Need help from Bakers using semi sweet chocolate squares

I am having a problem with my chocolate. when I melt and spread over my cake, the chocolate always cracks and breaks off in pieces as a cut each slice. How do I stop this from happening ? am I using too much butter or not enough ? any ideas or help would be appreciated.

  5 answers
  • Nancy Turner Nancy Turner on Sep 14, 2017

    What do you add besides butter? My hubby always uses ganache recipe on top of cheesecake and it never cracks. It also has heavy cream. You are missing something that makes the chocolate too brittle. I would need to know the recipe you are using to give you further advice.

    • James James on Sep 15, 2017

      Nancy, the recipe is an. old one and I have had no problems until the past couple of times I made this recipe

      what it is ;

      base is graham cracker crumbs, cocoa powder, butter, egg, and shredded coconut. cooked over double boiler. it is chilled.

      the center is icing sugar, custard powder, milk, peppermint, and green coloring... chilled on top of base.

      then the Baker's semi sweet chocolate squares are melted per instructions on package from Bakers.. then chilled in fridge, then frozen ready when I need it. this recipe makes about 30 square pieces..


      always looks good, tastes great. but when cut into squares the chocolate breaks away, ruins my hours of work.

  • Nancy Turner Nancy Turner on Sep 15, 2017

    I need to know how much chocolate you use, how much and what kind of butter you use and also if you add anything else to the chocolate. How do you melt the chocolate. I only bakers white chocolate right now and the only directions on the box just say how to melt it and it adds nothing to it. You need something else to keep it supple when refrigerated or frozen. There are the questions my hubby asked me to ask you, When he was younger he was a certified baker with Sara Lee and loves to make gourmet cheese cakes that take two days to make and weigh about ten pounds when done, so he does know the right ways to work with chocolate. If you could get me that information he could give you help with the hard topping cracking. Thanks for getting back to me so quickly, but I was already down for the day when I was notified you had replied.

  • James James on Sep 15, 2017

    Hi Nancy,

    for the 9 x 12 pan size, I use 3 semi-sweet squares of Bakers brand, was only adding butter and flavoring (peppermint). it has worked for years and years, I think from reading other replies that I realize this morning I was ''burning'' or overheating the chocolate. maybe that is the reason. (and I am getting much older !!!)

    today added cool - whip with butter and chocolate squares and it looks good, tastes great.. will not know until later if it will crack when I cut into it to make the squares.

    really appreciate your help here and your husband's ... all suggestions are welcome,