruits, nuts!

NOTES:
-I made this basket with modeling chocolate rather than fondant or gum paste because I don’t need to color modeling chocolate since it’s already brown. That saves me time!
– Many people complain their modeling chocolate is “crumbly.” If that’s the case, add 1 tsp of corn syrup and knead it into your modeling chocolate. You may have to add a little more until you are satisfied with the consistency and texture.
– Don’t knead your modeling chocolate too much. The warmth of your hands causes it to become very oily.

This is what I used:
Modeling chocolate (I used milk chocolate candy melts to make mine)
Lollipop sticks or thin pretzel rods
A small drinking glass without any curves
Wax paper
Melted chocolate
Large circle cutter from the Wilton circle cutter set
Clay extruder
Paintbrush
Knife
Shortening

Step 1:
Rub the inside of your drinking glass with shortening.
Cut out wax paper and stick it on the inside. The shortening acts like a glue and holds the wax paper in place.
how to make modeling chocolate basket 1

Step 2:
Pour some melted chocolate inside the glass.
The chocolate layer should be a quarter of an inch thick.
how to make modeling chocolate basket 2

Step 3:
Next, dip 8 lollipop sticks in melted chocolate and place them on a cookie tray lined with wax paper.
Place your tray in the freezer so the chocolate sets quickly. It takes about 10 minutes.

NOTES:
– You may have to cut these lollipop sticks according to the height that you want for your basket.
– You can also use mini pretzel rods instead of lollipop sticks.
– You need to use an even number of lollipop sticks or pretzel sticks. Odd numbers don’t work out that well :S
how to make modeling chocolate basket 3

Step 4:
Stick those lollipops sticks into the melted chocolate. Try to keep them evenly spaced out.
Place this glass in the freezer so that the chocolate hardens up. It takes about 15- 20 minutes depending on your  freezer temperature settings.
how to make modeling chocolate basket 4

Step 5:
Once you take the glass out of the freezer, carefully peel the wax paper away from the glass and slowly pull out the whole chocolate structure.
how to make modeling chocolate basket 5

Step 6:
Gently, peel away the wax paper from your chocolate structure and it should look something like this…
Place this whole piece on a sheet of wax paper so it doesn’t mess up your work area with brown chocolate stains.
how to make modeling chocolate basket 6

Step 7:
Steps 7-9 are optional. I did this to provide more support to the base of this structure.
Roll out some modeling chocolate but keep it thick. Use a circle cutter to cut out a piece. The size of this circle should be the same size as the base of your chocolate structure.
how to make modeling chocolate basket 12

Step 8:
Brush some corn syrup on top of this circle piece.
You can also brush some melted chocolate.
how to make modeling chocolate basket 13

Step 9:
Now, gently pick up your chocolate structure and place it on this circle.
Press lightly until it holds into place.
You should try and wait 15-20 minutes till everything is held together properly before moving onto the next steps.
how to make modeling chocolate basket 14

Step 10:
Use an extruder with the circle attachment to make many long modeling chocolate ropes.
These will be used to create the typical basket weave.

NOTE:
When I used my extruder to make these  ropes, I noticed my ropes had a rough texture. Personally, I thought that roughness was perfect for this basket. But, I think this may have happened because I have a very cheap extruder…lol. You may get very smooth ropes if you have a fancy extruder.
how to make modeling chocolate basket 7

Step 11:
Carefully, start running your ropes through the lollipop sticks.
You go through one and come out the other ….in and out…in and out…. you keep doing this until you have something like this…
Cut off the excess with a sharp knife and use the warmth of your fingers to stick the joint together. Be careful not to press too hard.
how to make modeling chocolate basket 8

Step 12:
Now, take another rope and start going through your lollipop sticks again. But this time, you will go in the opposite direction. Instead of going “in and out”, you will go “out and in.”
This picture will give you a better idea…
how to make modeling chocolate basket 9

Step 13:
When you get to the end, use a sharp knife to cut off any excess and stick the joint together with your fingers.
Continue doing this “in and out” plus “out and in” motion until you have reached almost the entire height of your basket.
Leave a little empty space at the top.
how to make modeling chocolate basket 11

Step 14:
Next, take three ropes and pinch them together near the top.
Start braiding just like your would braid your hair.
how to make modeling chocolate basket 16

Step 15:
Brush very little melted chocolate on top of your basket.
Now, very gently… pick up your braid and stick it around the top.
You may have to press a little to hold it in place.
how to make modeling chocolate basket 17

Step 16:
Brush some melted chocolate around the base of your basket and stick another braid around it.
You can skip this step if you want but I liked the braided base.
how to make modeling chocolate basket 18

Step 17:
Cut out 2 little loops of modeling chocolate and stick them on either side of the basket using some melted chocolate.
how to make modeling chocolate basket 19

And you are done! You can keep this basket at room temperature or in the fridge. Fill it up with whatever you like.
I filled my basket with yellow mums and simple leaves.

Hope you found this tutorial helpful 🙂

modeling chocolate basket with flowers

Happy caking!

Abeer

Previous Post: « Chocolate Ganache Cake Recipe
Next Post: How to make a flower owl cake topper »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Marisa

    August 1, 2014 at 7:10 AM

    Is the basket edible?

    Reply
  2. mayette

    May 20, 2013 at 2:48 PM

    Love it! Will do this one day. Thanks!

    Reply
  3. Roshini

    May 10, 2013 at 12:52 PM

    I love your chocolate basket & your flowers are cute too. Would you mind posting a tutorial on how you made those flowers? looking forward for that tutorial 😉

    Reply
  4. Tesei

    May 6, 2013 at 10:04 PM

    This is amazing! And the yellow Mums are gorgeous!!!! Thank you so much for sharing your work!

    Reply
  5. Decadent Diva

    May 6, 2013 at 7:21 PM

    Wow! That is amazing! Thanks for the directions! 🙂 Hope to try it soon!

    Reply
  6. maryann

    May 6, 2013 at 4:59 PM

    What recipe for the Modeling Chocolate did you use?

    Reply
    • Abeer

      June 27, 2013 at 10:52 AM

      @Maryann… I usually use Wilton’s candy clay recipe but I have lately also been using a recipe with real chocolate. I posted the recipe with steps on my blog: https://cakewhiz.com/cakewhiz/post/How-to-make-modeling-chocolate.aspx

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Search Recipes on Cake Journal:

About Us

Kristen is the author of Cake Journal and a graduate of the Professional Baking program at Renton Technical College. She has worked as a pastry chef at a top Seattle restaurant and loves sharing her passion for baking amazing cakes on this site.

Contact Me

Privacy Policy

As Seen On:

Follow Us on Pinterest

Follow Us on Facebook

Copyright © 2025 · Cake Journal