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How to Make Chocolate Butterflies for Easy Cake Decorating

Learn how to easily make Chocolate Butterflies for easy and impressive cake decorating for all of your baking needs.

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Hi Bold Bakers!

What I love about baking is that you can always build upon your skills. Cake decorating is something I never spent time on or learned in college. However, when you have Bold Bakers asking for easy decorating tips, then I have to learn some myself so that I can impart my wisdom to you!

These Chocolate Butterflies are something that I used to make at my first job in the U.S. as a baker for a casino in Lake Tahoe, California. All you need is chocolate, food coloring, a toothpick, and my FREE printable butterfly stencil.

Stencil

Download the Butterfly Stencil here or Click Below.

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  • Lay some parchment paper over a flat board or baking tray. Melt your chocolate. You can use white, milk, or both types of chocolate, depending on what kind of dessert you are decorating. Melt gently until there are no lumps, and it is nice and smooth.
  • Once melted, stir in a small amount of a flavorless oil like vegetable, canola, or coconut oil. I don’t recommend olive oil as it has too strong of a flavor. The oil thins and smooths out the chocolate. 
  • Place the melted chocolate into a piping bag, then cut a small hole. We want the hole to be small so we can pipe a thin line.
  • Now, just go for it. Don’t worry about your piping skills; it will look great regardless. Don’t think about it; just do it. Trust me, when they are dried and assembled, they will look amazing.

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  • Color them any which way you like. Only add a tiny tint of color. There is no recipe for these butterflies; just melt yourself some chocolate and draw.
  • Draw one at a time so they don’t dry by the time you get to them because they need to be melted to swirl the colors. Swirl the two colors together gently with a toothpick to create a beautiful design on the butterfly wing.

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  • To assemble the wings, lay them down the center of a magazine. Pipe some chocolate between the wings to create the body of the butterfly and also to hold the wings together. I added some sparkle with some luster pearl, but that part is optional.

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  • Store in an airtight container lined with kitchen paper in the fridge for up to a month. These little guys are delicate, so take care of them.

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  • Please note that these beautiful butterflies can wilt in warm temperatures. Remove them from the fridge just before you need to serve them. They are happiest when cold.

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  • There is nothing that won’t look better with a chocolate butterfly on top!

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  • Add them to cupcakes, cakes, and even dessert bars.

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  • Color them depending on the occasion. These Chocolate Butterflies would be incredible to use for baby showers, weddings, or any special event.

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So, in case you are wondering when this gorgeous cake is coming, it’s Thursday, July 21. It’s a White Velvet Cake with Strawberry Buttercream Frosting.

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Arctic Fox
Arctic Fox
3 years ago

Can I make it colorful without the food coloring?

Archana
Archana
1 year ago

Hi Gemma. Thank u so much for teaching how to make those gorgeous butterflies. This is what I tried and it turned out so beautiful

Donna M Paul
3 years ago

Gemma, did you say that after you gave the butterfly the body you then placed it in the fridge so that it would set….Did you place the entire book with butterflys in the fridge? I saw it on the video but I don’t see it in the written instructions????

Martha Cole
Martha Cole
4 years ago

The link for the pearls takes me to glass pearls used in jewelry making. Wouldn’t that make the butterflies inedible?

Glenda
4 years ago

I can not find the ingredients for the chocolate butterflies.I have skrolled all the way

Margaret S Haynes
Margaret S Haynes
4 years ago

Hi Gemma! Love these sweet butterfly’s and also just wanted to compliment you on having many different videos. The gals I follow, a lot of the time, will repeat the same recipes constantly. I am very grateful you have many excellent teachings to choose from. Thank you so much! 🙂

Deepak Chand Ramola
5 years ago

What type of food colour should I use to mix with the chocolate,the liquid one or the powder one???

Qurratulain
Qurratulain
5 years ago

You explain amazingly. Love your recipes❤

Mary
Mary
5 years ago

This is amazing!please, keep the good work going. Many love,Mary.

hafsaharifkundi
hafsaharifkundi
5 years ago

Hi Gemma! I just wanted to know that for melting chocolates, do you use a double boiler or just directly over the heat?
Thank you!
P.s you are absolutely wonderful!!! I’m in love with this site!! ❤❤

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About Us

Meet Gemma

About Us

Meet Gemma

Hi Bold Bakers! I’m Gemma Stafford, a professional chef originally from Ireland, a cookbook author, and the creator of Bigger Bolder Baking. I want to help you bake with confidence anytime, anywhere with my trusted and tested recipes and baking tips. You may have seen one of my 500+ videos on YouTube & TikTok or as a guest judge on Nailed It! on Netflix or the Best Baker in America on Food Network. No matter your skills, my Bold Baking Team & I want to be your #1 go-to baking authority.

 

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