I am trying to decide if I need to coat an angel food cake with a thin layer of buttercream or something, that I have cut into (so I could tunnel it out) before I cover with poured ganache. I am not sure what to do and my instructor was no help.

I don't quite undertand your question. Maybe you can try to explain it with a bit more detail. I would love to help if I can.

Sorry I wasn't clear. I quit smoking two weeks ago, my brain is still trying to get used to being nicotine free. Anyways, I cut an angel food cake in half, then tunneled out part of the cake from the lower half and filled it with strawberries and chocolate mousse, then put the top half of the cake back on. I wanted to get the smooth finish from ganache, but I was not sure whether I needed to crumb coat the cake with buttercream before pouring on the ganache because I had cut into the cake. Will ganache soak into a cake if you torte and fill? I did crumb coat the cake to be on the safe side because the angel food cake was not a smooth surface to begin with, but I would appreciate your help, so I know for cakes to come. Thank you! PS. I checked out your web site Cookieman, BEAUTIFUL work!

Thanks for the compliment!
Now that you've explained the problem quite well, I understand your dilemma. Unfortunately, I don't know the answer! I've never worked with angel food cake. I'm sure someone else here will be able to help.

Congrats on quitting smoking!

12 ounces semi sweet chocolate chips
12 ounces heavy (whipping) cream
1 T butter

I got these instructions from LIZ W in ladycakes.com. This method has never failed me.

In a double boiler place all ingredients. If you are adding flavoring such as a liqueur, now is the time to add it also.

Leave on low heat until chips are melted. Stir gently with a spoon (no whisks used here!!) until chips are melted. At first you will think you messed up because it will be very ugly, but be patient. It will all come together soon!! At this point it will look sort of curdled or lumpy. Keep stirring gently. Be careful not to get air bubbles in to your mixture.

Keep stirring the mixture very slowly until the ingredients are a thick, dark, glossy chocolate. You will still have some streaks of cream that haven't fully mixed in and some small lumps of soft chocolate that you can't smooth without adding air bubbles. Don't worry. I promise.

OK- now comes the fun part. Using a "boat motor" mixer (I will attach a picture), hold the head below the surface of the ganache and mix to remove the final lumps. It's very important you keep the boat motor below the top of the chocolate mix at all times. If the boat motor mixer does not submerge in the chocolate, place the chocolate in a smaller bowl. But get that head under the ganache!! Other wise you will have bubbles!

Now, you will allow the mixture to cool to body temperature. You must allow it to cool to pour properly. Don't worry, it will be pourable for quite a long time after coming to body temperature. The cooling process can take up to an hour or even more, depending on your room conditions. You can remove the top pan of the double boiler and place on the counter for fasting cooling. Don't worry if your ganache develops a skin. You can gently mix it back in after cooling.

I now place my cake on a board a hint smaller than my cake. I ice the cake in buttercream (usually chocolate) with a 1/4-inch layer. I make sure my edges are crisp and sharp. Your ganache is only as good as what is beneath it. Don't pour the ganache onto an uniced cake. You will have lumps and runs!! Place the iced cake in the fridge for at least 1 hour. Do not freeze!!

Place the cold cake (still on it's small board) on a cooling rack which has been placed over a jelly roll pan. In one continuous motion, pour over the cake. If you have to stop and start over, you will have runs and streaks. I find doing this portion of the cake is easier when the cake is sitting no higher then my waist. This way I can see that I got all around the cake. Start pouring in the middle of the cake and swirl your way out to the edges. Don't worry about the wasted ganache running on to the jelly roll pan. It's all reusable.

Transfer the covered cake onto another cooling rack over another jelly roll pan. Place the cake still on the jelly roll pan in to the fridge. Leave for at least 10-15 minutes.

Once the ganache is set you can place your cake on the presentation board and finish decorating.

OOPS! See what happens when you cut and paste--- you forget!!

http://community.webshots.com/photo/276920554/272299015CzaJZM

In case your local apliance store doesn't know what a "boat motor" is, that tool is actually called an immersion blender.
But I like "boat motor " much better -- I will always call it that from now on!

I didn't know I had a "boat motor"! Got it for Xmas a few years ago and never used it. Now I have a use for it!!! Thank you for the wonderful instructions for the ganache. The cake was a hit by the way, devoured, not a piece left. I found your ganache recipe earlier and that is the one I used, but I just mixed it by hand until it was smooth. (Whew, carpal tunnel!) The ganache was wonderful and the buttercream layer added just enough sweetness to it. The angel food cake completed the ganache well. I think the "boat motor" will definitely make the whole process easier next time! Thanks again!

Oh- yuck!! You did it the hard way and had the right tool all along. I hate it when I do that!!

Glad it worked out for you.

Did you get pictures for us to see?

Yes I got a picture. I'll post it this weekend. But I'll warn you, my strawberries look more like hot peppers!

I can't wait to see the picture but I can't seem to fathom how the ganache didn't soak into the angel food cake, buttercream coated or not. The ganache was poured over the cake still warm and it is pretty heavy. How did the cake withstand the weight of the ganache? I just can't imagine that.

BTW, speaking of ganache. I could really really use a white chocolate ganache recipe if anyone has one.


Amy

Here's the pic of the cake if I put the link up right. The angel food took the weight of the crumb coat of buttercream and the warm ganache just fine. I had also cut the cake in half, tunneled out part and filled with strawberry slices & chocolate mousse. I refrigerated it until about 30 minutes before cutting and it was wonderful!![/img]

Thank you for the information on the white chocolate ganache. I love Jaques Torres and can never catch him on foodnetwork. Again thank you for the info.

The Angel food cake looks pretty yummy! It withstood the ganache just fine much to my doubts. I would have never thought to put ganache on Angel food but now that I see it, it looks pretty decadent. Great job!!!


Amy

Thank you for the compliment! I am just starting to decorate and am not confident at all about my work. Believe me, that cake was so good with the filling and ganache, it was almost sinful. And for dieters, the fact that it was angel food cake helps to justify the heavy cream in the ganache.

It's just pretty! Now we can ask you questions about the ganache!!

Yummy looking cake!!

Yum!! That looks great. I like what you did with the strawberries on the outside. Very clever. Good job!

BUMPING

Thanks for the directions I have wanted to know how to make ganache.  Now I think I can actually make it.

I don't see the link to thepic
 

ABefore you put fondant on, did you put the ganached cake in the fridge? You needed to do that.

yes. So I did two thing I let the ganached cake sit in the fridge for overnight then when I took it out there was condensation on the cake - so i had to wait for it to come to room temperature then cover it with fondant - and when i started smoothening the cake the ganach started melting