Hey guys,

Well after having huge success using the planet cake dark chocolate ganache (2:1 chocolate to cream), I made the white chocolate last night (3:1 chocolate to cream) and have to say I was more than disappointed. Firstly it never went hard enough, I popped it in the fridge over night and it did harden, but as soon as it came to room temperature (which was happening whilst I was covering it with fondant) it started softening to a buttercream consistency. Is this normal?? I'm going to try doing a 4:1 ratio, because it just wasn't working at all. Has anyone else had the same issue?
Firstly I weight my ingredients so I know that my chocolate was exactly 3 times heavier than the cream, so it wasn't a problem with that. Could it be the chocolate? I bought Belcolade white chocolate buttons (10kg of them so please don't say its that lol). I'm so disappointed, I was so looking forward to using it - because I can't use dark chocolate ganache for every cake.

Any pointers would be most welcome.

Thanks

I haven't tried this recipe yet but bought the book recently and was kind of looking forward to giving it a try. Hopefully someone will have some answers for you

I use sainsburys own brand White chocolate and the green whipping cream. Never had any issues. When I changed the chocolate to green and blacks I had loads of issues, it was really greasy and didnt set. Sainsburys own brand is only £0.31 per 100g, could you do a test run? I swear by it.

HTH

I've always had a problem with making white chocolate ganache, regardless of the brand. I've tried 3:1, and 4:1, ratios of white chocolate to cream, but it is ALWAYS too soft I have no idea how to help, but I'd appreciate other's advice too!

I just used the white chocolate ganache from their book on my zebra cake (ganache pics posted on my blog) and it worked out great. I'm not a fan of white chocolate but needed it for this cake. I'm embarassed to say that I used any white chocolate I had on hand - Guittard buttons, Guittard chips and bulk white chocolate from my grocery store to make up the 3lbs. Did your cream have enough fat? I recall reading that she uses cream with a specific amount % of fat. Sorry not much help but it might be just finding the right chocolate/cream combo that works.

tryin to find book do ya'll know where to find in the carolinas would like to try this book out please help thanks for the advice

Amazon is where I got mine from.

tnxs will try that

I have alway had luck using Guittard Choc-Au-Lait chips 3:1 ratio. After blending chips and cream I use my immersion blender to get it really smooth, then I put plastic wrap directly on top and let it sit on the counter overnight or most of the day. If the consistency seems a bit stiff I put it in the microwave for just a few seconds and stir, perfect for covering a cake I do chill the cake for a few hours before covering with fondant. Hope this helps

I'll be interested to hear the replies as well. I just tried the planet cake method with the dark and I really liked-was looking forward to trying the white soon...

I use the Planet Cake white ganache recipe often, and it's always worked for me. Maybe it is the chocolate you used? I'm in Australia, and just a hobbyist so I buy white chocolate blocks at the supermarket...I usually use either Nestle Milky Bar or Whittakers (and sometimes Plaistowe, or Woolworths Select brand cooking blocks.) All of those have worked well. But I've had problems every time I've tried to use Cadbury Dream white chocolate, so I never buy it now - the ganache goes all oily (splits) and has to be thrown out

I'm REALLY hoping its not the chocolate I'm using, because it was expensive and I bought a ton of it!! However, I'm pretty sure it's not the chocolate and to be honest, I think it's that I am expecting too much from it. White chocolate even before you melt it with cream, is not that solid - whereas the dark chocolate obviously is. I did refrigerate mines, but then it came to room temperature before I covered it, so I think the best thing for me to do is to cover it while it is cold. I shouldn't have a problem with that because I use Massa Ticino and it doesn't sweat etc, so I'll try that next time. I might still try the 4:1 method. I'm pretty sure it's not the cream, it's the same cream I use for the dark chocolate ganache and it's heavy cream (or we call it double cream).
Actually something else has just occurred to me. I added a flavour compound to the ganache, probably about three tablespoons, which certainly would have changed the consistency, so maybe if I intend on flavouring it, I should use the 4:1 method, in order to compensate.
Thanks for all the responses.

Pose your question on the Planet Cake forum:
http://www.planetcaketeaparty.com.au/forum.php

The cited ratio is 3 part white chocolate and 1 part cream: which would be along the lines, for example, 1800 grams white choc and 600 grams cream

UK Heavy cream or double cream ? Use a cream that is approx 35% fat. Any higher and the mix will be too soft ..

I made white chocolate ganache for the first time last night. I have used dark chocolate ganache many times, and this was no where close to the same result. I did a 3:1 ratio, measured on my scale, it did firm up enough to touch it without it being sticky, but was never solid. I ended up using a viva towel and fondant smoother on it instead of a hot knife, which worked great! I would like it to be firmer though... maybe I will try a 4:1 ratio next time also...
Oh, and I used Ghiradelli(sp?) white chocolate

Here is another site with some great facts on ganach - http://www.baking911.com/chocolate/ganache_truffles.htm

You know, I think it's the cream guys - I thought for some strange reason that the higher the fat content the better, but someone here posted that it shouldn't be higher than a certain percentage, and in the Planet Cake book, it does say she uses a single pouring cream and not a double cream (like I was using) and that it doesn't have a really high percentage of fat. I've been using a thick double cream, so I'm going to try the 3:1 again, but this time with single cream instead and see if that helps.

Lolll - i just get through reading all of page 1 - click over to page 2 with my answer - and puffff there it is...
Yes, it would have been the cream you used.

The high fat content of the double cream would have prevented the white chocolate from setting up the ganache.
Lolll - but you know that now.

So you can that its not the 10kg bag of chocolate you have

Happy ganaching.

Bluehue.

I already told you which cream to use >.<

You need to use the green whipping cream which is 35% fat which is the correct amount as per the recipe. Double cream is 48% - far too high, single cream is 18% - far too low....

I also would like to reiterate that with the more expensive brand chocolate they have a higher cocoa butter content. When I used green & blacks white chocolate it was greasy and didn't set up correctly compared to Sainsburys Own Brand chocolate. That is my chocolate of choice, the lower cocoa butter content works perfectly for me.

I hope you will take my advice about the cream!!!

Hey, just made this ganache again but using the whipping cream as you suggested - I had assumed single cream, because in Australia, single cream is actually what whipping cream is over here. I have found a great website which gives all the comparisons here:

This is the australian cream info:
http://www.notdelia.co.uk/confused-about-ausnz-cream/
this is the uk cream info:
http://www.notdelia.co.uk/confused-about-cream/
this is the usa cream info:
http://www.notdelia.co.uk/confused-about-us-cream/

Hey, not sure if everyone has abandoned this thread, but just thought I'd post a little update. I made the ganache using the recipe from the planet cake book and used LisaPeps suggestion to use whipping cream instead of double cream (different countries have different names, but make sure it's 35% fat). Well I can finally say that it was a huge success!!!!! The chocolate set up really firm, just like the dark chocolate and I'll tell you I'm seriously glad it was not the chocolate!!!

nanefy thank you for the update and thank you to all the other posters. I have always used heavy whipping cream in the states for dark choc ganache and my white chocolate ganache is always difficult. I can't wait to try white chocolate ganache with regular whipping cream and see if that helps!

Also thanks to Flourpots for posting the white chocolate comparison. Interesting stuff

http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopicp-7089945-.html#7089945

There are links to three videos on the above post (first page), not from planet cake, but super helpful and clear and perfect. In the first of three videos it shows the consistency of ganache.

HTH

Hey all - has anyone every used Asda's white chocolate (for UK peeps) for white chocolate ganache?  Like the OP, i had problems before after inadvertently using double cream initially (oops!) then discovered this thread (yay!) and followed @LisaPeps advice and went for the green one, whipping cream.  But, it is still somewhat on the soft side...nothing like dark chocolate ganache I'm used to.  So...wondering if maybe this time it could be the chocolate?  I just checked the packaging but it doesn't say the cocoa content...it's not their 'chosen by you' chocolate, around 69p per bar? 

Need help on this one asap :-s  Thanks!!!

H I haven't made white chocolate ganache yet but in my Rachel Allen book she puts a small amount of butter in the mix made that would help to firm it up.

ASnowflake, I've not used the Asda one but I have used morrisons 80p cooking choc, it's their cheap and cheerful one. It works ok but sainsbury white Belgium baking choc is better. I aways use whipping cream and have never had probs with white choc ganache. I personally wouldn't add butter to a white chocolate one as it's more prone to spitting anyway and the butter can make it split bug I do add it to milk or dark. Teeny tiny bit at a time.

AI don't add butter to any of my ganache. I love Sainsburys own brand white chocolate (30p ish), I hate Tesco's white chocolate (tastes horrible), I've not used asda's or morrisons sorry. If it's too soft you can always add more chocolate. I do a 3:1 ratio with sainsburys but I know nanefy uses 4:1 with all her white chocolate ganache.

AThanks for the help everyone. Ok, so went to sainsburys this morning and bought some of their basics white choc. Even before doing anything, it has a different texture to the asda one...but, I've melted it down and it's now cool and still nothing like the texture of my dark choc ganache. I put a bit in the fridge and brought it to room temp, poked it and it went straight in. So, I have summarised it must be me and something I'm doing wrong...therefor may I ask what method you all use successfully? I put 300g white choc in a bowl with 100ml of whipping cream, gave it a good stir and zapped in the microwave for 20 secs, left a minute, then did it again. All melted together fine, then left it. That is exactly the same method I use for dark chocolate (but different quantities and it takes much longer in the microwave!). Does that sound right?? Thank you!!

I chop the chocolate then warm the cream in the microwave and then pour over the chocolate wait a couple of minutes then whisk.

I heat the cream up in the bowl not too hot otherwise the chocolate will burn, I then add the broken up chocolate and leave it to sit for a minute. I then stir it a bit, zap it in the microwave for 20 second bursts until it's all combined. If I'm in a rush I'll get my electric hand mixer on it and mix it with that. When it is all combined I'll cover it with a layer of cling film touching the top of the ganache so it doesn't get a skin on it and leave it out on the counter overnight. By the morning it should be firm, give it a couple of blasts in the microwave and it'll be peanut butter consistency. I use 3:1 ratio of w chocolate to whipping cream (green container), 3:1 milk and 2:1 dark. If you want it firmer use 4:1 for the white chocolate ganache.