Chocolate Ganache Filling Food

CHOCOLATE FILLING FOR MACARONS

Steps:

• Heat heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, swirling once or twice, just until edges bubble, about 5 minutes.
• Place chocolate in a bowl. Pour hot cream over chocolate and whisk until smooth. Let cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes, before using.

WHIPPED CHOCOLATE GANACHE FILLING (OR FROSTING)

Steps:

• Place chopped chocolate in a medium-sized bowl.
• Heat heavy cream and sugar (if using) in a large heavy saucepan over med-hi heat until it simmers gently.
• Immediately pour the hot cream over the chocolate and stir gently until the chocolate is mostly melted.
• Let stand for 15mins to be sure all chocolate is melted.
• Stir ganache gently until perfectly smooth, let cool.
• Cover and chill for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight (it must be very cold or it will curdle when it's whipped; ganache can be made up to 4 days ahead).
• When you're ready to assemble the cake (and NOT before), whip ganache until it's stiff enough to hold a nice shape and seems spreadable (Don't overwhip; overwhipped ganache looks granular, so watch carefully).
• Spread whipped ganache immediately, as it will firm as it sits.
• NOTE: if using 50-60% bittersweet chocolate, use 8 oz of chocolate and omit the sugar; if using 60-64% chocolate, use 7 oz of chocolate and omit sugar; if using 66-72% chocolate, use 6 oz and add the optional sugar to give the ganache a bit of'lift'.
• If you're just using this as a filling, halve the recipe.
• If you're glazing the cake with a chocolate glaze, chill the filled cake for at least 1 hour (up to 2 days) before glazing.

WHITE CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH RASPBERRY AND CHOCOLATE GANACHE FILLINGS AND BUTTERCREAM ICING

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat two 9-inch round cake pans with cooking spray.
• Whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pudding mix in a medium bowl. Set aside. Bring the milk to a boil and add the white chocolate chips. Let stand, covered, for 5 minutes, then stir until completely incorporated. Allow the white chocolate mixture to cool completely. Beat the oil, eggs and white chocolate mixture in a large bowl with an electric mixer until fully incorporated, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and reduce the speed to low. Gradually add the flour mixture, beating until combined, about 3 minutes.
• Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans. Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn out on wire racks to cool completely, about 45 minutes.
• For the raspberry filling: Combine the raspberries, sugar, lemon juice and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Place over medium-high heat and slowly bring to a boil, stirring constantly until thickened. Let cool completely, about 45 minutes.
• For the chocolate ganache: Heat the heavy cream to boiling. Pour over the chocolate in a heat-proof bowl. Stir until completely smooth. Allow to cool to room temperature, about 45 minutes.
• For the buttercream: Beat the butter, shortening and vanilla in a large bowl with an electric mixer until combined and smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the confectioners' sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
• To assemble the cake: Level both cakes by running a sharp knife around the top edge of each cake, scoring it, then carefully cutting through the cakes along the score lines. Fill a piping back fitted with a No.12 tip with buttercream icing. Pipe a dam around the inside of the bottom layer of cake. Inside the dam, spread a very thin layer of raspberry filling, about 3 tablespoons (for this filling, less is more). Then top with a more generous layer of chocolate ganache, about a quarter-inch thick. Stack the other cake layer on top and cover the whole cake with buttercream icing.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE

Steps:

• Place the chocolate into a medium bowl. Heat the cream in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Bring just to a boil, watching very carefully because if it boils for a few seconds, it will boil out of the pot. When the cream has come to a boil, pour over the chopped chocolate, and whisk until smooth. Stir in the rum if desired.
• Allow the ganache to cool slightly before pouring over a cake. Start at the center of the cake and work outward. For a fluffy frosting or chocolate filling, allow it to cool until thick, then whip with a whisk until light and fluffy.

GANACHE, SOFT FILLING FOR CHOCOLATES ETC...

Steps:

• To make chocolate cases: melt 200g ( 7 oz) chocolate over a pan of warm water, do not overheat, when three quarters of it is melted, remove from heat and stir vigorously, this should distribute the heat and melt the remaining chocolate without it getting too hot and going "grainy".
• Take a small teaspoon of melted chocolate and " paint" the inside of your mini muffin paper or the insides of your silicone ice block forms. If coverage is a bit skimpy don't panic. these set in the fridge in minutes and a second coat is easier and works better than trying to get one very thick coat. Put them in the fridge to harden. Reserve enough of your chocolate to cover the bottom of your forms once they have been filled with the ganache filling.
• Put butter and cream in a saucepan and bring to boil, stirring all the time.
• Remove from heat and add chocolate and liqueur.
• Stir well until smooth (heat of mixture will melt chocolate) leave to cool a little, then let cool.
• Use as soft filling for chocolates and tartes.
• This does thicken up over time, and good chocolate is never refrigerated, just kept in a cool dry place. If these are refrigerated the filling gets very firm over time.
• By now your ganache filling mixture should be cool enough to put into the chocolate cases, using a piping bag or a teaspoon, fill them with the ganache, (but not quite to the very top of the chocolate case) Then put them back into the fridge for a while, and once set a little solid, put a "top" of melted chocolate on them to seal them closed and refrigerate until the top too is solid. I like to keep these in the fridge for a least a few hours or somewhere nice and cool overnight before I try and get them out of the forms.
• If using mini muffin papers, peel away the papers from the chocolates (this can be fiddly, don't press too hard as you peel them or your chocolate will break), If using the silicone ice cube forms, GENTLY easy the chocolates out of the forms, they will just pop out -- plate up and amaze your guests with these divine triumphs !

SUPER SIMPLE PERFECT CHOCOLATE GANACHE

Steps:

• Pour cream into a microwave-safe bowl; heat in microwave on high until very hot, 1 to 2 minutes. Add chocolate chips to heated cream; whisk until smooth.
• Place chocolate-cream mixture in the freezer until ganache is cold and starting to thicken, stirring every 5 minutes, about 10 to 12 minutes.
• Spoon ganache into a resealable plastic bag and refrigerate until completely cooled, 15 to 30 minutes.
• Cut a corner from the plastic bag and pipe ganache.

SANDWICH COOKIES WITH CHOCOLATE GANACHE FILLING

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Cut dough in half; roll out both halves to an even 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out cookies with a round 1-inch cookie cutter, rerolling scraps to get 72 cookies. Coat 2 cookie sheets with cooking spray; place cookies on sheets 1 inch apart and bake 1 batch at a time until firm, 3 to 5 minutes. Cool on wire racks. Simmer chocolate chips and half-and-half in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring once or twice, until chocolate melts and is smooth, 1 to 2 minutes; remove from heat. Let cool 1 minute. Spread 1/2 teaspoon chocolate ganache on a cookie; press a second cookie on top to form a sandwich. Repeat with remaining cookies and ganache.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE

Steps:

• Bring cream to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Pour cream over chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Let stand for 2 minutes. Add butter, then whisk mixture until smooth. Let cool, stirring often. Use immediately.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE CAKE

Steps:

• Make cake layers:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 3 (7- or 8-inch, 2-inch-deep) round cake pans and line bottoms with rounds of wax or parchment paper. Butter paper and dust pans with flour, knocking out excess.
• Whisk together water, cocoa, and espresso powder until smooth, then whisk in milk and vanilla.
• Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt.
• Beat together butter and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until fluffy, then add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour mixture and cocoa mixture in batches, beginning and ending with flour and mixing at low speed until just combined.
• Divide batter among pans (about 2 1/3 cups per pan), smoothing tops. Bake in middle of oven until a tester comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes for 7-inch pans or 20 to 25 minutes for 8-inch. Cool in pans on a rack 30 minutes, then invert onto racks, remove paper, and cool completely.
• Make ganache while cakes bake:
• Bring cream to a simmer in a 3- to 4-quart saucepan and remove from heat. Whisk in chocolate until smooth. Transfer ganache to a bowl and chill, covered, stirring occasionally, until thickened but spreadable, about 4 hours. (If ganache becomes too thick, let stand at room temperature until slightly softened.)
• Assemble cake:
• Arrange 1 layer on a cake stand or plate and spread 2/3 cup ganache evenly over it. Top with another cake layer and 2/3 cup ganache, spreading evenly, then third cake layer. (Chill ganache if necessary to keep at a spreadable consistency.) Chill cake until ganache filling is firm, about 1 hour. Keep remaining ganache at a spreadable consistency, chilling when necessary.
• Spread a thin layer of ganache over top and sides of cake to seal in crumbs, then chill 30 minutes. Spread remaining ganache evenly over top and sides of cake.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE

Steps:

• Put the chocolate in a large mixing bowl. Pour the cream into a saucepan with the sugar and bring to a simmer, stirring continuously until the sugar is melted. Bring to the boil, then quickly remove from the heat, pour over the chocolate and whisk until smooth and glossy. Use straight away or leave to cool down a little until thick enough to spread on a cake. Alternatively, leave to cool completely, then beat with an electric whisk until light and fluffy and spread on a cake.

HOW TO MAKE CHOCOLATE GANACHE

Steps:

• Place chopped chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it begins to gently simmer. (Do not let it come to a rapid boil- that's too hot!) Pour over chocolate, then let it sit for 2-3 minutes to gently soften the chocolate.
• With a metal spoon or small rubber spatula, very slowly stir until completely combined and chocolate has melted. The finer you chopped the chocolate, the quicker it will melt with the cream. If it's not melting, do not microwave it. See Troubleshooting Chocolate Ganache in blog post above.
• Ganache can be ready to use as a drizzle or you can let it sit at room temperature to cool and thicken. It will fully cool within 2 hours. Refrigerating speeds this up, but the ganache will not cool evenly. Stir it a few times as it sets in the refrigerator so it remains even and smooth.
• Once completely cool and thick, the ganache can be piped with a piping tip or scooped with a spoon. You can also beat the cooled thickened ganache with a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until light in color and texture, about 4 minutes on medium-high speed.
• Cover tightly and store ganache in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Once ganache cools completely, you can cover it tightly and freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator. To rewarm or thin out again, stir constantly over low heat on the stove in either (1) a double boiler or (2) in a heatproof bowl placed over a pot of simmering water. Don't let the bottom of the bowl touch the simmering water.

GANACHE I

Steps:

• Chop the chocolate into small pieces and place it in a large stainless steel bowl.
• In a large, high sided saucepan, heat cream over medium high heat, stirring frequently, until it starts to boil. At this point, the cream will want to boil over, so keep an eye on it! Immediately remove from heat and pour over chopped chocolate.
• Stir until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is smooth. Cool completely and then store in refrigerator. Ganache can be reheated in a stainless steel bowl over hot, but not boiling, water.

ULTIMATE CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES WITH GANACHE FILLING(ATK)

Steps:

• FOR GANACHE FILLING: Place chocolate, cream, and confectioners' sugar in medium microwave-safe bowl. Heat in microwave on high power until mixture is warm to touch, 20 to 30 seconds. Whisk until smooth; transfer bowl to refrigerator and let stand until just chilled, no longer than 30 minutes.
• FOR CUPCAKES: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard-size muffin pan (cups have ½-cup capacity) with baking-cup liners. Place chocolate and cocoa in medium bowl. Pour hot coffee over mixture and whisk until smooth. Set in refrigerator to cool completely, about 20 minutes. Whisk flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.
• Whisk oil, eggs, vinegar, and vanilla into cooled chocolate-cocoa mixture until smooth. Add flour mixture and whisk until smooth.
• Divide batter evenly among muffin pan cups. Place one slightly rounded teaspoon ganache filling on top of each cupcake. Bake until cupcakes are set and just firm to touch, 17 to 19 minutes. Cool cupcakes in muffin pan on wire rack until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes. Carefully lift each cupcake from muffin pan and set on wire rack. Cool to room temperature before frosting, about 1 hour.
• TO FROST: Mound 2 to 3 tablespoons frosting on center of each cupcake. Using small icing spatula or butter knife, spread frosting to edge of cupcake, leaving slight mound in center.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE

Steps:

• Place chocolate chips in a small bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream just to a boil. Pour over chocolate; whisk until smooth., For a pourable ganache, cool, stirring occasionally, until mixture reaches 85°-90° and is slightly thickened, about 40 minutes. Pour over cake, allowing some to drape down the sides. Spread ganache with a spatula if necessary to evenly coat, working quickly before it thickens. Let stand until set., For spreadable ganache, chill, stirring occasionally, until mixture reaches a spreading consistency. Spread over cake.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• Heat heavy cream ( 1/2 cup) until almost boiling, you'll see small bubbles on the surface. Pour hot cream over chocolate ( 1 cup and 1/2 cup). Let sit for 3 minutes then whisk until smooth. If you notice few stubborn pieces of chocolate microwave ganache in 5 second intervals, whisking well for 30 seconds to a minute after each heating. I often heat the mixture for 5 second then I let sit in the microwave for a minute. Residual heat helps to melt the chocolate, too. Then I whisk it well until all chocolate pieces are blended in. Cover ganache with a plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
• Ganache will thicken overnight. It will be very stiff. This is normal. Let ganache and cream cheese come to room temperature. Leave both on the counter for 30 minutes, or so.
• Then beat full fat cream cheese (1 package )until creamy, about 30 seconds. Beat in powdered sugar (3 cups), for about 2 minutes.
• Because ganache is very thick it is best to gradually add it to small amount of cream cheese first. Into a bowl add about ½ cup of ganache and ¼ cup cream cheese/powdered sugar mixture. Beat with wire attachments until smooth. Gradually keep adding ganache and cream cheese mixture. Beat well after each addition. Beat until thick and creamy. If desired flavor with Vanilla Extract(1/2tsor Lorann Oil Based Flavorings (10 drops).
• Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Let it soften before spreading it onto a cake or piping swirls onto a cake.
• Heat heavy cream (1/4 cup) until almost boiling, you'll see small bubbles on the surface. Pour hot cream over chocolate (2 cups). Let sit for 3 minutes then whisk until smooth.
• Because we are using only a small amount of hot heavy cream some white chocolate chunks will not melt. It's okay. You can use a microwave like with dark chocolate ganache or heat the bowl over a pot of barely simmering water. Place the bowl with white change over the pot only for a short time, 5-8 seconds at a time is sufficient. Whisk well for 30 seconds to a minute. It only takes a little bit of heat to melt remaining bits of chocolate.
• Cover white chocolate ganache with a plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
• Ganache will thicken overnight. It will be very stiff. This is normal. Let ganache and cream cheese come to room temperature. Leave both on the counter for 30 minutes, or so.
• Then beat cream cheese until broken up and creamy, about 30 seconds. Beat in powdered sugar (1cubeat for about 2 minutes.
• Because this white ganache is really very thick it is best to stir it with a spatula first to make it more pliable. I don't like to soften it in the microwave. Break it up slowly with a hand held mixer until pliable.
• Then it is best to gradually add it to small amount of cream cheese first. Into a bowl add about ½ cup of ganache and ¼ cup cream cheese/powdered sugar mixture. Beat with wire attachments until smooth. Gradually keep adding ganache and cream cheese mixture. Beat well after each addition. Beat until thick and creamy. If desired flavor with Vanilla Extract (1/2tsor Lorann Oil Based Flavorings (10 drops). Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Refrigerate until ready to use. Chocolate Ganache Cream Cheese Frsotign will firm up in the fridge. Let it soften slightly and use a piping bag fitted with a star tip to pipe swirls on cupcakes.
• Frosted cupcakes can be kept at room temperature, about 28 C for up to 2-3 hours. Otherwise store in the fridge until ready to use. Let come to room temperature before serving.
• Dark Chocolate Ganache Cream Cheese Frosting tends to crust slightly because of the powdered sugar content. White Chocolate Ganache Cream Cheese Frosting doesn't crust as much.

MOIST CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES WITH GANACHE FILLING

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C) and line cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
• p id="instruction-step-2″ class="p2″>2. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a medium sized bowl. Set aside.
• p id="instruction-step-3″ class="p2″>3. Add butter and sugar to a large mixing bowl and cream together on medium speed until light in color and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. You should be able to see a noticeable change in color and texture.
• p id="instruction-step-4″ class="p2″>4. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until combined.
• p id="instruction-step-5″ class="p2″>5. Combine the cocoa powder, vanilla and water and stir until combined. Add the mixture to the cake batter and mix until well combined.
• p id="instruction-step-6″ class="p2″>6. Alternate adding the flour mixture and milk to the batter. Begin by adding half of the dry mix, then mix until combined. Add the milk and mix until combined, scraping down the sides as needed. Add the remaining flour mixture and mix until well combined. 7. Fill cupcake liners about 3/4 full and bake for 15-17 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out with a few crumbs. 8. Remove cupcakes from the oven and allow to cool. 9. To make the ganache filling, add the chocolate chips and vanilla extract to a medium sized bowl. 10. Heat the heavy whipping cream until it just begins to boil, then pour it over the chocolate chips. 11. Allow the chocolate and cream and to sit for 3-5 minutes, then whisk together until smooth. Set aside to cool until at least room temperature. You could also refrigerate it until cold. 12. When you're ready to build the cupcakes, make the frosting. Add the butter to a large mixer bowl and beat until smooth and creamy. 13. Add about half of the powdered sugar and mix until smooth and well combined. 14. Add the cocoa powder and mix until well combined and smooth. 15. Add the vanilla extract and 2-3 tablespoons of water or cream and mix until smooth and well combined. 16. Add the remaining powdered sugar and mix until smooth and well combined. 17. Add more water or cream until desired consistency is reached, then add salt. 18. To put the cupcakes together, use a cupcake corer or knife to remove the centers of the cupcakes. 19. Fill the centers of the cupcakes with the ganache filling (about a 1/2 tablespoon of ganache per cupcake), then pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes with the chocolate buttercream. I used Ateco tip 844. I also dusted the tops of the cupcakes with a little cocoa powder, if you'd like to do that. 20. Serve cupcakes at room temperature, but store in the fridge. Cupcakes are best eaten within 2-3 days.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE FOR TRUFFLES AND CAKE ICING

Steps:

• Place the chocolate in a large bowl.
• Put cream and cinnamon stick (if using) in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring just to the boiling point. Add the butter and stir. Pour the cream mixture through a fine mesh sieve over the chocolate. Rotate the bowl a bit so all the chocolate is covered in cream. Let stand for two minutes. With a rubber or silicone spatula gently stir the mixture working all the cream into the chocolate until all the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth and creamy. If using chocolate chips break up any little lumps with the back of the spatula. Add vanilla, coffee and grey salt if using and stir.
• If using as cake filling and icing: Cool the ganache to room temperature. If desired, you can take out about one cup of ganache and refrigerate it to decorate the cake with a pastry bag after it's been filled and frosted. Use about half the mixture to fill your cake. To frost the cake use a lazy susan if you have one. Put four strips of parchment or wax paper under the cake all around. This is so that any extra ganache will fall on the paper and you can gently pull them out. Use the rest of the ganache to frost the cake. Use a flat metal spatula to smooth the ganache around the top and sides of the cake.
• If using for truffles: Chill ganache for at least two hours. To make this as mess free as possible use food grade vinyl or silicone gloves and a cookie scoop. Scoop out the ganache, roll in your choice of toppings to coat evenly and set aside. Truffles can be stored in the refrigerator but should be served at room temperature.
• Suggested toppings for truffles: Cocoa powder (preferably Dutch process), finely chopped nuts, finely crushed toffee bits, finely crushed peppermint candy, cookie crumbs.
• Truffles can also be coated in dark, milk or white chocolate but that's another recipe.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE MINI-TART RECIPE

Steps:

• Add first four ingredients to a food processor and pulse until well blended.
• Cut butter into 8 pieces. Add to dry ingredients and pulse until the mixture looks like oatmeal.
• Use a fork to break up and mix egg, then pour it all at once into the food processor bowl. Pulse 5-6 times to begin to moisten the mixture. Let the machine run steadily for a few seconds. Watch carefully until mixture begins to stick together and starts to form a ball. Machine will make a different sound as this happens.
• Press dough into a cylinder (like a roll of refrigerated cookie dough), cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30-45 minutes or up to a week.
• When ready to make crusts, cut the cylinder into 12 equal slices. I usually end up with 13 tarts because I roll all the scraps together to make the 13th shell.
• Roll each slice between plastic wrap until just slightly larger around than tart shell. The dough should be just shy of 1/4 inch thick and a consistent thickness throughout. This can be a little tricky at first. Practice makes perfect.
• Cover and freeze mini-tart shells until rock hard.
• Place tart shells onto a cookie sheet. Cover the inside of each tart with foil pressed to fit down inside. Bake in preheated 400 degrees F oven for 10 minutes. Remove the foil and bake 2-3 more minutes.
• Cool for 5 minutes. Remove crust from pan or mold. Fill when completely cool.
• Chop chocolate and place into a deep bowl.
• Heat cream just until it starts to boil, then pour over chocolate and let sit for several minutes until chocolate has melted.
• Use a whisk or spoon to begin stirring in lazy circles starting from the middle until mixture is uniform. Don't go crazy stirring or chocolate will lose its beautiful gloss. Gentle motion is good.
• Add butter in small pieces and continue mixing gently until ganache is once again uniform.
• The mixture should be thick enough to go straight into the crusts, but if runny, refrigerate for a few minutes until it thickens.
• Fill cooled tartlet shells with ganache.
• Chill tartlets until ready to serve. Remove 30 minutes before serving to allow the filling to soften a bit. Garnish with fruit or whipped cream.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE MACARON FILLING

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, heat the cream over medium heat, swirling the pan a few times, until bubbles start to form around the edge of the pan but the cream is not yet boiling, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the chocolate, and let sit for 30 seconds. Slowly whisk the mixture until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Let cool to room temperature before piping onto the meringues.

GANACHE FILLING (FOR CAKE)

Steps:

• Heat the heavy cream in a 2-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan until bubbles begin to form around the edge of the pan. Make sure you chopped the chocolate as finely as possible to allow it to melt quickly and easily. Place the chopped chocolate in a medium-size mixing bowl. Make a ganache by pouring about half of the hot cream over the chocolate and letting it sit for 30 seconds to melt the chocolate. Then, slowly whisk until smooth and homogenous. Do not add all of the hot cream to the cold chocolate at once. The shock of the temperature extremes will cause the fat in the chocolate to separate. As the chocolate melts, you will see some elasticity if there is no fat separation. This means the chocolate still has an emulsion; the fat molecules are still holding together. If the ganache separates, it loses its elasticity, collapses, and becomes very liquid. I use a hand-held immersion blender to ensure a smooth ganache and to keep the emulsion of the chocolate. Add the remaining cream gradually and mix until all of the hot cream is incorporated and the ganache is smooth and homogenous.
• If the ganache separates, it is very easy to fix. Simply add a small amount of cold cream and whisk well. This will bring the ganache back together. The ganache should be thick, shiny, and smooth. Add the desired flavoring and mix until fully incorporated. Pour the ganache onto a plastic wrap-covered baking sheet and spread evenly with a rubber spatula. Cover the ganache with plastic wrap and allow it to cool for at least 4 hours at room temperature. I usually make the ganache at the end of the day and let it cool overnight. As it cools, it will thicken and set.
• When the ganache has cooled to the consistency of toothpaste, use an offset spatula to cover the cake layer with the ganache.

CHOCOLATE SWISS ROLL CAKE

Steps:

• Sift the dry ingredients: Into a large bowl, sift together the cake flour, cocoa powder, and cornstarch three times. Set the dry ingredients aside.
• Warm sugar in the oven while it preheats: Line the half-sheet pan with parchment paper, then sprinkle the sugar onto the paper in an even layer. Place the pan in the oven. Set the oven to 400°F. You'll have the sugar in the oven while it preheats and remove it from the oven when it is warm to the touch, in step 4.
• Whisk the eggs in a stand mixer: While the sugar is warming, use a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment to lightly beat the eggs, at low speed, until they look foamy with small bubbles, for 30 to 45 seconds.
• Sift cocoa powder over a tea towel: Lightly dust a clean tea towel by sifting the cocoa powder over it.
• Whip the heavy cream: Pour the heavy cream into a mixing bowl. Use an electric hand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Set it to medium speed for 2 minutes or until the beater leaves behind ribbons in the cream.
• Unwrap and glaze the chocolate swiss roll: Remove the swiss roll from the fridge and remove the plastic covering. Place the roll on a cooling rack set over a sheet pan. Pour the ganache over the top of the roll and use an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to cover the roll evenly in the chocolate. If you want to double the ganache, to use up all of the ganache, scoop up the excess from the pan underneath and repeat the pouring steps. Transfer the cake to a platter and refrigerate it until the ganache feels slightly tacky to the touch, or 20 minutes.