Ooh, this is new!

[FuzzzyDuck]

Does this mean a is forthcoming?

Why I've now got to keep track of recipes/ food/ baking.

I'm loving this! And yes, should be included

Is this forum going to fill up with threads about cupcakes ? Although I've been told that cupcakes are so last week and it's all about macaroons now.

Yipeeeeeee!

Let them eat cake!

Hmm. If baking gets its own topic shouldn't there be a topic each for boiling, frying, grilling, steaming, roasting?

Omg!!! Thankyou MN for this topic!! Cupcakes kind of suck tbh...too much icing nd not enough flavour....

wonderful!

MNHQ

Happily I found this just before I make some cakes before the hungry teens get home from school .

I'm going to make the small sponge cakes that have sultanas in them .

I call them Queen cakes , just wondered if anyone else does ?

Oh good topic!

Right. Lets get started. I need some technical advice.

How do you 'robe' a chocolate torte in a ganache so that it is smooth like in a cake shop?

I dont mean icing. I mean liquid chocolate ganache poured over and then runs down the sides and sets all smooth. Whats the secret to this?

I've tried several times but its not really ever totally smooth when I do it. I've watched videos on YouTube and read advanced cookery books but it just never works.

make 1/2 the amount again of topping as the recipe states (so if 1pt cream use 1 1/2 pts), then pour the ganache/topping over the cake whilst it's on a wire rack

you might want to make a paper/cardboard disk to fit exactly under the cake so you can slide fish slice/palette knife under to transfer to a plate

hth

(and can i have a big slice please )

Should I freeze the cake? I heard that if you do that and make the ganache quite runny it sets quickly when it is poured over.

Ooh lovely! I live baking, cakes, pies, the dreaded cupcakes (I like to make different flavours), crumbles and decorating!

DD2 makes cakes - she reckons the secret to smooth ganache is to make sure the buttercream underneath is plaster-smooth. I'd also imagine that you need the ganache to be quite warm/hot so that it's properly runny; once it's started setting, it's never going to be smooth.

If the ganache, or any chocolate / butter based coating, is a bit bumpy or gappy in places, then heat a palette knife using hot water and run it over the sides and top.

Ooh, a baking topic! Me likey.... I'm going to be attempting a red velvet cake this afternoon - any tips?

Make sure you have the right food colouring! There is one specific make, think it's Dr. Oetker. Rest of mix is v.easy, but without the right colouring you will end up with a sort of ruddy, rather than red cake.
I haven't mde one in a couple of months - might have to do so this evening

Ta! I used a paste one, it's much better than last time I made it. Just have to do icing now.... I've been wanting to try it again for ages.

Ganache- maybe its the type of chocolate you are using? Try expensive lindt or something if you have been using cooking choc?

I use Lindt but I think the problem is the temperature of the ganache. I do cover the cake in melted apricot jam first and the ganache sort of runs down but never as smooth as glass - which is what I want.

Never heard of butter cream under the ganache or using a hot palette knife so thanks for all the tips. I'll give them a go.

MoreBeta - how finely are you chopping you chocolate before you pour the boiling cream over it? The smaller the bits the quicker it melts and mixes in so you can pour it over sooner. Also I have to confess that I have made the best ganache covered cake, since I started baking, last week. I used Sainsburys value dark chocolate. I used half for covering the cake and half for truffles - super delicious.

I melt it slowly first and then pour cream in.

Did yours come out really smooth like glass? I mean, was it like those chocolate tortes you see in really expensive cake shops.

Yes, shiny and glossy - the just boiling cream should do the job of melting the chocolate, stir it gently and it will go seriously dark and glossy once it all comes together, cool it at room temp slowly. The if you chill it or pour it onto a fridge cold cake it will cool too fast and go dull.

Missing a bit

..once it all comes together, pour over room temp cake, cool.....

Once you have poured it don't touch it! until it has cooled and set.