Icing - something not as rich as buttercream or ganache?

[Gatorade]

I'm making quite a large cake with multiple layers that need to be sandwiched together with icing. I find ganache and buttercream both very heavy and I was hoping someone might be able to suggest something a little lighter?

It doesn't have to be chocolate flavoured but that would be a bonus.

Ideally I would use whipped cream and jam but it needs to last a few days so that won't work.

Any ideas?

Cream cheese frosting?

a chocolate water ganache/mousse would work

Mousse recipe

I like the idea of the cream cheese icing, I think I've eaten it before on a red velvet cake, but I can't remember how sweet/sickly it is - how does it compare up buttercream?

Have you tried that chocolate mousse recipe catsmamma? Looks interesting!

Gatorade, I don't find buttercream heavy I whip mine up for about 10 mins and find it as light as doublespeak, it should be fluffy and by mixing it for that long your whipping air in to it.

cream

Seven Minute Frosting - it's a meringue topping.

Swiss meringue buttercream. Its light and not at all sickly

Mascarpone mixed with icing sugar and flavour of choice also good.

If you beat buttercream enough it is very light and you only really need a thin layer of it between each layer.

Mousse is fab if you only have 2 layers but much more results in it being squashed and more gloopy than light.

Nigella does a multi-generational icing (so she calls it) that is less rich than buttercream and ganache. It does have raw eggs in it though. I'll have a google and if not, I'll type the basic recipe. V easy, and I always use it now for a chocolate cake

Meringue icing?

A tad tricky, but bright and beautiful, and I could do it and I only do icing for birthdays!

it should be here

I think possibly it may be a bit rich for your purposes. But it's delicious.

Thank you for all of the suggestions. I'm going to make a few different ones tomorrow and test them! I'll also try to make a 'lighter' buttercream, it is possible that I've been a bit lazy in the past and not whipped it for long enough. Should the whipping be done to the butter alone or once it is combined with the icing sugar?

Once you have the butter and icing sugar mixed - (2x icing sugar to 1 x butter plus a couple of tbsp boiling water) then if you have a stand mixer put it on to mix and leave for 5-10 minutes. With a hand mixer you just need to be prepared for hand ache/boredom :)

Oh goodness, my 2 minute blast with the hand mixer might be to blame then! I'll get the standing mixer out. Dies it make it taste less sickly and rich? Or would I still be better off with one of the linked fillings?

cream

If you use salted butter it takes some of the sickliness away, they beating does improve the flavour so much, light, creamy but not sickly.

Depression era buttercream!

tastykitchen.com/recipes/desserts/thate28099s-the-best-frosting-ie28099ve-ever-had/

It's bulked out with a thick white sauce. Sounds weird but is dreamy. I've only flavoured it with coffee before but imagine vanilla would go well with chocolate cake, sort of like Konditor and Cook's Curly Whirly cake which has an excellent frosting too (cream cheese base) but too sweet for me.

oh there isn't one

oh well, I shall place mark and test all these ideas!

yy to mixing for 10 mins. I did it accidentally the other week (baby nappy incident distracted me) and was amazed by the lovely light buttercream I don't get out much

Twinkly and Gatorade let me know what you think of the depression era one. It's almost virtuous as it cuts the proportions of fat n sugar in half and is so light and smooth. Gawd I want cake now.

this would last a bit longer than cream. I have made it, bit of a faff - not in my opinion the best icing/frosting ever as the website claims, but very nice nevertheless.

I'll give it a go sisteroutlaw...I'm slight dubious about putting flour in icing, but I can imagine it takes the richness away which would be a good thing!

Yeah it doesn't sound appealing at all but has lightness and good "mouth feel". Good luck! x

a bit late in replying, but yes...the mousse is amazing

I omit the sugar and use tesco value chocolate...it is sweeter than your pricey 85% stuff! It's about 30-40p for a 100g bar

Have also subbed in some random alcohol for the water...just swap a couple of tbs

It is great in cakes!

And you think it is never going to work, but it does, just remember you are whisking it cold. It's the cold that thickens it and not the whisking so try not to get it too hot when you are melting the chocolate into the water.