In my limited cake making experience I have found that fondant was frequently peeled off the slice of cake and left on the plate, taking the white chocolate ganache with it.  What a waste.  So I've been trying a few alternatives including icing only with ganache and getting the smooth look with edible lace. A little issue with freezing the cake and having the edible lace stick to the wrap but fortunately I had extra and patched to an acceptable level.  Not perfect but still learning.  Ganache alone does not seem to be a common method of icing and I'm wondering why.  Any discussion on this.  The cake tasted great - lemon cake, raspberry mousse filling and white chocolate ganache (with the edible lace).  It was my first wedding cake - three tiered, decorated with yellow gum-paste roses around each tier.  

I've made cakes covered with just ganache. It works fine.

I'm not sure what you mean by getting it smooth with edible lace.

I think she means getting the ganache smooth like fondant then applying the edible lace to the cake. 

Try this site for a general idea on a smooth ganache coating:

http://www.notquitenigella.com/2010/11/04/how-to-make-a-two-tier-wedding-cake-with-faye-cahill/

AThank you for the tutorial link, auzzi. Most impressive. But why is fondant necessary when the cake has already such a smooth finish? With the thickness of the ganache and then the fondant on top, it seems to me it would be almost inedible with such a thick sweet coating. I used only a white chocolate ganache as icing but didn't have the smoothness of fondant so used the edible lace to get a nice finish. The lace is very light so doesn't add any more sweetness to the ganache.

If you are using good chocolate it isn't sweet - the flavour of the bitter chocolate is the perfect balance for a rich deep chocolate mudcake.

The fondant cover these days in Australia is only about 1/8th of an inch  -  and once again NOT all fondants are awful tasting.  

Fondant is actually the canvas for the decorater - rarely are they left totally un-adorned  - white chocolate ganache is NEVER a nice crisp white.

 

AI have done many chocolate ganached cakes with no fondant, but have never done white chocolate. it's not really white, it's quite yellow. I think it could be lovely as long as the client is Ok with a yellow cake. It also does not glaze like dark. If I am leaving a dark chocolate ganache naked, I hit it with a blowtorch and it makes it shiny. You can't do that with white, it will scorch and get discolored.

A

How do you keep the ganache from melting?:shock:

AHuh? Yes the ganache melts a tiny bit. enough to smooth out and get shiny.

I never ate fondant before I started baking thinking it was disgusting and peeling it off. Since then I have found a couple of different types that I really like.

AI don't know if I would call my ganache yellow - perhaps ivory. In any case the pure white lace stood out well with the off white ganache. This cake was for a wedding in my family. Most guests knew it wasn't made by a professional - it was a steep learning curve and not stress free, but still a labour of love. I've learned much from this forum. Thank you.

Can you post a picture. I am trying to picture the "smooth" lace

Can you post a picture. I am trying to picture the "smooth" lace

I'm sorry if you aren't understanding me.  You lightly pass a low flame torch near the ganache after it has already firmed up on the cake and has been scraped smooth.  It makes the surface shiny.  If you are "melting" your ganache you are doing it wrong. :D

FromScratchSF - that's beautiful!  Do you then let it firm up again at room temperature or chill in the fridge?

AWhat a beautiful creation! Mine pales in comparison but I will try to post a pic. I am quite isolated with regards to Internet so need to relocate in order to do more than simple posts or emails.