ok, sorry if this has been covered but I have searched and cannot find the answers to my questions....

I am planning to pour ganache over chocolate BC (Indydebi's recipe). I want the drip look on the sides.

is the recipe for a poured ganache different that for spreadable or is it just not as cool.

do I crumb coat-then ice normally-then pour? or do I not ice the top?

How do I keep the bc from melting?

This is for Saturday (for friends-I am just practicing) do I do the ganache on Friday night or Saturday morning?

Anything else I didn't think to ask, but need to know?

Thanks so much for all that you all are willing to share!

Chris

I ice my cake just like I normally would. Yes you ice the top. I ice mine and smooth with the viva.

When you pour your ganache ...pour in the center of the cake and 'guide' it outward and it will drip down the sides of your cake. Just cool the ganache to lukewarm...and that will be enough to keep your bc from melting.

The "Joys of Baking" has a great tutorial online to show how to do the poured ganache step by step.

When I did a poured ganache I used the same recipe as I would if I were going to whip it or use as a filling but used it while it was still a bit warm. Meaning it was slightly (very slightly) warmer than body temperature. I poured mine over SMBC and had no trouble with melting at all so you should be fine over indydebi's BC.

I was going to provide a link for the instructions I used before but it isn't working right now. the website I got my recipe and info from was Chocolate Craft Kits. To quote what it says: "for glazing (a shiny poured coating) - Ganache should not be aerated or whipped but evenly runny and slightly warm to the touch. If necessary, warm the glaze in the microwave at half power a few seconds at a time, stirring slightly to even out the temperature without adding air. When the ganche is warm to the touch, test consistancy by dipping a finger or a spoon into the glaze. There should be a thin coating. If it is too thick warm a bit more but do not get it hot. When ready to glaze the cake should be iced and cool and on a cardboard no wider than the cake itself. Place the cake on a cooling grid over a pan that will allow excess glaze to run off of the cake and be caught in the pan to keep and reuse. Have an icing spatula handy for smoothing the glaze. Pour the prepared ganache around the top of the cake, letting it run down the sides. If necessary, por some ganache onto the center of the cake. You may use an icing spatula to coax it over the sides... The less the ganache is worked with the spatula the shinier it will remain. Allow ganache to set before decorating." Quoted from instructions I got from http://www.chocolatecraftkits.com/recipes.php

There is a recipe there too on this. The ganache page won't open for me but it might work for you. Try it - if it won't work I will share the general information. This was the best info I have found anywhere on working with ganache and I had never used it before this. By the way - I poured my cake when the cake and icing were room temp. It worked great.

Another tip I might add, is that to get a perfect drip pattern, I fill a piping bag with the warmed ganache, and pipe "scallops" if you will, over the edge, so that you can control the spacing between drips. Looks a lot cleaner than letting it randomly pour over the edges!

I did see a youtube of the technique with the piping bag for the side drips, it just didn't have any of this other wonderful information that you all have given. thanks again.

p.s. cake-angel, I did get the site to open and it looks like it has a lot of interesting stuff, thanks.

I am glad it worked for you! Have fun with the ganache adventure.

I put the ganache in one of those condiment squeeze bottles...you know like for ketchup and such... and go around the edges. I like it much better than a bag. Feels like I've got more control.

I like that idea, will definitely use it, thanks