Latte art soap design help?

[Azita]

Hi all, I started soap making over a month ago and have a few batches under my belt now. I’ve done a plain batch, one with fragrance + colour, and with layering/mica lines. I wanted to start experimenting with more designs.
I want to make a coffee scented soap with a ‘latte art’ design (attached a photo) and just wanted to know if anyone here has tried this or has any advice!
My plan is to use my individual oval silicone molds - to separate out the soap at trace and add instant coffee dispersed in a tbsp oil to one part to get it a light brown, and leave the other white. Then to pour (maybe using a squeeze bottle? I don’t have one but I could buy one) the white soap in the pattern of a latte tulip into each mold (probably by doing 3 curvy lines and then using a toothpick to draw up through them), and then pouring the brown soap over it to fill the mold. Does this sound like a good plan?

the alternative would be trying to do it like they do actual latte art - pouring the brown in first, and then the white in the pattern - although I’m not sure soap would behave like milk does in lattes?

Any advice would be really appreciated!

 

[cmzaha]

Coffee will not scent your soap, you will have to use a coffee FO and most coffee fragrances are going to turn your soap brown due to vanilla content, so that will be your first issue to deal with. You could pour separate your batter reserving some for the light brown color adding in less FO and no FO into the portion you want white adding the balance of the fo into the main batter. As for your design, you will have to pour at emulsion or very light trace and work the pattern however you can accomplish the design. I would practice with cake batter or lattes. You will want to check the notes about the FO you purchase to make sure it does not accelerate. It would be very difficult to accomplish this inside the soap, it would be similar to a Secret Feather swirl, not an easy swirl to do. I also suggest a small batch filling up only a few individual molds and using a slow tracing recipe. It would be best to pour all the bottom layers so the top layer does not sink, so you are going to have to do a bit of planning.

 

[Azita]

Thanks for replying! Sorry, I didn't include all the info - yes, I will be adding a coffee fragrance, I was planning on using the instant coffee for colour only. I have another fragrance that I could use for the white part (almond biscuit) - the website I bought it from says that it doesn't discolour, hopefully that's true. I can do the design with lattes but I was a bit skeptical that the soap batter will behave in the same way.

I was planning on doing a small batch and with the oval individual silicone molds - I agree that trying to do the feather swirl in a loaf mold would be tough! I was just curious whether it would work to do the design first, at the bottom of the individual molds, then fill the molds. Thanks again!

 

[GemstonePony]

Putting a design on the bottom might work, but I'd test the theory with cupcakes and cupcake batter first, to make sure the second color doesn't move the first color around more than anticipated. If you're looking to duplicate that particular design, you might have to put it on top, just like the real thing, or get really good at hidden feather hanger swirls.

 

[glendam]

If you can manage to pour the brown without disturbing the white tulip at the bottom, the first option could work (you would need to pour the white, do the tulip, wait for it to set up some, then pour the brown gently (perhaps using a spatula or pouring from an edge). You could try doing the second option though (that is what I would do), although soap is thicker than a latte, you could do the same thing you planned (do the three lines and use a skewer to make the design). I tried something similar once but on a loaf mold.

 

[cmzaha]

I did not say put the design on the bottom if that is what everyone is referring to. I mentioned pouring a bottom layer using the Coffee Fo let it set enough to pour the next two layers, the light coffee color at swirling trace or just past emulsion so you can make the swirl without breaking through the bottom layer. You could let the light coffee color set a little while you pour the other molds then go back, pour your white, and swirl. Yes, I have done this and it does work, this trick is having your batter stay at the proper trace. Your batter can also be made in two stages, making and pouring a bottom layer first then working the two top layers. If you want a swirl in the dark layer you can do that too with some of your light batter.

 

[Azita]

Thanks everyone!

@glendam - ooh that looks lovely! I agree if I wanted to do the design at the bottom I might have to let it set up a bit

@cmzaha - thanks! I see now what you're suggesting, thanks for clarifying.

I might try it both ways and just see what happens... the soap will just be for me and my household so I guess it's worth experimenting and if it turns out to be a design disaster, I'm sure it'll still get used

 

[SoapDaddy70]

Thanks everyone!

@glendam - ooh that looks lovely! I agree if I wanted to do the design at the bottom I might have to let it set up a bit

@cmzaha - thanks! I see now what you're suggesting, thanks for clarifying.

I might try it both ways and just see what happens... the soap will just be for me and my household so I guess it's worth experimenting and if it turns out to be a design disaster, I'm sure it'll still get used

No doubt. Most if not all the soap my family uses now are my failed design experiments.

 

[dibbles]

I would pour the brown layer first, then do the design. To make the hearts, pour a circle and then drag a skewer/chopstick through the center. I also want to note that adding coffee grounds, if that is what you are thinking about, will not color your batter - it will leave speckles which is also a pretty look. Try cocoa powder for a natural brown colorant.

Below is a link to the hidden heart swirl challenge from a few years ago.

https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/january-smf-challenge-hidden-heart-swirl.68702/https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/january-entry-thread.68898/

 

[AliOop]

@dibbles such fun looking back at those old challenges - thank you for sharing those links!

 

[maryloucb]

Hi all, I started soap making over a month ago and have a few batches under my belt now. I’ve done a plain batch, one with fragrance + colour, and with layering/mica lines. I wanted to start experimenting with more designs.
I want to make a coffee scented soap with a ‘latte art’ design (attached a photo) and just wanted to know if anyone here has tried this or has any advice!
My plan is to use my individual oval silicone molds - to separate out the soap at trace and add instant coffee dispersed in a tbsp oil to one part to get it a light brown, and leave the other white. Then to pour (maybe using a squeeze bottle? I don’t have one but I could buy one) the white soap in the pattern of a latte tulip into each mold (probably by doing 3 curvy lines and then using a toothpick to draw up through them), and then pouring the brown soap over it to fill the mold. Does this sound like a good plan?

the alternative would be trying to do it like they do actual latte art - pouring the brown in first, and then the white in the pattern - although I’m not sure soap would behave like milk does in lattes?

Any advice would be really appreciated!View attachment 53944

I just want to say I love this idea! I hope it works and you share the results!

 

[LucyFae]

Hi all, I started soap making over a month ago and have a few batches under my belt now. I’ve done a plain batch, one with fragrance + colour, and with layering/mica lines. I wanted to start experimenting with more designs.
I want to make a coffee scented soap with a ‘latte art’ design (attached a photo) and just wanted to know if anyone here has tried this or has any advice!
My plan is to use my individual oval silicone molds - to separate out the soap at trace and add instant coffee dispersed in a tbsp oil to one part to get it a light brown, and leave the other white. Then to pour (maybe using a squeeze bottle? I don’t have one but I could buy one) the white soap in the pattern of a latte tulip into each mold (probably by doing 3 curvy lines and then using a toothpick to draw up through them), and then pouring the brown soap over it to fill the mold. Does this sound like a good plan?

the alternative would be trying to do it like they do actual latte art - pouring the brown in first, and then the white in the pattern - although I’m not sure soap would behave like milk does in lattes?

Any advice would be really appreciated!View attachment 53944

 

[Relle]

@LucyFae, the person you quoted hasn't been here for 2 1/2 yrs, so probably won't see your post to them.