The Ins and Outs of Ganache

When I think ganache all I think is......Yummmm.

It is my absolute favorite thing to have under fondant because it sets up firm and remains firm even at room temperature. It also makes it much easier to achieve sharp edges and clean lines with minimal effort. I will post a video tutorial soon on how I make my ganache along with the method I use for the ganache on my cakes. It really is such a simple process, but tastes and looks amazing. It is used in place of buttercream, cream etc. to fill and cover your cakes.

It took me many attempts of making ganache and wondering why I just couldn't get things silky smooth or tasting as fabulous as it did in the classes I took. Most of the classes I have taken have been in Australia, which is where I'm from and visit family there often. I would say that buttercream is only just starting to get a little bit popular over there and ganache is what you will be taught in all of the classes available. Therefore, because I started out with a cake and ganache combination, it is what I feel most comfortable using.

Now what is Ganache? 

Ganache is a mixture of chocolate and cream to create a fudge-like consistency when it sets up. You can make your ganache almost any flavor you like. Apart from the obvious dark, milk and white chocolate mixes, you can also infuse the cream before mixing or add different essences to give some amazing flavors. Lorann Oils has some great intense flavors that taste great and you only need a few drops to get a great flavor.
If you're adding the Lorann Oils or an essence you can add it once the ganache is mixed, but still warm. Be sure to give it a good mix through.
To infuse your cream you can let your choice of flavor seep in a tea infuser ball (like the picture) over night or at least for a few hours. The longer you let it seep, the stronger the flavor. Some great mixes to use with this are lemon/lime/citrus zest, tea such as Earl Grey or Camomile, and lavender.

Another alternative is to replace some of your cream with a flavored coffee creamer. My favorite is Girl Scout Cookie Thin Mint. You don't need to replace the entire amount, but depending on how strong of a flavor you are after, it will need more. The only thing to be careful with this is that you may need to up the amount of chocolate or adjust the ratio you use.

 What kind of chocolate works best?

Good quality chocolate is not always easy to pick up locally, and sometimes buying in huge amounts just doesn't work either. There are a few options such as Restaurant Depot (a restaurant supply store in the US if you have a registered business), Pastry Portal (who ship great quality chocolate all over), as well most cake decorating stores. I never really knew what "good quality chocolate" was until I took a chocolate making class last year. Even now, I don't claim to be an expert by any means, but it did shine a light on a few things for me.

Cocoa percentage displayed on a packet refers to the total percentage amount of the cocoa bean that has been used in the product. The cocoa % could be made up of cocoa butter or cocoa liquor. The cocoa liquor also known as chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate and cocoa solids among other things. This is made up from grinding the nib (center of the bean) into a liquid state.
The higher the cocoa percentage the less sugar is added and therefore is more bitter. Unsweetened baking chocolate is 100% cocoa and very bitter.
 In the US Milk Chocolate is required to have at least 10% cocoa, while Semi-Sweet or Bittersweet must have at least 35%. The Callebaut white chocolate that I use is 28% cocoa solids, while the milk chocolate is 33.6% cocoa solids. Both of these are higher grade than the average grocery store brands and my customers and friends have noticed the difference in flavor too.

When choosing a good quality chocolate for your ganache there are a few things you want to look for;

• If you break you chocolate, you should hear a "snap". If it is crumbly or discolored it may have been exposed to heat or it is just old. 
• You want one that has a higher % cocoa, not meeting the minimum and using Partially Hydrogenated Oils (Vegetable, Palm Kernel or Soybean). 
• While we can't always try a sample or even buy a small bag before a bulk lot, taste the chocolate before using it in your ganache. The chocolate by itself should be smooth and soft, and melt easily in your mouth while the flavor intensifies. The good quality chocolates melt much easier than grocery store brands because they don't have the extra additives to keep them as stable in nice little chips.
• Good quality chocolate is not cheap. I'm not saying go and buy the most expensive chocolate you can find, but expect to pay more than the weekly special price at the grocery store.

 

What ratio should I use?

 Unfortunately, the right ratio is something that needs to be tweaked depending on the weather where you live, the time of year, the brand of chocolate and even the type of cream you use. The viscosity of the chocolate (essentially how thick it is in liquid form) will vary from brand to brand even when using the same ratios. Once I found a great place to get good quality chocolate here in Houston, I gave up on the grocery store brands and switched wholeheartedly. I did have a problem though, my old ratios just weren't working so well with the new amazing chocolate. Once I worked with a few small batches and adjusted my ratios everything was great.

Like I mentioned earlier, I prefer Callebaut chocolate. For white chocolate I use a 3.5:1 ratio, milk chocolate 3:1 ratio, and dark chocolate (semi-sweet) 2.5:1. If you want your ganache to be a little firmer, just up the amount of chocolate and reduce the amount of cream. If it's too firm for you to work with, just do the reverse.

What type of cream should I use?

Finally, down to the cream. The cream while not quite as important as the chocolate, still plays a huge part in having your ganache turn out right. The fat content in the cream makes all the difference. The higher the fat % the better for ganache.
This is a look at what most of us are familiar with
Half-and-Half: 12% fat
Light Cream: 20% fat
Light Whipping Cream: 30% fat
Whipping Cream: 35% fat
Heavy Cream and Heavy Whipping Cream: 38% fat 

Heavy Whipping Cream is what works best!

I have my Ganache Table on my recipes page to use as a reference for quantities for different sized cakes.

If you have any questions or ganache recipes that you would like to share please feel free to post them.