How to Use Acrylic Ganache Plates

Ganache is an incredibly versatile ingredient when used in baking and decorating. Made from a mixture of chocolate and cream, it’s perfect for making creamy truffles, filling cakes, icing, glazing and frosting. In this post we’ll concentrate on the use of ganache for frosting and decorating as we explain the purpose of ganache plates, how to use them and why they're such a great addition to your cake decorating kit.

Contents:

• What are ganache plates
• How to use ganache plates
• What size of ganache plates do I need?
• How to make ganache
• Can I use ganache instead of buttercream?
• What can go wrong with ganache?

What are ganache plates?

Ganache plates, made from acrylic, are a tool used in cake decoration to make it easier to achieve a flawless-looking ganache finish. Perfect if you have a ganache finish tiered wedding cake planned, or if ganache or buttercream coatings are one of your popular go-to’s. They provide a simple, effective and user-friendly solution to what can sometimes be a messy problem! A must-have for cake artists and baking perfectionists alike.

We have a range of shapes and sizes available, including square, round and complete sets catering to any size and design you have in mind. Each of our frames measures 3mm thick and are professionally laser cut from 100% food-safe acrylic, ensuring clean, crisp and accurate edges.

Ganache plates are so simple and easy to use. Perfect for both ganache and frosting finishes, they provide perfect, bubble-free, sharp and smooth edges to your bakes. Let’s say your sponge cake layers are already stacked and filled, and you want to apply the frosting or ganache to your cake, then ganache plates will be a real hero product! Another handy tool that might come in useful here is a cake turntable, which will be a great help when you’re smoothing out your ganache.

How to use ganache plates

Set your first ganache plate on top of your cake turntable, adding a layer of parchment paper (ideally cut to the size of your ganache plate) before placing your cake layers on top. A perfectly sized cake base may also be a good idea, unless you’re planning on flipping your cake over. If you’re planning on doing a crumb coat first - a great base layer to contain any loose crumbs, lumps and bumps - apply this now. Spin your turntable for the best and smoothest results. Once done, check that your cake is even and level, and then you can concentrate on your final ganache or frosting layer.

Start by applying a layer of ganache to the top of your cake, spreading evenly with a palette knife for a smooth finish. Once you’re happy with this layer, add a sheet of perfectly cut parchment paper to the top of your cake before placing your second ganache plate on top. Work your ganache topping all over your cake, spreading with your palette knife. Then when you’re ready to create your smooth finish, take your acrylic ganache scraper and use your plates as a guide to smooth around the edges of your cakes, ensuring flawless results. It’s so easy, it’s literally a piece of cake! If any air holes or bubbles appear, simply work over more ganache and repeat the process. When finished, your ganache plates can be removed, washed, and reused in future projects.

A cake with a smooth ganache or frosting looks amazing on its own, but it can also work as a base layer for some fantastic designs! The ever-popular drip cake is a great example. Here, a runnier ganache can be poured over the top and decorated before it sets for mouth-watering results!

What size of ganache plates do I need?

Your chosen size of ganache plates will depend on the size of your bake! Here at The Cake Decorating Company, we have so many different shapes available, from round, square, star, heart, rainbow and much more! Perfect for any occasion, take a look at @yoras.cakes amazing Halloween cake design, making use of our heart-shaped ganache plates.

Or this super-duper design from @bake.works, making an absolute masterpiece using our scollop-shaped ganache plates.

@yoras.cakes

@bake.works

All shapes vary from 4 to 14 inches (10.16-35.56cm). Choose sizes that closely match the size of your cake tins to achieve the most accurate results when you apply your frosting. Explore our full range of ganache plates to find the ideal size and shape for your next bake.

How to make ganache

Ganache is a delicious mixture of chocolate and double cream. For a thicker ganache you'll use a ratio of 2:1, two parts chocolate to one part cream. For a thinner, glaze like ganache, reverse the ratio - two parts cream to one part chocolate.

Simply bring the cream to the boil in a pan and then pour over your chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Whisk together until smooth to achieve a perfect ganache.

Can I use ganache instead of buttercream?

As we discussed in our introduction, there are many amazing ways to incorporate ganache into your bakes. If you're making a cake for a real chocolate lover, a devilishly good way to incorporate more chocolate is by switching out the buttercream for a delectable ganache one instead. Slightly different in consistency from a ganache glaze that you would top your cake with, ganache filling still uses the same two ingredients of chocolate and cream, but is achieved by whipping the ganache with a stand or hand mixer. Perfect as a sponge filling or piped on to the top of chocolate cupcakes as an alternative to frosting, whipped ganache is a game-changer for chocoholics everywhere!

What can go wrong with ganache?

We know, you're ready to go off and achieve wonders with your new ganache tools! Before you go, we thought we’d round off this post by highlighting what can go wrong when you make your ganache. And, more importantly, the best ways to avoid this so that you can achieve perfect bakes every time!

Ganache is an emulsion, which is two ingredients that are mixed together when they don’t really want to be. If the temperature of your ganache becomes too hot, the fat in the chocolate will begin to separate. This can make your ganache split, or become too oily or grainy. How grainy the mixture becomes also depends on how overheated your cream was, too.

To avoid this, don’t ever let your cream boil and don’t let your chocolate overheat. A simmering cream makes the perfect ganache because it’s cool enough to ensure that the chocolate won’t separate. Similarly, overheating your chocolate causes the fat to separate, even before you’ve added anything to it, so avoid this too by melting it slowly on the hob.

Finally, don’t over stir your ganache. Once the chocolate has melted into the cream, your ganache is finished and should be left to cool and set at room temperature. And there you have it, delicious ganache, ready for all of your lovely projects! Remember to pick up a set of ganache plates from our collection here at the Cake Decorating Company.