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Terrified of ganache

post #1 of 50
8/1/12 at 6:15am
Thread Starter 
I am making a wedding cake for a friend who is the anti bride on Aug. 11. She was going to get sheet cake from Costco and when she told me this I freaking near had a stroke. I told her "NO, I will make it as your gift".

I want to make chocolate ganache instead of butter cream. The process scares the bejesus out of me. I found a nice video by Inspirations by Heather (nice lady from Oz) that made it do able.

I bought whipping cream, a kilo of semi sweet chips as well as 5 lbs of icing sugar and 4 lbs of butter and high ratio shortening as a butter creme back up.

I am going to make the ganache on Aug. 8 so I have a few days to make sure it sets up.

I have no idea why choclate and cream scares me.
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post #2 of 50
8/1/12 at 9:26am
Rose Levy Beranbaum makes the best and easiest ganache. Here's a link to the video http://www.realbakingwithrose.com/2009/03/ganache_frosting.html. If you bought regular chocolate chips at the supermarket they probably will not work. You need to buy good quality chocolate - couverture or eating chocolate. You do not need icing sugar and very little butter - much better to spend the money on the chocolate!

You are probably scared of the chocolate/cream combination as you have heard of the ganache 'breaking' or splitting. However, this too is not a problem as it can always be salvaged. So good news all round!

Your friend will be eternally grateful to you if you do this for her wedding. Like you I am currently planning a three-tier wedding cake for my cousin. I'm filling it with Rose's raspberry mousseline and covering with ganache and chocolate shards.

Good luck and fire back if you have more questions. Do let us know how you get on.
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post #3 of 50
8/1/12 at 9:30am
Ganache is one of the easiest things in the world, I'd rather make it than buttercream. Less flying powdered sugar, less mess all around. I use this recipe. http://texascottagefoodlaw.com/Resources/Recipes/ChocolateGanache.aspx
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post #4 of 50
8/1/12 at 9:58am
Never be scared of chocolate and cream - they don't bite icon_wink.gif

Use one part cream to two parts chocolate.

Melt your chocolate in the microwave....in 30 second intervals - stirring each time.
When all melted and well stirred - it will be a glossy moulten delight.

Bring your cream to the boil -

Carefully add your boiled cream to your melted chocolate....stirring - stirring - stirring - stirring...until all combined.

Set aside and leave overnight to *set up*

Next day - pop in microwave and in 30 second intervals - let it start to melt until it becomes like peanut butter.

Voila - your ganache is ready to use either as a filling or to use as a *crumbcoat*.

We here in Australia have been using it for years - it is far kinder to use in all types of weather...and does not need to be refridgerated once on the cake.

Once your cake is covered in the ganache - set it aside for at least 6 hours - or overnight and it shall firm up - then you are able to cover your cake in fondant with a delicious firm crumbcoat underneath.

You mentioned sugar and butter -
I don't know of any Australians (personally) who add those two ingriediants - The chocolate and cream will make it sweet enough - and all the butter will do is add a gloss to your melted chocolate - which you can obtain by melting slowly and stirring well.
Sure if you are making truffles - but we don't for filling and crumbcoating a cake

Truely - its the method i use 99% of the time - and never had a failiar yet.

Enjoy the expieriance... - your will be very surprised at how eay it is - and delicious at the same time.

If you have any ganache let over - freeze it for up to three months in an airtight container...

Enjoy
Bluehue.
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post #5 of 50
8/1/12 at 10:20am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bluehue

Never be scared of chocolate and cream - they don't bite icon_wink.gif

Use one part cream to two parts chocolate.

Melt your chocolate in the microwave....in 30 second intervals - stirring each time.
When all melted and well stirred - it will be a glossy moulten delight.

Bring your cream to the boil -

Carefully add your boiled cream to your melted chocolate....stirring - stirring - stirring - stirring...until all combined.

Set aside and leave overnight to *set up*

Next day - pop in microwave and in 30 second intervals - let it start to melt until it becomes like peanut butter.

Voila - your ganache is ready to use either as a filling or to use as a *crumbcoat*.

We here in Australia have been using it for years - it is far kinder to use in all types of weather...and does not need to be refridgerated once on the cake.

Once your cake is covered in the ganache - set it aside for at least 6 hours - or overnight and it shall firm up - then you are able to cover your cake in fondant with a delicious firm crumbcoat underneath.

You mentioned sugar and butter -
I don't know of any Australians (personally) who add those two ingriediants - The chocolate and cream will make it sweet enough - and all the butter will do is add a gloss to your melted chocolate - which you can obtain by melting slowly and stirring well.
Sure if you are making truffles - but we don't for filling and crumbcoating a cake

Truely - its the method i use 99% of the time - and never had a failiar yet.

Enjoy the expieriance... - your will be very surprised at how eay it is - and delicious at the same time.

If you have any ganache let over - freeze it for up to three months in an airtight container...

Enjoy
Bluehue.



That. icon_smile.gif
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post #6 of 50
8/1/12 at 2:41pm
2:1 ratio of chocolate and cream! No need for sugar and butter! That's the fail proof tips we use here in oz!
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post #7 of 50
8/1/12 at 3:10pm
As Bluehue stated, this is the only thing I use anymore. I use essentially the same method, but I'm a tad lazy. I use my immersion blender to mix it together. As for the leftover, I freeze it. It is necessary for if I leave it around, or even in the refrigerator for a little while, a certain little two legged mouse---me! icon_redface.gif tends to nibble on it. Incredibly delicious, but oh! when you realize that it is just cream and chocolate, what could go wrong?!

Jan
If you have knowledge, let others light their candles on it.

Never fear shadows. They simply mean there's a light shining somewhere nearby.
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If you have knowledge, let others light their candles on it.

Never fear shadows. They simply mean there's a light shining somewhere nearby.
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post #8 of 50
8/1/12 at 3:20pm
Love ganache! So easy, such a fancy sounding word! I even skip the microwave step and bring my cream to just before a boil, add chopped chocolate and let it sit a minute before whisking( the immersion blender is brilliant!) and done. I have also use regular chocolate chips in a pinch and they have worked just as well.
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post #9 of 50
8/1/12 at 5:51pm
I too have wanted to try ganache, but to date have been "chicken"!! I've watched Michelle's videos on ganaching a cake, over and over and I think...yes I can do that! And it looks so easy! But then I start to think...what kind of chocolate do I buy? Bittersweet, semi-sweet...does it matter? I'd like to try white chocolate ganache...but have no clue what kind or where to buy it? If I want to do a different filling, do I need to do some sort of damn with the ganache?

All those questions come to mind and that's when I "chicken" up again! So that is why so far...No ganache for me! icon_redface.gif But hopefully one day! icon_rolleyes.gif
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post #10 of 50
8/1/12 at 6:26pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by srkmilklady

I too have wanted to try ganache, but to date have been "chicken"!! I've watched Michelle's videos on ganaching a cake, over and over and I think...yes I can do that! And it looks so easy! But then I start to think...what kind of chocolate do I buy? Bittersweet, semi-sweet...does it matter?
No it doesn't matter - its what taste YOU want...no hard and fast rule as to what chocolate you use.

I'd like to try white chocolate ganache...but have no clue what kind or where to buy it?
Honestly - if you can find white cooking chocolate in your supermarket - then buy that - i do however use a 3 to 1 ratio when i make white chocolate ganache,,, as i want it to set up nice and firm.

If I want to do a different filling, do I need to do some sort of damn with the ganache?
Sorry - are you asking that if you wish to fill with say a strawberry BC would you do a ganache dam ?
Hmmmm - i wouldn't think so
But then we here in Australia only ever use Ganache as a filling on its own - can't imagine using two fillings at once - Ganache is a filling on its own - as well as a crumb coat.... you don't want to overload your customers/guests tastebuds by using two fillings...

All those questions come to mind and that's when I "chicken" up again! So that is why so far...No ganache for me! icon_redface.gif But hopefully one day! icon_rolleyes.gif
Ok chicken - jump down from the perch and start making ganache - honestly, its sooooo easy - once made and used you will never go back to a BC fill.

Disclaimer - when i called you Chicken in the above paragraph - i didn't mean it in a condescending manner - but as *hello chicken* = hello petal - hello friend....= hello fellow CCer.

Bluehue

tapedshut.gif
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post #11 of 50
8/1/12 at 6:26pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bluehue

Never be scared of chocolate and cream - they don't bite icon_wink.gif

Use one part cream to two parts chocolate.

Melt your chocolate in the microwave....in 30 second intervals - stirring each time.
When all melted and well stirred - it will be a glossy moulten delight.

Bring your cream to the boil -

Carefully add your boiled cream to your melted chocolate....stirring - stirring - stirring - stirring...until all combined.

Set aside and leave overnight to *set up*

Next day - pop in microwave and in 30 second intervals - let it start to melt until it becomes like peanut butter.

Voila - your ganache is ready to use either as a filling or to use as a *crumbcoat*.

We here in Australia have been using it for years - it is far kinder to use in all types of weather...and does not need to be refridgerated once on the cake.

Once your cake is covered in the ganache - set it aside for at least 6 hours - or overnight and it shall firm up - then you are able to cover your cake in fondant with a delicious firm crumbcoat underneath.

You mentioned sugar and butter -
I don't know of any Australians (personally) who add those two ingriediants - The chocolate and cream will make it sweet enough - and all the butter will do is add a gloss to your melted chocolate - which you can obtain by melting slowly and stirring well.
Sure if you are making truffles - but we don't for filling and crumbcoating a cake

Truely - its the method i use 99% of the time - and never had a failiar yet.

Enjoy the expieriance... - your will be very surprised at how eay it is - and delicious at the same time.

If you have any ganache let over - freeze it for up to three months in an airtight container...

Enjoy
Bluehue.



^^ This. No butter. No sugar. I learned from Inspired by Michelle on Youtube.
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post #12 of 50
8/1/12 at 7:08pm
I have added butter, it makes it more of a frosting consistency. It's pretty tasty.

In the US it does matter what chocolate you use, our chocolate chips are so loaded with chemicals to make sure they don't melt it makes it really hard to make ganache without lunps. That's why so many people have trouble making it. It's the wrong kind of chocolate!
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post #13 of 50
8/1/12 at 7:30pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bluehue



Disclaimer - when i called you Chicken in the above paragraph - i didn't mean it in a condescending manner - but as *hello chicken* = hello petal - hello friend....= hello fellow CCer.

Bluehue



Thanks Blue for all the answers!! And no offence taken to the "chicken" remark! icon_lol.gif

I do have to say that I did attempt ganache ONCE and only ONCE!! Reason: It was a cake for family (thank goodness) and I was so happy to be experimenting with dark chocolate ganache! But when it came time for the cake cutting, the chocolate seemed to be very "hard" and the cake crumbled as it was sliced into. So, either the cake was too soft...or the ganache was too hard!

Either way, it was enough to scare me off and I never tried it again. But maybe I'm ready for another go at it! Maybe on a "just because" cake instead of for any particular occasion might be best! icon_lol.gif

Thanks again!! icon_biggrin.gif
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post #14 of 50
8/1/12 at 7:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by FromScratchSF

I have added butter, it makes it more of a frosting consistency. It's pretty tasty.

In the US it does matter what chocolate you use, our chocolate chips are so loaded with chemicals to make sure they don't melt it makes it really hard to make ganache without lunps. That's why so many people have trouble making it. It's the wrong kind of chocolate!



Any suggestions or recommendations on chocolate brands??
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post #15 of 50
8/1/12 at 8:21pm
I use Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips. Hersheys fails for me with ganache. Doesn't taste like good quality ganache. Any other chocolate chip brands you guys recommend?
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