Chefs of all levels, from expert pastry to enthusiastic amateur baker, can use silicone moulds for many different purposes in their kitchens. Paired with the right baking chocolate, they can provide beautiful results; you can create amazing confections including amazing chocolate-covered truffles and amazing cake decorative elements in your own kitchen or bakery.

Since 2009 Skypex Supplies Ltd. has been supplying cake makers throughout Kenya with the best ingredients for their baking, and we have put together some tips on how to use silicone chocolate moulds as if you were a true professional baker.

Why Silicone Moulds Are a Game-Changer for Chocolate Work?

The flexibility of silicone moulds means they won’t break apart when you remove them; they can also be used for many different types of items. Because of their ability to release from a clean product, silicone moulds provide more detail than rigid plastic or metal moulds. Silicone moulds can withstand heat, clean up easily and be reused, making them an economical option for both home and commercial bakers.

However, in the end, the most important part of using silicone moulds will be the type of chocolate you use to fill them with. It is essential that you use quality chocolate. Serious bakers typically purchase their chocolate in professional quality (like the Barry Callebaut line of products available at Skypex) to ensure that the chocolate finished in their moulds has a great shine, crisp finish and rich taste.

Step-by-Step: How to Use Silicone Chocolate Moulds

1. Choose the Right Baking Chocolate

Chocolate can behave differently when placed in a mould. For the best results, you should use couverture or compound chocolates that come specifically formulated for melting and demonstrating immersion. Barry Callebaut’s W 2 White, 802 Milk, and 811 Dark callets are examples of premium baking chocolates we stock at Skypex. These products are used by professional patisseries throughout Kenya and beyond.

We do not recommend using normal cooking chocolates as these use additives which can prevent smooth setting and ultimately prevent a clean release from your mould.

2. Temper Your Chocolate (for Couverture)

Tempering involves heating and cooling couverture chocolate carefully, thus allowing the cocoa butter crystals in the chocolate to stabilise themselves. Properly tempered chocolate will produce a beautifully shiny and crisp snap when set. Melt the chocolate until approximately 45-50 degrees Celsius, cool to around 27 degrees Celsius on a marble slab or by stirring. Then, gradually bring the chocolate back up to working temperature (31-32 degrees Celsius for dark chocolate; 29-30 degrees Celsius for milk or white chocolate).

If you are working with a compound chocolate product (which contains vegetable fat, as opposed to cocoa butter), there is no need for tempering, so these types of chocolate are perfect for a beginner.

3. Prepare Your Silicone Mould

Make sure you thoroughly clean your mould with soap and warm water, then rinse it well. If there is even a slight amount of moisture in your mould, it may cause your chocolate to seize up when you pour it in! To make your finished pieces shine even brighter, gently buff each of the cavities with a clean, dry, soft cloth.

4. Fill and Set the Chocolate

Pour or pipe in melted baking chocolate into all 12 of your moulds evenly .Firmly tap the bottom of the moulds against your worksurface a few times to help release any trapped air bubbles or imperfections in the bottom half of your finished chocolates.

After you’ve filled each mould, transfer them to the refrigeration unit, and let them chill for 15-20 minutes; alternatively allow them to set at room temperature if they are made with tempered couverture (the room temperature provides a better finished product). 

5. Unmould with Confidence

When your chocolates have cooled completely, carefully push downward on the sides of the mould to loosen the chocolates from the sides; note that if you make the mistake of bending down toward the bottom half of the mould, you will either crush your chocolates or break off some of the chocolate when attempting to remove it from its cavity. With these types of mould, you will find no need for greasing the cavities, no tapping to release the chocolates, and the chocolates will not be damaged.

Creative Ideas for Moulded Chocolates

Moulded chocolate is not just for confectionery boxes. Here are some popular ways Kenyan bakers are using silicone moulds:

• Cake toppers — create branded or personalised chocolate decorations to elevate celebration cakes
• Chocolate ganache cups — fill small moulded shells with flavoured ganache for petit fours
• Chocolate cake pops — combine with ready-to-use cake mixes for an easy, crowd-pleasing treat
• Edible cake accessories — moulded chocolate plaques, letters, and florals are popular at many cake accessories shops in Nairobi

The Importance of Quality Cake Ingredients Chocolate

Using the right ingredients is just as critical as technique. Inferior chocolate will produce dull, bloomed, or sticky results — no matter how carefully you work. Premium cake ingredients chocolate from trusted brands such as Barry Callebaut and Altinmarka, both available through Skypex Supplies Ltd., ensures consistent results every single time.

Pair your chocolate work with reliable baking ingredients for cake — including stable whipping creams, professional cake mixes, and high-performance fats — and you have a complete toolkit for producing bakery-quality results in any environment, including Nairobi’s warm and often humid climate.

Source Your Baking Chocolate in Kenya with Skypex Supplies Ltd.

Skypex Supplies Limited has all your professional baking needs covered, from baking ingredients and baking supplies to the best cake accessories. We are located at Spectrum Business Park in Nairobi, Kenya, and we serve the entire baking community, including home bakers, pastry schools, hotels, and commercial bakeries. We provide a full range of professional baking supplies with everything you need to bake perfect cakes, including premium chocolate for baking, cream for whipping, cake mixes, packaging for your baked goods, and all of the tools to do so. Whether you’re looking for a cake accessories shop in Nairobi or would like to order wholesale quantities of professional baking products, our experienced team is ready to assist you.