Ganache!

Every time I see the word ‘ganache’, I picture Buddy from Cake Boss saying it.  Guh-nash, guh-nosh, whatevs.  More like duh-lish, amirite?

Let’s move on, shall we.  Ganache – discuss:

• Use cream with no gelatin or other thickening agents
• Heat the cream to just before boiling point, then pour it over the chocolate (in a separate heatproof bowl)
• Since white chocolate has a different melting point to dark chocolate, you need to adjust your chocolate:cream ratios – 2:1 for dark chocolate, and 3:1 for white chocolate
• Popular in Australia for using under fondant (instead of buttercream)
• Holds up pretty well
• You can get really sharp, clean edges with it
• You can whip ganache to make it light and fluffy (use a 1:1 ratio and let it sit out overnight, before whipping)
• If you want a glossy look, add a tablespoon of butter
• It keeps cakes moist by creating a seal
• Doesn’t require refrigeration once applied
• Leftovers (lol) can be frozen
• Use a hot palette knife to smooth it out and sharpen edges
• Don’t use white chocolate unless the cake will be in a cool or air-conditioned environment
• At firmer consistency (think Nutella or peanut butter), it is used for spreading – can be used to both fill and cover a cake
• At runnier consistency, can be used to pour over the top of a cake and run down the sides (it will firm up later – you may need two layers and it’s more likely to show up any imperfections in the cake – consider doing a crumb coat of firm ganache, then pouring the thinner ganache over top)
• Can be used as a filling or topping in tarts, slices etc

Check back soon for my Caramel Slice with Double Chocolate Ganache!