Thanks so much for the info. I'm excited to try this!

I'm hoping I'll get a reply posting on this thread. I just tried the Planet Cake ganache this week for the first time. It was difficult for me to get it perfectly smooth like she says in the book. The hot knife didn't seem to do much. Maybe I wasn't pressing hard enough? I did use milk chocolate instead of dark. Could that have been a problem?

Also, the apricot syrup was so runny it was quickly dripping down the sides of the ganached cake. After covering in fondant there were some parts along the border where the syrup was oozing out.

Later I had the opportunity to cut the cake. The fondant and the ganache came off the cake as I pulled out a piece. I think this had to do with my cake, it was a bit crumbly, even though I usually don't have this problem with that cake recipe. Just thought I'd mention it incase it did have to do with the ganache.

I plan on trying it again. It still was much easier to deal with than buttercream, and in my opinion tastes better, and probably for the first time ever I had no air bubbles on the cake! (that might just be me though). I would love some tips!

Sorry, after reading a few of the previous posts I have another question.
My ganache was pretty hard cutting into it, like a hershey's bar. So what did I do wrong?

Tatum , did you refrigerate the cake at all? If ganache is really cold it sets solid - which could explain the hard to cut consistency and also why the ganache and the cake separated.

Also with the syrup you have to use it very sparingly, just a little bit will be enough to stick the fondant.

I did put it in the freezer for 10 mins right after I ganached the cake and before I used the hot knife. In the book she says this is an option, but she prefers to leave it overnight. But then after using the hot knife she says to leave it overnight again. I was a little confused when I read it, cuz it seemed that she was saying to leave it overnight twice, which seems long.

I finally get to try this for a cake this week. I'm doing a diaper bag cake and I want it to be stable so I thought it would be a good time to try the white choc ganache under fondant.

What I'm not sure of is how much ganache I'll need. I'm planning on building the diaper bag cake out of 2, 9 inch square layers.

Any ideas how much ganache I'll need just to cover it? I'll be filling with an old fashioned strawberry buttercream.

Also if anyone has made the diaper cake, anyone know how much fondant I'll need?

I'm a hobby baker so having leftover materials isn't really good for me.

Thanks in advance. I'm so excited to try this

The best advice I got for "what kind of chocolate to buy for ganche?" was...If you take a bite of the chocolate and love it, then it's ganache worthy! Go down the candy aisle at the grocery store and buy chocolate there because that is the kind of chocolate people want to eat by itself...that will make the best ganache. When I bite into nestle semi sweet chocolate chips (I would buy in the baking aisle), I don't care for that flavor of chocolate...Yes, it might be more expensive to buy the kind in the candy aisle, but if you're going for flavor, that is the kind of chocolate to buy...not necessarily the kind in the baking aisle.

I hope that makes sense?! Basically if you would sit on the couch and eat it plain, then make it into ganache! Yuuuummmmmmy!

Thanks to everyone for all the great information in this thread. I just used gananche under fondant for the 1st time this past weekend on a football helmet and I loved working with it. Of course, it being my first time,I did learn that water wasn't enough to make a sticky surface for the fondant, so I would up with some tearing. Now I know for next time and will use melted (and cooled) preserves.

wow what a wonderful thread, thank you for all the information. Going out to get this book. Thank you.

I must have missed something today.

I've read in one of the interviews from Ron Ben-Israel or another famous artist that they only ever use ganache under fondant for the sharp, smooth corners...

I just thought most classic cake shops use buttercream except for like the chic, posh bakeries to help lessen the already expensive blow to the wallet.

Like the cake boutiques...

How much ganache????

Let's say for a 9" cake with 3 layers of filling. How much ganache do I need to make for filling and crumb coating?

How about just crumb coating?

Is there any amounts in the Planet Cake book or from anyone's experience? I'd hate to run out or make toooo much!

Thanks!!

good info!

mrsmudrash - I just did a test run and made a batch of choc ganache with 16 oz of chocolate and it made a little over 3 cups of ganache and I was able to fill and coat a 6 inch square , 4 inch tall layer. It was torted and it used all of the ganache.

For all of you who have used this technique, what texture should the ganache be once it is cooled. I've tried it twice. First time I used bakers semi-sweet chocolate and followed the instructions by weight and it was really solid the next day after it had cooled. If I put my finger on top of the ganache and pushed it did not give at all.

The second patch I made I used chips (I know weaker than bakers chocolate) and it does give a little. Which is the expected texture of the ganache after it has cooled over night?

Thanks so much. I really loved working with the ganache. The test cake was a success so I plan on using this pretty often I just want to know which texture is correct for the set ganache.

Thanks!

Fantastic tutorial on how to ganache a cake, for anyone interested:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/34971289@N06/4036229617/in/set-72157622644499988/

Hope it helps!

Any brands of chocolate, especially white chocolate that you guys prefer to use?

I don't have much of a choice in my grocery stores out here.

Thanks.

Great info - Thanks!

Thanks for the link!

SMBC is whipped eggwhites and butter. It can be at room temp for several days, as butter could be, and will be fine. It won't hold at higher temps or for a much longer time, however....

Hey guys I've just tried white choc ganache on a cake ( whole cake was an experiment - made cake flour from scratch then did scratch White cake then first time with ganache) I just loved working with it and the edges it gives are to die for - probably my most professional looking but I found the taste way too sweet. I started off with a 3:1 ratio but it set rock solid so I had to add more cream and had a 2:1 ratio by the time it was workable at room temp - I'm in Scotland so I'm not exactly battling heat here. The choc I used was the best stuff I could get rather than high quality so illtry this again with different choc also I probably had it a little too thick but was just having so much fun lol. Definately one to keep tinkering with x

I recently made a cake with ganache under the fondant and LOVED it! I found the ganache MUCH easier to work with and tastier too!

My only issue is that the fondant got very hard. The butercream underneath generally keeps it soft, but the ganache was enough to do that. My sister-in-law told me that they chipped the fondant off! Anything I can do to avoid this?

TIA

I have been having SUCH a problem with my fondant buckling and cracking!! I just did a wedding cake for my niece and just about had a nervous breakdown because of that problem. Also it rained like crazy and there was 95% humidity, so my magnolias wouldn't dry. Ended up having to poke the petals right into the cake! I would love to not have this problem again! (I'm very much an amateur and only do cakes for family)

How do you suggest people to cut this pretty solid ganache cake? I heard that you can cut the cake nice and clean with a warm knife (dip in hot water and wipe clean). But most people at the party place don't even know how to cut the cake properly. I saw them once cutting the cake with plastic knife , poor cake, it look sooo ugly on the plate.

Just get them to cut the cake as normal - in my case for normal read indydebi's method- my ganache wasn't really hard rather it was firm like fondant if you know what I mean and it cut without any problem- I did White choc with a 2:1 ratio because the 3:1 ratio turned out solid so if your ganache was really hard then maybe you need to add more cream next time.
HTH

Ps oh and tell them to use a decent knife lol