Tweet

Photo: superfloss / Flickr

Ganache makes for a beautifully finished cake. Professional cake decorators use it to achieve clean and sharp edges. What’s more, it tastes a whole lot better than buttercream and then it lasts longer too. The best chocolate for ganache-making is a couverture that contains between 53 and 63 per cent cocoa. Alternatively, dark chocolate from a supermarket’s baking section can be used. In this article we’ll tell you how to make a good white ganache and a good dark ganache.

Preparing white and dark ganache

The recipes below will yield 1.8 kg of chocolate ganache. This should be more than enough to cover an average sized cake. You will need the following ingredients to make white ganache: 1.3 kg of finely chopped white chocolate and 450 ml of cream. Dark chocolate ganache requires 1.2 kg of finely chopped dark chocolate and 600 ml of cream.

To make a chocolate ganache, heat the cream to a boiling point and then pour it over the chocolate. Mix the chocolate into the cream as it melts by using a hand whisk. An electric whisk is not recommended as it creates excessive air bubbles. Let the mixture cool and then leave it to set overnight.

Microwave ganache

Alternatively you can make ganache with a microwave. Place the cream and chocolate into a microwave-proof bowl and heat it up for a minute or two on high. Remove, stir and repeat. Stir the ingredients together to create a smooth ganache.

Cover the bowl with cling film for five minutes and then shake the bowl. Once the chocolate has sunk to the bottom, use a hand whisk to mix the ingredients until you have a smooth consistency.

As with the traditional method, allow the ganache to cool and then put it aside to set overnight.

Ganache tips

White chocolate ganache is sweet and goes well with carrot cake and coconut cake. Unfortunately it is not as stable as dark chocolate ganache so rather opt for dark ganache in hot weather or when making detailed decorative cakes.

Don’t use thickened cream for ganache. Always use pure cream and note that low fat cream is good for ganache as it doesn’t thicken when it is whisked. Check the cream’s sell-by date to ensure your ganache will be good if kept in the fridge for a few days.

Softening ganache

If you store your ganache in the fridge, be sure to bring it back to room temperature before you spread it over a cake. To make life easier, store it in the fridge in small containers and then heat it up as need require it.

Ganache can be softened in the microwave by heating it up in 10 or 20 second bursts. Stir between bursts but make sure that you don’t cook it or you’ll end up with a curdled, burnt product.

Alternatively, heat your ganache over a low heat in a saucepan. Once again, be careful not to ‘cook’ it.

Tags: baking, cake recipes