Do You Have To Put Buttercream Underneath Ganache?
Decorating By kelly75 Updated 22 Oct 2006 , 6:09am by HollyPJ
When Icing a cake with Ganache, can you just pour (or spread) the Ganache directly onto the cake, or do you have to put a layer of buttercream on the cake first? I'm thinking of using Ganache, as the person I'm making a cake for doesn't like the sweetness of buttercream, but if I have to put buttercream on first, won't that defeat the point of my using the Ganache anyway?
Also, has anyone tried the white chocolate ganache? I did a search in the posts regarding this, but didn't come up with anything. Just wondering if it handles the same as the dark ganache, as it requires a lot more chocolate to cream in the recipe (Ganache 1 in the recipe section).
TIA
Kelly
http://www.joyofbaking.com/ganache.html
This article also provides a recipe and instructions on covering a cake with ganache. She uses a thin coat of the ganache as a crumb coat before pouring it over the cake.
I start by covering the cake in ganache that has set & is spreadable & smooth. Cover the cake with a thin layer just as you would normally. Put it in freezer or just let set awhile in cooler. Then melt your ganache & pour over cake, using straight 8" spatula to cover the sides. After this dries a bit you can put choc. shavings or whatever you want on sides of cake. Be careful not to get ganache too hot, just melt it enough to be pourable. That is if you want a shiny top. You can also ice the entire cake with ganache that is set up & spreadable just as you would buttercream, combing the sides or however you like to do it! Hope this helps! This is my first post here!!
http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=coppermine&file=displayimage&meta=allby&uname=KHalstead&cat=0&pos=20
Here is a little mini cake I did...It was like a 4 inch heart and a 2 inch heart cake stacked. I didn't use anything except the ganache........I didn't have any trouble........I was actually going for a more textured look so I piped some edges around with set up ganache and kinda swirled the sides with a knife once the ganache started to set up........but initially it was very smooth......just be sure to take a dry pasty brush and brush off any loose crumbs first before covering in ganache. The white choc. ganach has more white choc. because white choc. is thinner than reg. chocolate I haven't tried it......but do know that you need more white choc. when you make it.
No need at all to put buttercream on first.
There is a chocolate cake in my photos that is ganache covered. Rather than pouring it on while the ganache was still hot, I cooled it to almost room temp, then spread it on using a metal spatula. It was still thin enough to make smooth, but not too runny.
I used Cheftaz's recipe, btw. It's the best I've found. The butter keeps the ganache shiny even after refrigeration.
I haven't tried white choc ganache. Sorry! You might PM Cheftaz for tips.
Link to my photo: http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=coppermine&file=displayimage&meta=allby&uname=HollyPJ&cat=0&pos=7
I tryed white choc. & even using more white than if you used dark chips. & it never set up? Don't remember where I got the recipe but it called for double the white chips than when using dark? It was gooey & kinda slimey & just never set up,even if we put it in cooler?? So.. does anyone out there have a tried & true recipe for white choc. ganache??
Never use white chocolate chips to make ganache. There's something in them that makes them goopy when melted. (I learned this after trying to make white chocolate frosting with them!). You shouldn't use cheap white dipping chocolate either. Use a good-quality white bar chocolate. I've used Lindt before, but it was pretty pricey. More recently I found some at my cake supply store.
Well I work in the bakery at a casino... so maybe they could afford to order some good white choc. to make some good white choc. ganache?! Any other brand names out of good white choc. out there??
You really just want to look to make sure it's real chocolate. Some of them don't even have any cocoa butter in them at all. Actually, many white chocolate doesn't. That will make a huge difference in the taste and texture.
This will help you:
www.chocosphere.com
Thanks everyone for all the tips! I think I'll probably spread the ganache on when its set a little rather than pouring it, and I will definitely check for cocoa butter content when buying the white choc.
I'm planning to do a three tiered topsy turvy cake with dark choc ganache and choc curls on the sides and white choc ganache and curls on the tops, with alternating milk and white maltesers (do you have those in the States) as a border on each layer, oh and a big chocolate '60' (its my father-in-law's birthday) as a topper! What do you think - the design looks good in my head, but any opinions or ideas to inprove this idea would be appreciated.
Thanks again,
Kelly
There is a wedding cake in my photos also that has chocolate ganache over it ... I tinted my buttercream icing dark brown, smoothed it really well, then poured the ganache over the buttercream.. it worked really well for me... good luck and let us know how it turns out for you.
I'm planning to do a three tiered topsy turvy cake with dark choc ganache and choc curls on the sides and white choc ganache and curls on the tops, with alternating milk and white maltesers (do you have those in the States) as a border on each layer, oh and a big chocolate '60' (its my father-in-law's birthday) as a topper! What do you think - the design looks good in my head, but any opinions or ideas to inprove this idea would be appreciated.
Thanks again,
Kelly
That sounds lovely!
We have Whoppers here in the states--they are the same thing as Maltesers, I think. Malted milk balls covered in chocolate, right? We only have the milk chocolate variety though.
They do look nice on a cake.
ok question...after reading this i am confused...i always thought that ganache was a filling...but yall are talking about frosting w/ it...could someone set me straight please?
It's both--you can use it as a filling, either whipped or plain, and cover a cake with it. It can be poured onto the cake while it's still warm, or allowed to cool to room temp and spread on with a spatula (there's a chocolate cake in my photos that's ganache-covered). You can also chill it and roll it into balls for truffles. It's very versatile stuff!
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