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.
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.
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
Never be scared of chocolate and cream - they don't bite 
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.
Never be scared of chocolate and cream - they don't bite
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. 
2:1 ratio of chocolate and cream! No need for sugar and butter! That's the fail proof tips we use here in oz!
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! 
tends to nibble on it. Incredibly delicious, but oh! when you realize that it is just cream and chocolate, what could go wrong?!
Jan
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.
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! But hopefully one day! 
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!
But hopefully one day! 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
Never be scared of chocolate and cream - they don't bite
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.
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!
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! 
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!
Thanks again!! 
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??
The extra sugar and butter is my back up plan if all else fails - making butter creme instead.
I am going to attempt to make the ganache on Monday/Tuesday so if all else fails I can either rework my plan or get more stuff to try again.
Guittard or Ghiradelli chocolate chips have both worked excellently for me. What % of sweetness you choose is a taste thing. If your cake is very sweet, or you are pairing your ganache with buttercream, consider using bittersweet chocolate, it makes a nice flavor contrast. I usually choose semisweet to frost a cake with. I know adding butter and sugar is not the 'pure' way to make it, but it's the first recipe I ever tried, and I loved it. Therefore, I see no reason to switch.
There are many things to love about Aussies....first my beau, second giving the world ganache under fondant (and when my Forster living Glasgow born beau stinks up my kitchen with his clootie dumpling, the ganache rises to first place...but I digress).
Do not fear the ganache. I've even made it with chocolate chips despite all the warnings of how they don't melt. They have to be real chocolate...not chocolate bark that's sold in Southern grocers around here.
I think the ganache in Rose Levy's book is more like a poured ganache rather than the ganache used under fondant.
We're all cheering for you...take the leap of faith...you'll never regret it.
The extra sugar and butter is my back up plan if all else fails - making butter creme instead.
I am going to attempt to make the ganache on Monday/Tuesday so if all else fails I can either rework my plan or get more stuff to try again.
I am going to give it another try too. I think I will try the Ghirardelli white chocolate for mine...3:1 ratio if I remember correctly what everyone has said?
Good luck HalifaxMommy and please let us know how you do with it?
They even have them at Walmart! I prefer the 70% Lindt. And Lindt white chocolate is pretty tasty. Otherwise, I use the big hug bars from Trader Joes, or I order couverture chocolate online. I've never liked using bagged chips.
I've seen the Lindt bars at WalMart but never thought to try them. Thanks AZ...I think I might give that a try. I've used the Ghirardelli chips before but I can't buy that locally, so I'll try the Lindt and see how that goes! I never knew about the " % " on the chocolate, so now I know to try the 70%. But what about the white?? Does that also have % that needs to be considered? Sorry if that sounds dumb, 
but I want to make sure I have the right chocolate.
Now I'm getting so excited about ganache!! (DH thinks I'm crazy!)
Ummm, that should say ratios are different, not off. Sorry about that.
Yes, so 3:1 for white chocolate and milk chocolate?? But 2:1 for dark chocolate?? And that is by weight for both the chocolate and the cream?
Always by weight, yes. And yes, your numbers are correct.
Thanks again AZ...I appreciate the help! 
I suggest you use McSprinkles fab excel spreadsheet for calculating the amount of chocolate and cream needed
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/28726919/The%20Ganacherator.xlsx
For dark chocolate, I put the chips into a saucepan or glass measuring cup, and I add whipping cream to just cover the chips. Then melt in the microwave or on low heat. Either way STOP HEATING as soon as half the chips have melted. Take the container off the heat and stir gently until the rest of the chocolate has melted from the warmth of the cream.
Sometimes to get the ganache to start to harden up, you have to chill the ganache until the edges get hard, then mix the whole mass up in a food processor.
DO NOT use milk chips--they are the most difficult.
For white chips, I find it helps to add a little butter to the cream (try about 10% of the weight of the chips in added unsalted butter).
For dark chocolate, I put the chips into a saucepan or glass measuring cup, and I add whipping cream to just cover the chips. Then melt in the microwave or on low heat. Either way STOP HEATING as soon as half the chips have melted. Take the container off the heat and stir gently until the rest of the chocolate has melted from the warmth of the cream.
Sometimes to get the ganache to start to harden up, you have to chill the ganache until the edges get hard, then mix the whole mass up in a food processor.
DO NOT use milk chips--they are the most difficult.
For white chips, I find it helps to add a little butter to the cream (try about 10% of the weight of the chips in added unsalted butter).
Thanks Irene...as I'm from the same "neck of the woods" as you, can you tell me which chocolates White and Dark you like to use and where they are available?
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