Hello fellow UK bakers. I have always used buttercream under all my fondant covered cakes for years. However; I really would love to give ganache a try and possibly convert to it if successful in making a good ganache. I have read horror stories where the ganache didn't set up under the cake and was 'squidgy' and melted under the fondant. This has therefore been the only reason I've been reluctant to ever attempt making ganache. I have thoroughly read up on ganache and the appropriate cream (Whipping Cream with 35% fat content if I'm right) to chocolate ratio and now feel more ready to 'take the bull by the horns' and actually make ganache for a cake trial.

Please can anyone kindly tell me from their experiences; what is the best brand or the name of the; Dark, Milk, and especially WHITE chocolate they use to make their ganache; regardless of price. What supermarkets, websites or shops sell them please. Any advice will be immensely appreciated. Thanks in advance! .

AWhy hello there :-) once you try it you'll never go back!!

I currently use big bags of Belgian Belcolade White from HB ingredients; they're chocolate specialists and are great at suggesting different chocolates for different jobs.

Before that tho I used Lidle's white as it has about 20% cocoa butter which is way higher than any other high street chocolate for the same price (50p per 100g) so I'd suggest that as a good start for you :-)

ooh ps- use elm lea cream- my env health got funny when I told them it was made with fresh cream so I now use elmlea double and they're happy with that! Have fun!

Anyone else please? Thanks
 

Hello. This may be a little late, but I found this thread because I searched for 'Belcolade chocolate' in the forum section and this thread came up. I wanted to see if there were any reviews from anyone who may have used this brand of chocolate. I have never used Ganache and would like to start making it.

Crazy-Gray, how do you like Belcolade brand of chocolate for taste and ease of use? I found Belcolade white chocolate online- it has 29.5% min cocoa solids. I thought I'd let you know in case you wanted to give it a go. What colour does the white chocolate ganache end up being when you make it- is it very white, off white, ivory?

Kadesan, I wonder how you got on with making Ganache? What brand did you settle for in the end? 

AThe only thing I dislike about the big bags of Belcolade pieces is they're too handy to pop upstairs and nibble on a handful! Seriously it's brilliant stuff for ganache and I love it! Tastes great and melts easily.

It makes a dark ivory colour ganache which is a pain for colouring light colours especially blue and red as they just go green/orange. If you want those colours you need to skim a thin coat of bc over once that ganache has set :-)

Sounds great! I think I'll definitely give Belcolade a go. 

I just made a very small batch of ganache this weekend using tesco finest chocolate just because I haven't ordered the Belcolade yet. I tasted the milk chocolate ganache with some spare vanilla cupcakes I had lying around and yuuummmmm. 

By the way, I googled making white chocolate whiter, and a thread you started came up. How did you get on with finding a whiter chocolate to use, or did you have to add stuff to the white chocolate to make it whiter? 

I'm looking forward to making lots of ganache now!

I'm also looking for a good ganache chocolate to use in the UK! I like Dr.O's, but the 70-something % one was too bitter for me.

.... what % was the tesco finest that you used?

Hi I have found that the Dark Callebaut 53.8 Belgian chocolate the best for making chocolate ganache as the 70% is too bitter, I do a ration of 1 part cream to 2 parts dark chocolate.  If you have a Bookers account you can get it there at a reasonable price for a 2.5 kg bag, failing that there are a few sites if you google that sell in the uk. one thing I would say is that white chocolate can be a bit temperamental, if the white chocolate is 28% + or higher then 3 parts chocolate to 1 part cream any lower % you will need to go for 4 parts chocolate to 1 part cream.  Hope this is helpful.