I remember someone else posted a thread similar to this. I found it very interesting and so I tried it. Anyways, I tried using ganache under fondant for the very first time and let me tell you--it was GREAT! It SOOOO easy to smooth, totally great to work with and very stable under fondant. I also refrigerated it before and after laying the fondant without having any problems.

I know it ingredients costs more than buttercream but it is totally worth it!

Btw, I used cheap chocolate and it still tasted/performed well.

I went the cheap route also...I used a Symphony Milk Chocolate bar when I ganached the helmet in my avatar...it worked so well and tasted great.

How about "cheap" white chocolate -- has anyone found something that works and still tastes good? I haven't and can't get the real thing locally except for in the little 3 oz bars @ $12-16/pound ....

Rylan - I love the cake in your avatar!

Thanks for the tip about not buying super expensive chocolate.

Rylan & FlourPots,

Please share the recipe that you used for your ganache. I am so sick of BC under fondant that I could scream and it almost makes me want to stop doing cakes. Do you feel that you can use the chocolate ganache with any flavor cake or would you be selective?

Have you come up with a white chocolate combination for ganache?

Thanks

Thanks cylstrial =]

Peridot, I use the Kroger 1 pound bags of chocolate -- it isn't too sweet in my opinion. Well, when I tried weighing those, it wasn't 1 pound (not sure if it was my weighing scale). Anyways, I used 4.5 pounds of the chocolate chips and 2 pounds of heavy whipping cream. I let it sit overnight and when I can't wait anymore, I pop it in the fridge. Once you take it off the fridge, it is really hard. I put it in the microwave until peanut butter consistency and then apply it to the cake. I then use a spatula to smoothen things out.

It hardens really well and I won't have to worry about buldges. It is great to work with, it doesn't squish th buttercream and it tastes really good -- especially with chocolate cake.

Honestly, I can even present the cake with just the ganache. It was SUPER SMOOTH and stable.

Oh yeah I have used semi sweet chocolate, milk chocolate and white chocolate it's the best and I will never go back, those Aussie know what they are doing over there! Their Planet Cake Book is just Awesome! It's my new bible!

I'm more of a newbie caker. But I've been trying ganaching also. It really is great! I noticed that you don't even need to smooth it that much, because when you put your fondant on, you can even out any bumps with a fondant smoother. Even when you apply loads of pressure it doesn't ooze out the sides or anything. I get a perfect finish, with out fiddling too much with the ganache before hand. I was told by someone on here the perfect ratio for ganache is 2parts choc: 1 part cream for dark chocolate. And 3parts choc : 1 part cream for white. You can flavour your white chocolate ganache too.

Are you all talking about poured ganache or whipped ganache?

Peridot...I didn't really follow a recipe...I used a large bar and 1/4 cup of cream...seemed to be the right proportions. I also let mine set to peanut butter consistency.
Btw, I read about using a Symphony bar here @ CC (I can't stand semi-sweet choc)....it has to be milk for me.
Speaking of...I keep meaning to try it with a Cadbury Milk choc. bar...(my favorite chocolate ever).

I would use it for any cake since I only bake for family/friends and don't have to be that selective, LOL.

I haven't tried a white version yet, but when I do, it'll be with the Ghiardelli white bar. I bought the much discussed, cheap white almond bark from Wal-Mart recently (not for ganache, to make modeling clay), but I didn't like it...too sweet and artificial tasting.

If you have a Big Lots or such around you check them out cause I recently found Ghirardelli white chocolate candy making & dipping bars 12oz. for $1.50 each. To me that is a great price and I bought all 25 bars. Thanks for starting this thread lots of great info!

Oh I should check big lots out. Thanks for the tip.

What a great idea can't wait to try this.

What a great idea can't wait to try this. But do u mean pored or whipped gnache?

For chocolate ganache, I use either Baker's semi-sweet bars or Nestle semi-sweet chips.

For white chocolate, same brands: Baker's white chocolate bars or Nestle white chocolate chips.

I LOVE using ganache under fondant for the reasons stated above. Smoother base coating, sharper edges, and it tastes wonderful!

Rylanty- how much cake does that 4.5lb recipe cover?

SugarMomma and aundrea, I'm not sure what the term for it. While it is still warm or liquidy, you can use to pour it on the cake and while it is firm, you can whip it to make whipped ganache. What we are talking about is basically 2:1 ratio of chocolate to cream. You let it settle and once it has settled to a peanut butter consistency, you use it to coat the cake. If it has hardened so much, just pop it in the microwave to soften it up a bit.

Joknee, with the 4.5 lbs and 2 pounds cream, it covered a 10, 8 and two 6 inch rounds. My tiers were higher than usual. It was actually the last cake in my photos.

It really depends on how thick you put it--of course, the batch is going to go a long way if you put a thin coat.

This seems to be the latest trend -- ganashe under fondant. I'm definitely going to have to try it!

I believe Australian decorators have been doing it for a number of years, and it has recently made it's way over here. I can't tell you how many disasters I could have avoided if I knew about this sooner!

RylanTy & FlourPots and all of you ..
Thanks for all of this great information. I am going to try a practice cake and just give in and try the ganache - I need to do this I can't stand not knowing how this works and tastes!!! I hate, hate BC.

Rylan - so you used ganache on that "disappointing" cake did you??? And I LOVE purple. I can only hope my cake is half that disappointing. I still want to know how you did the top ball.

Here a link to a thread I started a while ago. Loads of ganache tips on their if you can sift through it.

http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=634010&postdays=0&postorder=asc&&start=0

Here's another fabulous thread about ganache instead of BC:

http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=633264&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=bc&&start=0

On page 3 there's a photo posted by bonjovibabe of her white ganached cakes, before fondanting (is that a word?)
On page 6, she posted a link to the finished cake...so beautiful, really...you'll see.

Sharon also goes into this in her newest DVD, Totally Topsy Turvy. Thanks, sugarshack!

i'm a definite convert, after having tried it for this year's father's day cake.

however, does ganache go with every cake flavor? i'm a bit worried about this, what if it doesn't complement certain flavors?

any opinions?

RylanTy = thanks for the info. One more dumb question, how much is a pound of cream? Is it 16 ounces or another measurement? I am metric and math challenged. TIA
Joan

I got a bit lost... Are you spreading the ganache over the buttercream?

I didn't...I used BC for the filling between layers, but only ganache on the outside cake surface, directly under the fondant.

Mclaren, I would assume it would go with anything--or depending on your taste. Try using white chocolate with other flavors.

Joan, try this conversion site: http://education.yahoo.com/reference/weights_and_measures/index?p=volume

Honestly, I don't trust the conversion on the labels. When checked my chocolate chips, it says 1 pound in the wrapper but it was actually 1.5 on the scale. I don't think my scale is broken but I've never had a problem.

MacsMom, I just use ganache directly to cakes without a layer of buttercream.

Mclaren, I would assume it would go with anything--or depending on your taste. Try using white chocolate with other flavors.

Joan, try this conversion site: http://education.yahoo.com/reference/weights_and_measures/index?p=volume

Honestly, I don't trust the conversion on the labels. When checked my chocolate chips, it says 1 pound in the wrapper but it was actually 1.5 on the scale. I don't think my scale is broken but I've never had a problem.

MacsMom, I just use ganache directly to cakes without a layer of buttercream.