Hi cake friends. Love coming to these forums but hardly ever post. I am just having a hard time with ganache so I was hoping to get some insight.
I tried the white chocolate ganache method twice recently, once with a 3:1 ratio (found it too soft), and then with a 4:1 ratio. Both times I ended up getting a bulge of ganache at the bottom of the cake, as if it was too "loose" or something.
I really thought the 4:1 ganache would work well. It fondanted great but then it developed the bulge as it sat on my counter for a few hours.
Do you think I am using too much ganache?
Was the problem that I didn't let it sit overnight? I did with the first cake (I put a plastic cake dome over it), but the 2nd cake, I just let it harden in the freezer after I ganached it.
Oh, I should mention that with both cakes, I put them in the freezer for 10 minutes before ganaching.
If the problem was not letting it "harden" overnight, my question is this: how do you keep dust and bugs out of the cakes? I feel very uncomfortable just leaving them naked on the counter overnight.
Small ones, I can cover but I'm sure I'd eventually have to make a big 16" cake - just cover it with a box or something?
Here is what I plan to try in the future:
1. making the ganache even stiffer (5:1) and using only a very thin layer (like, crumbcoat thin), then fondanting
2. the same as above, but after the ganache crumb coat, putting a thin layer of buttercream
3. using the very stiff ganache more like you would a cake spackle, just on the ridged parts of the sides of the cake, then using a thin layer of buttercream.
Any help would be really appreciated! Thanks!
I tried the white chocolate ganache method twice recently, once with a 3:1 ratio (found it too soft), and then with a 4:1 ratio. Both times I ended up getting a bulge of ganache at the bottom of the cake, as if it was too "loose" or something.
I really thought the 4:1 ganache would work well. It fondanted great but then it developed the bulge as it sat on my counter for a few hours.
Do you think I am using too much ganache?
Was the problem that I didn't let it sit overnight? I did with the first cake (I put a plastic cake dome over it), but the 2nd cake, I just let it harden in the freezer after I ganached it.
Oh, I should mention that with both cakes, I put them in the freezer for 10 minutes before ganaching.
If the problem was not letting it "harden" overnight, my question is this: how do you keep dust and bugs out of the cakes? I feel very uncomfortable just leaving them naked on the counter overnight.
Small ones, I can cover but I'm sure I'd eventually have to make a big 16" cake - just cover it with a box or something?
Here is what I plan to try in the future:
1. making the ganache even stiffer (5:1) and using only a very thin layer (like, crumbcoat thin), then fondanting
2. the same as above, but after the ganache crumb coat, putting a thin layer of buttercream
3. using the very stiff ganache more like you would a cake spackle, just on the ridged parts of the sides of the cake, then using a thin layer of buttercream.
Any help would be really appreciated! Thanks!
