Chocolate Ganache
Ingredients
- 200ml double cream
- 150g plain chocolate (56% cocoa solids)
- 150g milk chocolate
Need some advice on ingredients see -
The wheat, gluten and lactose free store cupboard
Method
Chop the chocolate into small chunks.
Place the cream into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Turn off the heat and stir in the chocolate until melted.
Use for topping and filling the chocolate cake
Either:- Place the cake on a plate or cake board the same size as the cake.
Place a cooling wire over a clean baking tray. Place the cake onto the cooling wire and pour the warm ganache over the top making sure the cake is completely covered.
Leave the ganache to pour off the cake onto the tray.
When the ganache has set, the ganache from the tray can be used again to cover and fill cakes or to make chocolate truffles. Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four weeks or use to make truffles.
Or:- Leave the ganache to cool and set overnight. Spread all over the cake and leave to set.
For a lighter ganache place in a mixing bowl and beat for a few seconds until the ganache turns lighter in colour. Use this straight away as it becomes firm if left to stand. Spread all over the cake leaving a rough pattern.
Fit a star shaped nozzle into a piping bag. Fill the bag with ganache and pipe ganache around the bottom of the cake.
how to make this recipe dairy free...
150g dairy free plain chocolate (56% cocoa solids)
100ml almond or hazelnut milk
Bring the milk to the boil. Take off the heat and stir in the chocolate.
Leave to cool before using in recipes, or this ganache can be poured straight over a cake to achieve a smooth finish.
This ganache is quite rich. For a lighter chocolate ganache
200g dairy free plain chocolate (56% cocoa solids)
100ml almond or hazelnut milk
25g dairy free margarine
100g icing sugar
Bring the milk to the boil. Take off the heat and stir in the chocolate. Leave until cold.
Mix together the dairy free margarine with the icing sugar.
Stir this into the ganache and use as in recipe. Store the unused ganache in the fridge and eat within two weeks.
Dairy free white chocolate ganache.
200g dairy free white chocolate (from your local whole food store)
100ml almond or hazelnut milk.
Chop up the chocolate. Bring the milk to the boil. Take off the heat and stir in the chocolate until melted.
Leave until cold before using.
Store the unused dairy free ganache in the fridge.
You can make ganache using soya milk in the same way but it will need to be stored in the fridge and eaten within 5 days as it will go mouldy.
The ganache can also be made using coconut milk but it has quite a strong flavour.
Ensure you use 56% plain chocolate as a chocolate with a higher cocoa solid content will set harder and will not work in the same way.
Gem's hints and tips
Ensure you use 56% plain chocolate as a chocolate with a higher cocoa solid content will set harder and will not work in the same way.
Once whisked use the ganache straight away or it will go hard and be difficult to smooth over the sponge. If you want more time to use the ganache do not whisk it before spreading. Whisking the ganache incorporates air which makes it quite mousse like.
I use half plain and half milk chocolate in my ganache as I think using all milk chocolate is too sickly and all plain chocolate too rich.
If you like dark chocolate truffles use all plain chocolate in the ganache.
To make white chocolate ganache, replace the milk and plain chocolate in the recipe with white chocolate. It will not set as firm as ganache using milk or plain chocolate. The colour of white chocolate ganache is opaque and a little yellow in colour.
To make a whiter ganache, whisk the ganache lightly and use quickly before it sets. Don’t whisk it too much as it will split.
Liqueurs or flavouring can be added to the melted ganache mixture.
If you have any left over ganache, pipe small blobs onto a piece of greaseproof paper. Leave to set in the fridge then coat in melted chocolate, toasted chopped nuts or cocoa powder to make truffles. You could use the truffles to decorate the cake.
