In today’s cake tutorial, I’m going to demonstrate how to make the most beautiful chocolate leaves for your autumn and Thanksgiving gatherings. These delicate chocolate leaves are the perfect finishing touch to any fall dessert!
I absolutely love this time of year, and so to celebrate, I think it’s time to get fancy with our fall decorating.
Don’t worry, as fancy and impressive as these chocolate leaves are, the process couldn’t be simpler! No special decorating tools are required. All that you need are leaves and chocolate candy coating.
Your friends are family are going to be completely amazed by your chocolate and cake decorating skills! The fact that it’s a super-easy technique is going to be our little secret! Shhhh…. ;0)
How to Make Chocolate Leaves for your Cakes and Desserts
Here’s what I did….
- First, I gathered up some leaves. Sturdy leaves with prominent veins are the ones to look out for. (I tried some oak and maple leaves and they were too thin). Preferably, you’ll want to pick them right off of the bush or tree rather than from the road- ha ha. :0) –
- My favorites were camelia, gardenia, and rose leaves. While we’re not going to be eating the leaves, it’s a good idea to make sure that your leaves are not toxic. For a good reference, click HERE.
- After selecting some leaves, you’ll want to gently wash them with soap and water and pat dry.
- Next it’s time to prepare the chocolate! I work with candy coating or candy melts because it simplifies things (no tempering necessary).
- After melting the dark chocolate and white chocolate in the microwave, I mixed a little of each color into our third bowl so that we would have three different shades to work with.
- Next, it’s just a matter of brushing on the chocolate. Make sure to flip over your leaves and paint the backside. This way, you will have more detailed veins.
- By the way, if you start with lighter shades of chocolate first and work your way to the deeper shades, you will only need one paint brush (rather than a paint brush for each bowl.)
- I did my painting on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.
- After painting each leaf with chocolate, I moved the leaf slightly to the side so that it would not become stuck to the parchment paper. I predict that you will be neater than I was! I should have moved the painted leaves to a clean sheet :0) !
- Place your cookie sheet in the refrigerator or freezer until the chocolate is firm. (I prefer maybe 5 minutes or so in the freezer). The leaves are much less fragile when the chocolate is chilled and firm.
- My favorite part is peeling away the leaves! Just bend the stems away from the chocolate and pull back.
Here’s the cake that we’re working with today. An 8″ chocolate cake with cream cheese filling & ganache frosting. Pretty….but it needs a little personality.
Let the decorating begin! I used a bit of ganache as a glue to keep the leaves in place.
Keep adding leaves until you are happy :0) –I added a few cranberries for color and because they remind me of fall!
Here it is! This cake makes me want to put chocolate leaves on everything! ;0)
I loved making this cake and I hope that you will try it out too! — By the way, I used a Fudge Cake & ganache recipe from King Arthur Flour–CLICK HERE for the recipe!
Update Nov 2019:
Since Making this Tutorial, we have lots of fabulous Chocolate Cake Recipes to Share! Any of these would be perfect for our Elegant Chocolate Leaves Cake:
Favorite Chocolate Cake Recipes:
Classic Chocolate Cake (from scratch)
Devil’s Food Cake (from scratch)
Chocolate Sour Cream Cake (from scratch)
Chocolate Sour Cream Cake- Doctored Cake Mix Recipe
Chocolate Cake- Doctored Cake Mix
We hope that you enjoy this beautiful (yet surprisingly simple) decorating technique! If you make chocolate leaf cakes or cupcakes, post in the comments below! We would love to see :0)
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How to Make Chocolate Leaves!~Blog Tutorial
These elegant chocolate leaves are so easy to make! Perfect for decorating cakes, cupcakes, and desserts!
Materials
- Chocolate candy coating- When I first made this tutorial, I used candy melts. Now, I use candy coating/bark coating (candiquick, etc.). Use your coating of choice.
- Cranberries- optional for decoration
- Parchment Lined Cookie Sheet
Instructions
Gather leaves for the project. Sturdy leaves with prominent veins are best. (I tried some oak and maple leaves and they were too thin). Preferably, you’ll want to pick them right off of the bush.
My favorites were camelia, gardenia, and rose leaves. While we’re not going to be eating the leaves, it’s a good idea to make sure that your leaves are not toxic.
After selecting some leaves, you’ll want to gently wash them with soap and water and pat dry.
Melt the candy coating. (I work with candy coating or candy melts because it simplifies things -no tempering necessary).
After melting the darker chocolate coating and white chocolate coating in the microwave, I mixed a little of each color into our third bowl so that we would have three different shades to work with.
Next, it’s just a matter of brushing on the chocolate. Make sure to flip over your leaves and paint the backside. This way, you will have more detailed veins.
If you start with lighter shades of chocolate first and work your way to the deeper shades, you will only need one paint brush (rather than a paint brush for each bowl.)
I did my painting on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.
After painting each leaf with chocolate, I moved the leaf slightly to the side so that it would not become stuck to the parchment paper.
Place your cookie sheet in the refrigerator or freezer until the chocolate is firm. (I prefer maybe 5 minutes or so in the freezer). The leaves are much less fragile when the chocolate is chilled and firm.
To separate the chocolate from the leaves (once the chocolate is firm), just bend the stems away from the chocolate and pull back. It should come right off.
That's it! Apply the chocolate leaves to your cakes or cupcakes. It's best to handle them when chilled so that they will be less fragile. You can secure or position them as you like with a little buttercream piped beneath.
Notes
Check that your leaves are non-toxic
Sturdy leaves with prominent veins are best
It's best to handle the chocolate leaves when they are chilled so that they will be less fragile.
What a cool idea!
I have a friend having a birthday and cannot make these decorations to go along with the chocolate cake recipe enclosed. I love baking from scratch and I love your FB page!
I’m going to try this on the weekend with red, yellow and orange candy melts and maple leaves. Thanks so much for this fun easy tip!
Thanks everybody! Kathy & Karen, let me know how it goes! :0)
Hi Karen, just wanted to say that it is a bit more difficult to use maple leaves. It could have been the variety of maple we have, but they were thin and harder to pull away from the chocolate.
I’d be careful with rose leaves, too, in case they’ve been sprayed with insecticides, etc. This is such a fun idea and I’m thinking of making the cranberries out of fondant.
Good point, Kathleen–any leaves treated with pesticides would be a bad choice :0) Fondant cranberries would be cute too!
I was wondering where you could get these leaves. I asked around and nobody has non sprayed plants. Do you think a florist would sell them?
Hi Patricia, you can get lemon leaves from your florist to use making chocolate leaves.
I have Knock Out Roses and I have never sprayed them. I don’t spray my camellia or gardenia bushes either and I have had them for many years. Guess I have been lucky.
This is one recipe I’m afraid to try out. too scared to start some kin of germ with the leaves an all.
Love it!! Will try it tomorrow for sure! Will add few flowers maybe!! Thanks!!
So beautiful!
Could artificial leaves work for this project? I would think if the veins are visible enough? Here in Ohio our leaves have fallen :o)
Hi Kane–I’m not sure how easily the chocolate would release from the fabric side of the leaves (I think that is where the veins are usually), but if you try it…let us know how it goes! –By the way, there are chocolate molds that you can buy to get a similar effect–but using the real thing is much less expensive :0) —
As for the leaves, we wound up using leaves from bushes that keep their leaves year round…mainly because those happened to be the thickest, sturdiest ones that we had in our yard. —
Sadia–let us know how it goes! Just know that with flowers, the petals may be a little too thin to easily peel off for you. I hope that you have fun experimenting!
Ivette–I understand, but as long as you check the list linked above that your plant is not dangerous, and if you choose a plant that has not been sprayed with checmicals, there is nothing to worry about. Just as people grow vegetables in their gardens and eat them.
We washed our leaves with soap and water but you could also wipe down the leaves with vodka for a quick and easy cleaner.
Thank you for all of your comments! By the way, this isn’t a technique that we invented… I’ve seen it done over the years and have always wanted to try it out. I hope that you have fun with it. ;0)
I made those after seeing them in Pillsbury’s Cook Book ( it’s so old, they don’t have it on Amazon ) and it works great! Your cake looks beautiful!
I’m inspired. I’m thinking holly leaves and berries for Christmas!
Simply beautiful Melissa…So simple, but so elegant. I love the enthusiasm of all of your viewers. They are like sponges just aborbing every word. It is fun to read about their excitement. You really give it your all.
I’m interested on how you ganache your cake that looks so perfectly smooth? I tried the link but It presented differently compared to your choc cake. I tried it once and it became uneven. It looks so crisp and clean. Do you have a tutorial on ganaching before covering the cake with fondant? I’m just new in this class and very interested with choc ganache as a cake cover. By the way, I love what you’ve done with Autum Cake – Choc Leaves. It looks so delicious, hopefully, I can try to bake it soon…
Hi Angie,
Melissa has a turtorial on how to Ganache a cake in the tutorial section and a recipe for her Ganache in the recipe section.
Dee
WOW I love it – the leaves are lovely!!
So talented and you make it look so easy! Will def try this out this weekend. Cake turned out beautiful. Thanks for your sight! I have used several of your tutorials and they are so easy to follow. Thanks for helping us out!
So cute!! And to those who are worried about toxins. I’m sure McDonalds would made you sicker! Can’t wait to try it. I have a Holly Tree in the back yard, Thinking about a beautiful holly wreath on a round cake with plenty of berries!! Can’t wait!!!
I love your ideas! The chocolate holly leaves sound beautiful!
Angie– here is a link to a tutorial on frosting with “spreadable ganache”, which is a 2:1 ratio of chocolate to cream (similar to the recipe used in the tutorial)– https://www.mycakeschool.com/video-tutorials/spreadable-ganache-frosting/
Also, in the “Our Cakes” section under Novelty, you’ll see the tilted cake video (blue with snowflakes)– in this video, I also discuss frosting with ganache, and then covering with fondant.
Anniejoe–Funny point about McDonalds! ;0)
Love the idea! I made a simple wedding cake this summer and labored for hours over the leaves I wish I had this trick then. For people afraid of pesticides on plants there are a couple places you can call (1) your local florist many cake decorators get the flowers they place on cake directly from florists, these are usually edible and are non-toxic. (2) Contact your local greenery or plant/ garden supplier (not a big box store like Lowes or Home Depot) and explain what your looking for. (3) Go to a health food super market (Whole Food Markets, Mustered Seed) they usually have organic flowers. Good Luck!
Thanks Sarah, that is very helpful information.
oh wow, this is fairly easy to do and looks incredible! thanks for sharing :)
I looked at the list of plants the problem is I have no clue what plants I have. I do not know a single thing about gardening. I just have a bunch of trees and bushes in my yard and one bush has some really nice thick leaves.
I love what you have done with the leaves, but my question is about the cake. Is this recipe good for stacking? Is it dense? I am looking for a new chocolate recipe for a larger cake (12 and 10 inch square) What are your thoughts? Can’t wait to try the leaves too!! Thanks
Hi Kristin— this was my first experience with this recipe but it would be fine for stacking–it wasn’t exremely dense but definitely sturdy enough for stacking or covering with fondant.
You really are fabulous…I was trying to figure out what I was going to do for a simple Thanksgiving cake and this is perfect.
Great! I really do like this technique, and love how fast it is! Have fun!
I made a chocolate leaf cake for a fall party – it was so fun! Your cake is pretty and looks so yummy!!!
This is awesome! I have made leaves in the past and used small grape leaves on and around a huge grooms cake sugar coated violets. Wish I had pictures.
Merry Christmas!
love the idea…will try that for sure…thanks
This is a great idea with the leaves. I have to try. I just started decorating cakes. Thank you for lots of great tips. this is my blog:http://ausschokolade.blogspot.de
Thank you!!
What a cake. its an great post and an great idea such a creative mind you have i am so much impressed by your idea of turning chocolate into leaves its really appreciable.
Awesome cake. Your instructions are so easy to follow!
Lovely to look at and delish to eat! Thanks for giving me a new idea for my Christmas Buche de Noel cake. I make it every year but I love to change the decorations. Cover it with leaves! Thanks !
I was just doing leaves this week. I am going to take your advice re the cooking chocolate I think it would make a difference. I would send a pic but not sure how?
Thanks to share your abilities with us, is so beautifual!
Love it: easy and nice !
I have made chocolate leaves using mint leaves. They have very defined veins and make lovely leaves.
Thanks for all of your comments! @Edith–love that idea.
Hi would this work the same if I were to use holly leaves?
Hi Sophie, Yes, holly leaves are usually thick and should work fine. Not that you are going to use the berries but thought I would mention that the berries are toxic.
I have done a lot of these and have used them with gumpaste roses. I have also used holly leaves done in white chocolate dusted with pearl “luster dust” and gold berries for christmas.
Awesome! I left out the milk chocolate and dyed the white different shades of green. Added some sugar cranberries, meringue mushrooms, and put it on my yule log! It looked great! Thanks so much!
Hi Grace, That was a great idea, sounds lovely! Thanks for posting !
I’m confused about painting the back / underside side of the leaf. Won’t that make it harder to peel away the leaf?
Hi Judy, once chilled, the chocolate peels away very easily from the leaves. Painting the backside gives us more prominent details- veins, etc.