Hello ... I am going to attempt to make white ganache and MMF to cover ... please tell me if I am taking the right steps ...

day 1:

bake cake, complete cool, saran wrap AND tin foil? ... do i put it in the fridge or freezer?

3 parts white chocolate (any white chocolate?) and 1 part heavy cream ... is that correct? Bring heavy cream to a boil, pour over white chocolate and let it still out on the counter over night.

day 2:

thaw cake .. tort .. and can I fill the cake with this ganache as well? do I need to build a dam? can i place the top layer on without the ganache squeezing out the side? when do i ganache the rest of the cake? the ganache should harden overnight, correct?

day 3:

make MMF. 16 oz small MM, 2 lbs PS. I have read that some people add water and/or crisco and some doesn't, which is best? do you let your MMF sit out for a few hours before uses or 24 hours .. some people put it in the fridge, which is best?

Any help will be wonderful and thank you in advance for your help. =)

Hi, innocentgirl (cute!). I'm in the middle of a ganache-under-fondant topsy, but it's my first. I'll tell you what I've learned so far, lol.

I baked my cakes yesterday, let them cool for several hours. I then filled them with BC, using a stiffened BC dam. I didn't refrig/freeze my cakes at all, but then I never do. Just not part of my process, so maybe someone else can give you some tips there. After filling them, I stacked my layers and let them settle overnight. Again, just part of my process...diff ppl do it diff. I would still use a stiff BC dam, even if I were filling with ganache, but others don't. Up to you, and the person you're making the cake for. If your ganache is stiff enough, it shouldn't squeeze out. May need to put it in the refrig to stiffen it up. If it gets TOO stiff, you can micro it for 7-10 seconds at a time, stir, and get it to the consistency you want.

Also yesterday, I made my ganache. I had to make two batches, because the first batch was too thin. Be sure you measure BY WEIGHT to get the correct ratio. Also, especially with white chocolate, buy GOOD chocolate. Not crazy expensive, but just something good quality. And 3:1 is the only ratio I've seen when using white chocolate, so I think you're good there. You have the process right...cream just to the boil, pour over choc, stir till smooth. You can ganache the cakes as soon as they're ready (filled, stacked). And the cakes do need to sit overnight after you ganache them.

I made my MMF a few days ago, just to avoid having too much to do while I am trying to bake/fill/ganache. It's OK to let it sit for a few days. I use a 10oz bag of mini-m'mallos, micro them with about 1 tsp water and 1 tsp flavor (vanilla/almond, whatever you want) till melted. I sift about 2 cups PS over my greased countertop, make a well in the middle, grease my hands, pour in the m'mallows and just start kneading. I add sifted PS over it until it kneads up nice and firm. Sorry, I can't tell you how much that is...I don't measure the PS, I just knead more in until the fondant is nice and firm. If you want to color the entire batch of MMF, add the color to your melted m'mallows...makes it easier down the road. I then let it sit overnight, and I don't put it in the refrig. Again, maybe someone else can help with that.

Hope this helps some. I know it's intimidating when you do this for the first time!

LOL ... my then boyfriend, now husband drew me a picture and was titled "innocentgirl" so i have been using that ever since.

And THANK YOU for your help. I will give it my all and see what happens. Thanks again.

Here is my process...(I usually make all my stuff late at night while the kids are sleeping)

Make the mmf anytime before and at least 24 hours before using it. You can make it up to a month before. Either store it in the fridge or at room temperature. If I'm going to use it within a week, I just keep it wrapped up really well and in an airtight container at room temperature. If I'm not going to use it right away, I store it in the fridge (let it come back down to room temp before using it). Under my Facebook Notes tab, I have my tips and hints to MMF.

Day 1: Bake in the evening, cool overnight wrapped in cling wrap at room temperature. Make ganache (2:1 for white and dark chocolate, 3:1 for milk...and weigh both the cream and chocolate). Let the ganache set overnight covered. If needed, make the simple syrup as well.

Day 2: Level, torte, fill and cover with ganache. If I'm using ganache to cover the cake with, I don't use a BC dam, just pipe some ganache as a dam, put in fridge for 5 mins to firm up, then fill with whipped ganache (whip a little more cream separately and fold in some ganache, add add'l flavoring and you'll have a mousse-like filling), place the other cake layer over then cover the entire cake with ganache, smooth and let it sit overnight at room temperature to set. You can also speed this up by just putting the ganache covered cake in the fridge for a few minutes to set but I find that the mmf sits a lot better over the cake it the ganache sets overnight.

Day 3: Cover the cake with mmf and finish decorating. I like rubbing a tiny bit of crisco all over the ganached cake to help the mmf stick to it. I've used water and alcohol before but like the crisco better.

Good luck!

Not intending to hijack, but I want to ask you Angela about the hardness of your ganache after it's set up. I just trimmed the top ledge off of my ganached cakes, and found my ganache to still be a little fudgy in the middle (of the trimmings from the ledge). I made my ganache using 20 oz cream, just to the boil, and 44 oz semi-sweet choc chips. I made it a little thicker so it WOULD set up hard. It this OK? I just don't want anything to bulge or sag after I put on my MMF. TIA!

Sassy74, the ratio seams fine. My ganache gets a nice shell that is smooth to the touch: You can rub your fingers across it to smooth out any imperfections but it's not fudgy or tacky. Once you put the ganache on the cake, how long did you let it set for? It may need more drying time. I once made a cake and only gave it 6 hours to set and it wasn't enough time and the mmf got a little squishy and saggy around the top edges. I found that when I let it set overnight for at about 20 hours, that I don't have a problem. Like I mentioned, some people just put it in the fridge to set but I haven't tried that and would worry about what would happen to it once it came back to room temperature....maybe someone else can help with suggestions?

Thank you for your help, Angelfood! I ganached them yesterday afternoon. Maybe finished up around 6:00, so I would think they'd be fine by now. They do feel quite firm on the outside. I'm just concerned about what might happen when I put the fondant on them, if the ganache isn't set firmly all the way through. Guess I'm about to find out, LOL!

Thanks again...and, innocengirl, let us know how your project comes out!