TH2002
Dessert Presentation
Dessert presentation is the arrangement of desserts with one (1) or two (2) more components to give it a
different representation. Dessert presentation has been changing constantly and evolving. In the past,
desserts are simply presented in carts and plated by the dining room staff. Recently, desserts have been
getting the same, if not better, presentation with the main course. From having it solely on the plate to having
different elements and visual presentation, desserts became one of the most sought-after courses in dining.
It is also the last thing to be served and people would remember.
Guidelines
Dessert presentation is technically divided into two (2) parts: baking and assembling. First is baking, which
includes the cooking of doughs, batters, and the preparation of fillings, creams, and sauces beforehand. The
second is assembling. This is putting together different elements that have been prepared and are done at the
last minute.
How a dessert is placed on a plate is part of the appeal of a plated dessert. A style in plating desserts such as
deconstructing food or taking the main flavor profiles of food and interpret them in a new fashion is a trend
in the food industry recently. Not only in desserts, but it is also applied in some savory dishes.
In reality, the presentation of desserts depends on the creativity of the chef. The following are merely
guidelines to be kept in mind when presenting desserts.
Choosing the Plate
Size and shape: Choose plates large enough to hold the food comfortably without overcrowding or spilling.
On the other hand, be careful when using oversized plates, as the food may look sparse, creating poor value
perception. Whether the plates are round, oval, or less conventionally shaped, be sure to choose one with a
size and shape that best highlights the food and supports the composition.
Colors and patterns: White and cream are by far the most common colors for kitchenware; almost any food
looks good on these neutral colors. However, colored and patterned plates can be used quite effectively to
accent food. Remember that food should always be the focal point of any plate.
The Composition
Shapes - For visual interest or pure drama, combine a variety of shapes on the plate when composing a plated
dessert. Adding some height can be effective when plating pastry.
Colors - Food products of different colors should be presented together. Generally, the colors should provide
balance and contrast. Adding another ingredient or garnish may help in incorporating a splash of color to the
plate.
Textures - These refer to the sensation perceived when eating the product as well as the appearance of the
surface of the food. The preparations included on a plated dessert should offer a harmonious balance of
texture.
Flavors - Flavors may be complementary or contrasting and can be layered together. Complementary flavors
are those that are similar to the other flavors in a dish. Contrasting flavors are those that are very different,
such as sweet and sour, sweet and bitter, or fat and acid.
Temperature - Warm food items have a more intense flavor than cold ones. Hot and cold food items served
together on a dessert plate please the palate.
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Arranging Desserts on the Plate
• Strike a balance between overcrowding the plate and leaving large gaps of space. Food should not
touch the plate rim nor necessarily be confined in the very center.
• Choose a focal point for the plate – that is, the point where the eye is drawn.
• The plate’s composition should flow naturally.
Garnishes
In its simplest form, desserts can be a single serving of cakes and pies on its own. Other items added to enhance
flavor, texture, and visual appeal of the dessert are called garnishes. The following may be used as garnishes:
• Herbs and edible flowers – A sprig of fresh mint and flower is an easy way of adding color to the
dessert presentation. Aside from being a visual component, herbs and edible flowers must
compliment the dessert and consistent with the flavors offered.
• Ice creams and sorbets – A quenelle [kee-nel] or a smooth rugby-ball-shaped scoop of ice cream or
any soft food, helps create an attractively molded garnish to any presented desserts. It is often shaped
using two (2) spoons until desired shape and smoothness.
• Sauces – Sauce is an integral part of many desserts. Aside from adding flavor and moisture, it also adds
color, texture, and flow on the plate. It can also be used to paint on the plate, splattered, or drizzled.
One (1) or more colors can be applied, as long as it complements and blends well with the other
components.
• Dried fruits – Prepared by slicing fruits as thin as possible, it is often coated with sugar and dried in an
oven at a low temperature. It gives the desserts a colorful, or elegant effect for simple to complex
presentations.
• Sugar and chocolate works – Aside from giving desserts an additional flavor and texture, the visual
appeal of designed sugar and chocolate entices the customers. It also gives height and a different
character to the dessert.
Dessert Buffet
The dessert buffet is a wide array of dessert selection presented in a buffet style. It is food that is placed on
display for the customers to help themselves at their discretion. It is seen in most hotels and different
occasions such as debuts, weddings, and some social functions. Often well within a theme, the dessert buffets
are almost in the same concept as petits fours.
In presenting desserts by making a dessert buffet, the following are the suggested components:
• The centerpiece – As typical in every setup, the centerpiece is the one that catches the eye of the
guests. This may come in different forms, but most dessert buffets have cakes as the centerpiece. It
can be as simple as a single-tier cake or as eye-catching as multitiered cakes.
• The desserts – The selection of desserts depends on the theme of the buffet or the size of the table.
These desserts should be in small portions and enough for the number of guests. Similar to petits
fours, these are best arranged in rows of the same variety for easier picking and refilling. These
desserts must be shelf-stable or those that can stand in room temperature for four (4) hours.
• The design – In any buffet, not only the arrangement of the food matters. The design in your desserts
must be coherent with the whole design of the table. It shouldn’t overpower the desserts because the
highlight should be the selection of desserts presented.
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• The sign – Not all guests can identify the desserts at first glance. Signs must be placed in front of the
desserts. As this maybe not enough, staff may also be needed just in case a guest will ask.
Sugar and Chocolate Works
Sugar Works
Sugar can be used to create a variety of doughs, pastes, and syrups used in baking and pastry arts, especially
in artistic and decorative works.
Decorating caramel is a sugar syrup used to make sugar ornaments, spun sugar, and other edible decorations.
It is cooked beyond the hard crack stage (refer back to 03 Handout 1), but lower than the temperature for the
caramel. It is usually made out of the water, granulated sugar, glucose, and food coloring if desired. Isomalt,
a type of invert sugar, is often used to make pulled sugar decorations as a replacement for granulated sugar
because it resists humidity. The following are some of the sugar works that can be done using the decorating
caramel.
• Spun sugar is a confection consisting of a fine, long, and hair-like sugar strands made by spinning or
flicking a hot sugar syrup rapidly across dowels. Spun sugar almost has the same texture as cotton
candy. A whisk with the curved ends cut is usually made by chefs as a tool for making spun sugar, but
a pair of forks may be used instead. It is often used to decorate ice creams, gateaux, and especially
croquembouche.
• Caramel cage is a piped or drizzled decorating caramel over a dome-shaped silicon mold, bowl, or
back of the ladle to adhere to its shape. Because decorative caramel is prone to softening under humid
conditions, it is stored in an airtight sealed container and often with a drying agent or silica gel if stored
for days.
• Pulled, blown, and poured sugar, on the other hand, is made from sugar and glucose that is cooked
to a pliable mass. It is rarely eaten, and their appeal is in the design, form, color, and artistry of the
finished piece. It is mainly used as a decorative sugar garnish or a showpiece. Creating decorative sugar
garnishes requires a deep understanding and knowledge of sugar cooking and heat transfer as it is
challenging and hot sugar is difficult to handle.
Hot sugar can cause serious burns when handled barehanded. Because of the high temperature, it is cooked
on cotton gloves covered by rubber gloves that are suggested to protect hands from the caramel.
Chocolate Works
Chocolate is not only one of the world’s most popular confections, but it is also a medium for decorative works
for dessert presentation. Same as sugar, chocolates are difficult to work with because of its composition and
sensitivity to temperature and moisture. A single amount of water can ruin its texture and make it unusable
for dipping or molding. Chocolate is evaluated for its quality based on the following factors such as
appearance, smell, break, and texture.
• Appearance - If chocolate does not look glossy, it is unlikely to be purchased. Vision can even affect
the taste, with lighter colored chocolate sometimes appearing to taste creamier than darker ones.
• Smell - The smell/aroma of chocolate is very attractive to most people, but if it is contaminated by
burnt odors or chemical taints, the product can become unpalatable.
• Break - This includes the snap of a chocolate bar as well as whether it melts away easily when touched.
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• Texture - The texture of the chocolate is unique among foods being solid and able to be snapped at
ambient temperatures, yet melting smoothly in the mouth.
Chocolate is produced from the seeds of a cacao fruit that is dried and roasted. It is then cracked open and
the cacao nibs inside are grounded to a paste called chocolate liquor, which will be the basis of chocolate
production. Table 1 shows the types of chocolates.
Unsweetened chocolate This is pure hardened chocolate liquor without any added sugar or milk
solids. It is frequently used in baking and called baking chocolate.
Bittersweet and semisweet Contains at least 35% chocolate liquor and is excellent as eating chocolates
chocolates
Couverture [Koo-ver-tyur] This is high-quality chocolate used by professional chocolatiers.
Milk chocolate This contains milk solid, making it milder and sweeter.
Chocolate chips, chunks, and These are often used in the bakeshop because these eliminate the need for
pistoles chopping chocolate.
Cocoa powder This is the brown powder left after the cocoa butter is removed from the
cocoa beans during chocolate production. It has two (2) kinds: Dutch-
processed and Non-alkalized.
Cocoa butter This is the fat in chocolate liquor and what gives chocolate its melt-in-the-
mouth quality.
White chocolate This contains a minimum of 31% cocoa butter, sugar, vanilla, and milk solids
only.
Gianduja [jan-doo-yah] It is a smooth blend of roasted hazelnut paste and chocolate. It is usually
used in candy production, mousses, and buttercreams.
Imitation chocolate or This is made from hydrogenated vegetable oils, very little cocoa powder,
chocolate-flavored coating and sugar.
Table 1. Types of Chocolates
To create chocolate candies with a high gloss and a crisp, sharp snap when eaten, chocolate must be tempered.
Tempering chocolate is a controlled process of melting, cooling, and reheating chocolate within set
temperature ranges. Table 2 shows the temperature ranges for tempering chocolates.
Melt Cool Temper
Dark chocolate couverture 45°C to 48°C (113-118.4°F) 25°C (77°F) 29°C to 32°C (84.2-89.6°F)
Milk or white chocolate 40°C to 46°C (104-114.8°F) 25°C (77°F) 30.5°C (86.9°F)
couverture
Table 2. Temperature Ranges for Tempering Chocolate
Source. On baking: Textbook of baking and pastry fundamentals (4th ed.), 2020.
Chocolate can be tempered using different methods. The seeding method is by melting a portion of the
chocolate in a microwave or bain-marie and adding it to the rest until everything is smooth. The tabling
method is when melted chocolate is poured over a marbled surface and stirred using a spatula. The marble
cools down the chocolate and once it reaches the desired temperature, it is heated again to temper. The
microwave method is when the chocolate that has been tempered is heated again in the microwave. The
temperature must not exceed to unchain the fat molecules. Lastly, the cocoa butter method is a new and
hygienic method of tempering chocolate. Powdered or crystallized cocoa butter is added to the melted
chocolate at the rate of 1 percent of the weight of the chocolate that is being tempered.
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Incorrectly tempered or improperly stored chocolate may develop a grayish-white surface known as a bloom.
Two (2) types of bloom can develop on chocolate. Fat bloom occurs when cocoa butter crystals rise and
crystallize on the chocolate’s surface. Chocolate stored above 21°C (69.8°F) will develop fat bloom over time.
Since fat bloom does not affect the taste, tempering the product can solve the problem. Sugar bloom occurs
when moisture appears on the surface of the chocolate and blends with the sugar, leaving a white sugar film.
The result is gritty chocolate that cannot be improved by tempering.
Chocolate candies are divided into two (2) categories based on the way they are made: dipped or molded.
Dipped chocolates are made when firm candy centers such as pieces of marzipan, caramel, or firm ganache
are cut or piped into bite-sized pieces and dipped into tempered chocolate using dipping forks, a specialized
tool with two (2) or more long thin prongs. Molded chocolates are made when solid plastic or metal molds
are coated with chocolate, filled, then sealed with more chocolate.
Chocolate showpieces, which are often a centerpiece on a dessert buffet, are made fully, or in part, with
chocolate, utilizing different methods of making chocolate candies. Modeling chocolate may also be used to
create these showpieces. Modeling chocolate is a type of edible modeling clay used for making cake
decorations. It is made from melted chocolate, sugar syrup, and invert sugars.
References:
Gisslen, W. (2017). Professional baking (7th ed.). Wiley & Sons.
Labensky, S.R., Martel, P.A., & Van Damme, E. (2020). On baking: Textbook of baking and pastry fundamentals (4th ed.). Pearson.
Michelin Guide (2018). Kitchen Language: What is a quenelle? https://guide.michelin.com/en/article/dining-in/kitchen-language-
what-is-quenelle
Migoy, F. (2012). The Elements of Dessert. Wiley & Sons.
The BC Cook Articulation Committee. (2015). Modern Pastry and Plated Dessert Techniques.
https://opentextbc.ca/modernpastryandplateddesserts/
Voltz, M. & Beckett, S.T. (February 1997). Sensory of Chocolate. https://www.gomc.com/firstpage/199702049.pdf
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