Guy Downer (left) and Bob Fleckenstein demonstrate chocolate curls and transfer sheet techniques.

Chocolate designs can take your decorated cakes from the ordinary to the extraordinary, says Bob Fleckenstein, who presented tips on using chocolate during the Chicago Area Retail Bakers Association's (CARBA) seminar this month. Hosted at Fleckenstein's Bakery, Mokena, Ill., Fleckenstein and Guy Downer, Bennison's Bakery, Evanston, demonstrated how to use chocolate transfer sheets to create simple, yet elegant, cake garnishes. Modern Baking Editorial Director Heather Henstock also spoke, presenting retail bakery trends and ideas for getting more customers into retail bakeries.