Published: April 10th, 2020 | Last Updated: April 10th, 2020

The execution of a glaze can make or break the look of an entremet. If there was one crucial component to giving an entremet its defining sleek and glossy characteristic, it would be the chocolate mirror glaze.

The glaze is a signature component of entremet cakes requiring precise technique, and one particular pain point that glazes may encounter is the occurrence of air bubbles. Air bubbles ruin the appeal of a perfectly smooth glaze and detract from its reflective and uniform appearance.

Here are all the practical tips on how to deal with air bubbles in a glaze.

Use the right ingredients

A good recipe with the right ingredient proportions can make all the difference. A recipe with incorrect proportions could lead to a glaze that is too viscous, which will encourage bubbles. Click here for glaze recipes that have been tried and tested for optimal results. 

Glaze recipes require precise measurements to ensure the right consistency. A kitchen scale is an essential tool to ensure accuracy and get the same results each time. Volume based measurements like spoons, cups or gallons could lead to inaccurate amounts and non-ideal ratios. 

Using a low-quality chocolate or chocolate with a low cocoa-butter percentage could lead to a viscous mixture. Most good quality couverture chocolate should be suitable. The optimal cocoa butter ratio is between 35% - 38%.  

Avoid introducing them

The best way to not have any air bubbles is to avoid introducing them altogether. Bubbles can be avoided with a slow and careful technique at each step.

When making the glaze: 

• Be careful not to trap air within the head of the stick blender when first inserting the blade into the glaze. Tilt and hold the pouring jug diagonally and insert the blade at an angle, allowing the air to escape.
• Before blending the ingredients, shake the blade gently, tapping against the sides of the jug, to knock the air out from under the head.
• Blend using the lowest speed on the stick blender.
• Avoid whisking or stirring the glaze vigorously.
• Use a tall and narrow container, minimising the required movement of the stick blender, e.g. a vertical measuring jug.
• Keep the blade submerged under the surface of the glaze while blending, to not pull in any air and introduce bubbles. Gently move the stick blender up and down.
• After removing the stick blender from the glaze, bang the jug against the counter to push any air bubbles within the glaze to the top.

When preparing to apply the glaze:

• Stir the glaze slowly, using a spatula rather than a whisk.
• Freeze the mousse cake to -18°C. Any colder may create a thermal shock and produce air bubbles.

Remove them

If you find a few bubbles in your glaze mixture, here are some techniques to remove them:

• Pass the glaze through a fine-mesh sieve at a low height to catch the air bubbles, repeating if bubbles persist.
• Lay plastic wrap on top of the glaze, press down on the bubbles and pull the plastic wrap away.
• Immediately after pouring, pop each obvious air bubble manually with a toothpick or a pin before the glaze sets.

Hide them

If those pesky little bubbles still manage to find their way onto the cake after the glaze has set, there is still hope. The best and only solution is to hide them using decorations (no one will know, we promise).