Has anyone ever used this recipe? If so how'd it work out for ya? I have a chocoholic father law and wanted to make Dawns choc. explosion cake with ganache for Fathers Day. This sounds like a simple enough recipe. I have never made ganache.


1 (14oz.) pakage Wilton dark cocoa candy melts
1/2 cup heavy cream

Heat cream until just about to boil but do no t boil. Remove from heat and add chopped candy melts. Stir until smooth and glossy.
If to thick add 1-2 tablespoons more cream.


Also if you have a better recipe I could use the help.
Thanks!

Well this is the easiest one I have ever made, no problemo!
I like this ganache recipe and method, mainly because all you do is heat, stir slightly and pour or spoon. Some ganache recipes you have to beat with the immersion mixer, this is one that you only stir.
I like the ratio of 1/2 cup unwhipped whipping cream to 4 ounces of bittersweet chocolate. You chop up the chocolate. Bring the cream to a simmer over low heat and add chocolate stirring lightly until chocolate is melted and then spoon or pour over the cake.
I use the Baker's Bittersweet. This amount covers a 9 inch 2 inch high cake.
I use it over chocolate cheesecakes and such. It goes on smooth, no air bubbles and though you should normally store a ganache covered cake at room temperature, it still is nice and glossy when a cake covered in it is refridgerated.
Hugs Squirrelly Cakes

This recipe sounds good, I think I wil go with this one instead of Wilton's. Just incase is there another brand of bittersweet chocolate my grocerie store is pretty small. Also how much is 4oz.? Hahaha silly question I know.

Thanks!

Hi there, not a silly question at all. The Baker's chocolate comes in 1 ounce squares, so four of them. I am in Canada, so other than Baker's, I don't know other brands that sell this baking chocolate in the baking section of grocery stores. It isn't a chocolate bar, it is chocolate meant for baking.
Not sure if Hershey's makes a baking chocolate, but if they do, that will do. Here, Hershey's products that are available in regular stores are more the candy bar type, not baking type.
Bittersweet is the type of chocolate, if you cannot get Bittersweet, you can substitute semi-sweet as a close second. Chocolate chips are not quite the same thing, but in a bind you could use the equivalent by weight in chocolate chips.
Does that help?
Now you could also use a good quality chocolate, but for our purposes, the Baker's chocolate is more than good enough.
Hugs Squirrelly Cakes

I get now! I have seen baking chocolate at my usual store so I should be able to find it just fine. One more question, do you use heavy whipping cream or regular?

Thanks for all your help!

Well I guess I am using regular whipping cream, it is about 35% milk fat. Here in Ontario Canada, they do not sell cream with a higher concentration of fat. I know other areas can get 37% milk fat.
Hugs Squirrelly Cakes

I made the ganache uusing your recipe and it was grreeattt! I made two batches for two different cakes.

The first cake was a choc. explosion cake. It was 2 9in rounds torted and filled with chocolatebuttercream. I poured the ganache over the top. My mom said I should call that one Amys milky way cake! hahaha

The second cake was a chocolate explosion cake with choc. buttercream filling. I iced it and then decorated it with basketweave and a rope border on the top. Then I poured the ganache on the top and put ganache dipped strawberries on that. Everyone loved that cake!!! My mother in law wanted to pay me for it! I said no of course.

Next time I make so much chocolate I will have to remember to keep my finger out of the bowl. I was sooo sick from sampling, and I think I may have gained 5 lbs in one night! Sorry no pics, the darn batteries on my camara went out a few days before...

Thanks SquirrellyCakes your recipe will be enjoyed for years im sure!

Heehee, that darn chocolate is so addictive! Glad it worked for you! It is so good on a chocolate cheesecake too, like there weren't enough calories in cheescake without it, haha!
Hugs Squirrelly Cakes

Hi Squirrellycakes!

With your ganache recipe, for it to cover a 2 layer, 9 inch round cake, would I double the recipe? Can I just double it or should I make 2 separate batches? Does it normally cover the sides of the cake completely or make "drip lines" instead? I am just wondering if I should frost first and then cover with ganache or if the ganache will cover the whole cake on its own. I know everyone has different ideas about whether a cake with ganache needs to be frosted first or not but since I've never done it, I'm very open to suggestion.

Thanks!!!

I guess I would double it - likely 1 1/2 times the recipe would do but you can always reuse ganache by re-heating it. I don't frost cakes first before using ganache as I find the ganache on its own is rich enough.
They will all make drip lines if you don't tilt the cake and purposely cover the sides.
Gancache is something I would make a test cake with so you can see how it works.
Hugs Squirrelly Cakes