I use Sainsburys value dark chocolate and occasionally the white 30p for 100g.  Yesterday I bought Lidls 100g 35p also dark (needs to be 50% plus cocoa).  I have in the past used Barry Callebuts and did this for my first wedding cake because it was tempered and wrapped around the cake.  Expensive callebuts for the cake too but sad to say a bit wasted as everyone was too drunk to eat it and annoyed that they never paid in for the ingredients as we agreed (certain friends for you) but it was a learning curve.

Unfortunately my 4yr old took an extreme liking to this Sao Thome chocolate and finished the bag off!  I find both these chocolate bars adequate for the value of the cake and really cant taste the difference.

To ganache the cake I'm doing at the moment I used 1kg of chocolate so £3.50 against say £10 for callebuts.

I fill and ganache the cake, dry, cover in cling and foil and freeze, then the night before defrost - this works perfectly fine. I am not a professional kitchen so I cant bake day before, with the family, business, home etc I think this works perfectly my cakes are moist to start with and this is now trapped under the ganache so no drying out. Doing it this way also allows for baking disasters and I have had many of these!!!

AOMG Tiddy - so sorry for you! No advice just some hugs. So busy at work today that haven't been able to catch up. Nanny taken any more orders lately?! ;) What on earth is a poly bud? I [I]have [/I]been away a long time (no - not in Holloway - just "resting")!:-D

Kathy, these what you call cellbuds. They are really great for making roses. You don't have to make the buds out of paste and when you use these, the flowers are not heavy at all.

http://www.craftcompany.co.uk/polystyrene-bud-cones-celbuds-by-celcakes-16mm.html

And this is the chocolate I use. I cannot remember whether its cheaper than Callebaut or not. 

http://www.craftcompany.co.uk/belcolade-belgian-chocolate-dark.html

Awww Tiddy.... sooo sorry for you!!! 

snapped sideways! 

Oh Bashini they look great!  I never knew about them.  Something else to buy. :)

Ouch Tiddy looks very painful.

Ouch  Tiddy hope the tramadols have kicked in.

Thanks Chasingmytail I have never frozen a cake before but am wanting to try I thought it would have took longer to defrost than that. Do you use dark chocolate or white chocolate ganache for under fondant most of the time?

I’ve also got a question about ganache – why do you need to use whipping cream?  When I tried to make white choc ganache I used 4:1 choc to double cream, with Aldi Choceur chocolate, and it separated.  Why does this happen?  With the milk chocolate I used though (3:1) it didn’t completely separate but did go a bit oily, although that doesn’t show on the finished cake!  (In hindsight it was a bit ridiculous to choose this as my first ganache cake and second fondant cake but it was very fun!)

Tiddy your finger looks really painful.  Hope it heals quickly.

Roxylee - dark chocolate for dark cake and white chocolate for lighter cake but there are no rules and depends on what your making.  Mainly dark.  You havent got to worry it wouldnt show through but you have to be extremely careful not to get any ganache on fingers and then onto the SP.  This is my major problem.

Victoria - can't answer your question about cream because I am a ganache virgin!  I just wanted to say WOW!  I love your cake - it's brilliant!

Kathy

Well I just about managed to finish it! Not at all what I wanted but in so much pain i'm just glad its done 

Hoping its not so painful tomorrow as have two more to do 

AKathy, they are fab!!!:)

Victoria, you can use whipping cream and I have made it once. Just the poured ganache and it was lovely. Now about white choc, I think you have heated it too much. You have to be very very careful with white choc. I make my ganache in microwave and I put the chocolate and cream into a bowl and heat it up in 30 second intervals. And your cake is fab!!:grin:

ATiddy, well done for finishing your cake and it's beautiful!!:smile:

AOooh Tiddy I can't believe you managed to carry on with a broken finger, have you got it splinted?! The cake looks great - I'm doing a 2 tier wedding cake with bunting this week too! :)

Victoria wow that's an amazing cake! How long did that take you?!

I'm a newbie to ganache, but I followed instructions from another thread I found on here, someone said the fat content of double cream is too much, and whipping cream is slightly lower (35%)? No idea on the science of it, but she said to use 3:1 sains basic white choc with the green whipping cream so I did, and it worked first time! Looked a tiny bit grainy to start with and I was worried, but once cooled and whipped a little it was perfect!

I can't use my microwave though, fails every time if i do, it's 1000w though so that might be why! I heat the cream up to about 85' and then pour over the chocolate and let it sit, then stick it over a water bath if I need a bit more heat.

You can you whipping or double cream - not a lot of difference - I have always used double as its more available and usually in the fridge.  On my course at squires we used double.

I always use the microwave but it should be a plastic bowl as you can handle the container and glass continual cooks.

2:1 dark chocolate 3:1 white chocolate

use max 900 mircowave

Heat the chocolate to about 45 degrees in microwave - remove

Boil the cream with a little glucose syrup (preservative) to light boil in microwave

When cream is around 70 degrees pour over the chocolate

Stir & leave (or pop in fridge)

Be very careful with stiring white chocolate - heat very gently and slowly it can catch very quickily do not multi-task when doing this.

Also cheap white chocolate is very temperamental so takes experience of knowing it.  Perhaps try a better white cooking chocolate until you have the confidence.

Thank you bashini, Mel and chasingmytail for your advice.  Last time I made the ganache I heated up the cream to nearly (but not quite) boiling on a double boiler, then added the chocolate off the heat.  It didn’t even quite boil so I’d be surprised if it was too hot, but maybe reading your methods I should have had the chocolate already melted before adding it?  Think I might try the microwave method next time and see how it goes 

Mel the cake took me just under a week to do – very time-consuming but it was fun and I learnt a lot of new techniques 

Victoria - only if you are using callebauts for tempering chocolate (go get the snap) are you very precise about the heating. To heat both you are helping bond and kill bacteria in the cream. Heating the chocolate just ensures you dont have lumps or pieces that arent melted enough - makes life easier.

I see no point and extra hassle using the stove to boil water etc.  The microwave method is entirely safe as long as you dont turn it to 10min and walk off.  You need to be standing around and watching.

Hi Victoria welcome to the thread sorry I missed you before, your cake is fantastic I can't believe that is only your second fondant cake.

Tiddy you cake is so pretty I can't believe you managed to finish that with a broken finger.

Tiddy - lovely cake.  You're a trooper.

ATiddy, for a damaged pinky, thats one fab cake. Really hope its better tomorrow for you!

Victoria, I cant believe that is your 2nd cake, its amazing.

Ha ha, I shouldn't laugh Bashini, it happened to me last year, its still ok though isn't it?

AWell it's not funny Barbara!!!! ( just joking:grin:) it's ok as they are fruit and red velvet and covered in marzipan and sugar paste.:grin:

ANo I know it isn't but if we dont laugh we'll cry. At least its only a day or two early mine was a whole week, was not happy!

Ooo, I have a red velvet top tier for wedding cake next yr. Did you use cream cheese as a filling Bashini?

AI was just joking Barbara!!! :grin: I like laughing too!!!!:grin:

No, I used chocolate ganache butter cream :smile:

AWhite ganache obviously? Well guess you can relax now they're done ahead of time. But aren't you already starting another cake?

Have you seen how many I have to make in two weeks time? Think I'll need a holiday after it I'm sure!

Nanny I’m afraid I can’t claim it as my 2nd decorated cake as I’ve been doing some with royal icing, but it’s my second sugarpaste one

ABarbara, no.. It's not white chocolate. Dark choc ganache mixed with IMBC. I know... It's all nicely packed and ready for delivery on Saturday.

Yes, I have actually 3 more cakes to do including my little one's birthday cake. I was busy baking today and I have to bake more tomorrow!!! :-)

AYou've all been busy and chatty on here today. Afraid I have no caking going on at the moment so just reading and poppy on to say hi.

Tiddy your finger looks painful I hope it feels better now and well done on finishing that cake anyway!

As for ganache I always use double cream not whipping and I use the cheapest Choc. I also don't have a microwave so always do it on the stove.

Fingers crossed I find time to do some caking soon... In the meantime I'll just enjoy all your pics!

AEvening all :-)

Tiddy I can't believe you made that cake with a broken finger! I do hope it heals soon, it looks painful.

Victoria, I use double cream for ganache, I heat the cream in a saucepan til it's just starting to roll then take it off the heat and add the chocolate. I've tried doing it in the microwave but I burn it, I am the resident doofus tho! That's a fab cake BTW, if that's only your 2nd you have some serious talent!

Nanny you sound really busy, good job you're part time now eh! You'll be fine, make lots of lists and don't flap! And don't forget to post pics.

Sorry if I've missed anyone, so much to catch up on, this is the busiest thread on CC!

I need to get started on my daughters cake but stuff keeps getting in the way, I did attempt some peppa pig figures yesterday but they were so bad, I mean really,truly awful! I'm going to have one more go and if I still can't do them I'm going with the pigs I've already got. I thought I'd be raring to go but I don't think my heart is in it really. :-(

A

Tiddy you are amazing to carry on with that injury.

I still think we should consider a "pool of expertise/network" for such eventualities.

Maisie - I think 2d shapes for Peppa cakes are easier and often much more successful. Paul Bradford did a lovely one which you prob don't have access to but You could get pictures from the internet and cut shapes out? Give yourself a break and don't tax yourself. Your daughter will be thrilled with your cake.

Sorry about lack of input this week.

AMorning everyone.

Victoria, do you do mostly royal iced cakes then?

Hi Maisie, how are you my dear friend?, please dont be to hard on yourself, if you give yourself something you maybe havn't done before, the the barriers are up so keep it simple just for know.

Hi Sugarluva, how you doing? And to you too Catsmum, hope you're ok also?