I love the thick ganache that you use as a filling bit I can't seem to figure out or find a recipe that gives me a ganache as a frosting.

I have a consultation scheduled w/ a bride that hates b/c so she wants one cake to have a choc ganache and the other to have a white chocolate ganache. Is there a fluffy gananche out there that can be used as a frosting? I don't want a pourable ganache.

Any good recipes out there for choc and white choc?

Thanks,
Rhonda

also curious

Hi Rhonda,

For ganache the basic recipe is same amt of milk and cream. and even though its warm and pourable when warm, when it sets up it gets frosting consistency. You can put it in the fridge for a few hours and then whip it for a minute or so with the whip attachment for a whipped ganache.

Let me give you the recipe I usually use:

Quintessential Chocolate Ganache

12 ounces semisweet baking chocolate, coarsely chopped
4 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 cups heavy cream
2 tbsp granulated sugar

Place both chocolates in a large bowl. Heat cream and sugar in a small saucepan over med-high heat. When hot, stir to dissolve sugar, bring to a boil. Pour the boiling cream over the chopped chocolate and set aside for 5 minutes, then stir with whisk until smooth. Set aside at room temperature till needed.


YOu could also use all milk chocolate.

I've never made white chocolate ganache, and since white chocolate is different that other chocolates Im not sure it would work the same.

I looked up these recipes for white chocolate ganache from baking911:

Classic White Chocolate Ganache

covers 1 9 inch cake

17 ounces chopped good quality white chocolate
8 fluid ounces whipping cream
Flavoring**
Butter (optional) 2 to 3 teaspoons (plus more, if needed)

Add chopped chocolate to a CLEAN, DRY stainless steel bowl.

Add cream to a pot and heat to boiling point. Immediately add hot cream to chocolate; stir very well until totally melted. Add in butter, 1 teaspoon at a time and stir. Keep adding until a smooth texture is attained.

Cool slightly at room temperature, pour over desired cake as a glaze until totally covered. Cool and repeat if necessary. Or: when mixture is cold and thickened, beat with an electric mixer to soft peaks, then beat the last few strokes by hand with a whisk until thick and firm. (Be careful not to over-whisk, or mixture will become grainy.)

**For flavored ganache, deduct 1 ounce of cream and add 1 1/2 ounces of rum or liqueur. Or, add in 1/4-teaspoon vanilla extract--or other flavoring. In addition, I like to use 1/8 teaspoon flavored citrus oils, such as orange http://www.baking911.com/pantry_citrus.htm Scroll down to "Citrus or Candymaking Oils".

EASY WHITE GANACHE

1-1/2 cups heavy cream
8 ounces white chocolate chips

In a saucepan combine 1 1/2 cups of the cream and the mint and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat. Place white chocolate chips in a large bowl and pour hot cream into the bowl containing the white chocolate. Let sit for 1 minute, then whisk until smooth. Transfer to the refrigerator to cool, stirring occasionally.

When mixture is cold and thickened, beat with an electric mixer to soft peaks, then beat the last few strokes by hand with a whisk until thick and firm. (Be careful not to over-whisk, or mixture will become grainy.)

HTH,

Jenn

Thanks for the recipes. I was afraid the ganache would be too thick and tear the cake when I tried to frost it.

BTW, does the ganache smooth well?

thanks

pretty well, but remember its chocolate, so there will be some streaks, but yes, the best most beautiful way is to do the poured ganache, but it can be messy. The only thing is have the cake ready to go right before you make the ganache, because you will want to ice it room temp, if you put it on the fridge it will be pretty thick, if left for several hours, unless you use it as whipped ganache, then it gets all soft again, and lighter in color and texture.

I just tried whipped ganache last week, and I really like the look of poured ganache much better. The whipped is funny about breaking down if you whip it two seconds too long, and it loses all of it's shine when it's whipped. I would go for the poured...I think htat is what most people are accustomed to.

The only problem is you are using already tempered chocolate for this recipe. I would suggest that you use melting caps or sometimes called merckens melting caps. Using this chocolate will give you a smooth finish not a lumpy finish that tempered chocolate sometimes will give you. This chocolate is designed for melting and does not require tempering.

I've never had lumps in my ganache, its funny I keep the Merckens buts around always, but have only ever used them for candy making, so you got me wondering, i might try making the ganache with them and seeing how it comes out.

Something I forgot to mention is that because ganache is nothing but cream & chocolate you should buy a high quality chocolate for your ganache. It tremendously affects the final outcome. So no bakers and no chocolate chips!! I like to use Scharffen berger, but I have also made it with Ghirardelli and had good results.

Jenn

I really, really like ChefTaz's ganache recipe from this site. It's in the recipe section and I think it's called Chocolate Ganache I. It calls for a few TBS of butter. The butter keeps the ganache shiny, even when cold. Try it! It's great.

After making the ganache, I let it sit at room temp for about an hour and 15 minutes. I can then spread the ganache on the cake with a metal spatula.

These two cakes are iced with that method:

Oops. Here's the other one.

here is one i did with whipped milk chocolate ganache.the stuff is my absolute favorite!

one 12 oz bag girrardeli (sp?) milk choc. chips
one pint of heavy cream

http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=coppermine&file=displayimage&meta=allby&uname=melysa&cat=0&pos=15

it does smooth very easily if you use it right after whipping it up. (didnt bother with the smoothing on this cake= it was just a eat it cause it tastes good kind of cake!)

I wish more customers would request ganache I love it, dI've never used it whipped before I'll have to try it.

Everything you ever wanted to know about ganache:
(Overview, master and other recipes including white chocolate. How to glaze, frost, smooth, stack and so much more.)

http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-657830-.html

HTH

Wonderful Info and thanks Jan for the info links

After I make my dark chocolate ganache, I set in fridge to set up. Then I add 2 cups of my ganache to my buttercream icing. I also use 1 cup of only dutch chocolate, not standard unsweetened cocoa with 2 pounds of confection. Also I add 2 to 6 ounces of either dark chocolate Godivas or Kahlua. Sometimes even Baileys Irish Creme to add taste. I have a cake image with a ganache icing if you need to see the color and texture after the thickening. Hope this helps and happy baking.