Three little words ...

I HATE GANACHE!


For my kids' school Halloween parties, I thought I'd be creative and make some individual cakes of ghosts and pumpkins, covered in ganache. I even came here to get tips on making and using the ganache, preparing the cakes, etc. so I felt completely ready.

Wednesday, bake cakes (16 X 16 - one white, one orange (coloured, not flavoured)), and cut out using cookie cutters. (I think this was the beginning of the end ... I started with the white cake, but didn't realize until I was 2/3 of the way thru it that I was cutting out pumpkins instead of ghosts - so I just decided to switch it up and cut out orange ghosts, then cover each with the correct coloured ganache).

Thursday - after a day of running around, I finally started to prepare the ganache for the ghosts. Had them all nicely lined up on some parchment paper. Someone suggested I try dipping them into the ganache with a fork instead of pouring it over them. BIG MISTAKE! The cake broke apart in the ganache, leaving lovely bits of orange cake in my white ganache. Picked out what I could. Decided to just spoon/drizzle the ganache over the ghosts. Keep in mind that I was also told that I did not have to 'prep' the cakes with a B/C crumbcoat, just pour ganache. Well, it soaked directly into the cakes, so instead of a lovely covered-in-white ghost, I had oranage ghosts with blobs of white chocolate soaking into them.

I decided, what the hey, and just kept going. I ended up with 2 trays (approx. 25) barely covered orange ghosts. I put them in the fridge, and left the room. I couldn't take anymore. Then, just before bed, I decided to remove them from the fridge to put them on the mini-loaf wrappers I had for them. Just as I'm coming down the hall, I hear one of the trays hit the floor. My DH removed a can from under the tray that was supporting it, and it lost its balance, and slide right out the fridge door. By this time, I was beyond caring, so I just cleaned it up and tossed the whole thing. I later tossed the second tray, since it was just total crap, too.

I still hadn't done the pumpkins, but at this point, I had no intention of going thru that crap again. They are still sitting in the container. I guess I'll make cake balls with them.

This morning (Friday), I ended up just making chocolate molds of ghosts and pumpkins for the classes, and took them to the school when the kids went back in their costumes after lunch. I know the teachers don't expect anything, but I was so hyped for these to come out.

It will be a very cold day in Mexico before I try using ganache again. Next time, just cupcakes.

***

Oh, and I had a last minute birthday cake for my DD's classmate. It was a simple enough cake (9 X 13 chocolate with choc. B/C - I made melted blue choc letters for the "H 8th B Thomas", and candy blox for the bottom border, Thomas loves Lego and they look like Lego) - but the kid's father was being a PITA. He's very controlling, as I discovered. Next time, if there is one, I'm dealing with the mother. She's a doll. I know I undercharged him, but I'm doing that in hopes of more business coming via them, since they have a very large extended family. (And I was happy just to be able to do something that I knew I could do properly.)

No one told me you had to let it cool, but it wasn't straight off the stove (but darn near). That may have been the problem.

I'm still steamed and disappointed, so I won't be trying it again too soon to find out. But I will keep this in mind.

Thanks, ljdills.

Thanks for all the extra hints. I did use the Wilton recipe - explains a lot.

I'm much calmer now. Never did do those cake balls, though. Ended up just tossing out the leftover cake bits. Maybe I'll try again and do something up for the teachers at my kids' school. They're always willing to be my guinea pigs!