Coloured Ganache! Yes It Works!

Oh me Oh My! I am so thrilled, so excited. I am just on top of the world today!
Words can't really do it justice - I really am totally in a zone of cakey euphoria!

What's got me so fired up and excited you ask? 

Drum Roll Please.....

Coloured Ganache!

Yes you read read right! Coloured ganache, is what's got me excited! I am so in cakey love with the whole concept right now! You see not everyone likes fondant, not everyone can cover a cake without the dreaded elephant skin, the cracks, and rounded edges when trying to achieve sharp edges. And you know what, some days fondant just doesn't want to play the game! Personally I find fondant to be quite moody and often find myself arguing with her at 1am in the morning! Eeek!

However I am good at setting up my ganache. Actually I am pretty darn good! I have mastered getting it smooth - yep I like to think I am awesome at this, but nothing breaks my heart more than ruining that perfect finish with my clumsy and unperfected fondant covering technique. In this department I still have so much more to learn and practice before I can tell Fondant she will no longer beat me!
In the mean time..

"I found a solution!"

This gorgeous purple, lovingly baked and decorated cake I whipped up for my sweet 16 year old niece this weekend - is covered in Purple Ganache!

I just love it. This cake looks just as good as a fondant covered one, except it tastes better, took less steps and cost me less money! I can't believe I had never thought of it before.  I'll also add, set ganache is also a lot firmer and tastes much better than buttercream in my humble cakey opinion.

I was having a chat with my lovely cakey friend Christina and we were talking about colouring chocolate/ candy with oil based colours and normal gel colours. Then Light Bulb moment we thought about coloured ganache and how it would work. I googled my little fingers off, searched and clicked - I could not find an answer to this question so what's a curious cakey girl like me to do? EXPERIMENT!! (Of course)

I tested a few small batches using gel colours. I didn't have any "Candy Colours" or other oil based colourings that you're supposed to use with chocolate, but there was no way that was going to stop me. I wanted to try out coloured ganache - and I wanted it NOW! 

For my experiments I used "Nestle White Chocolate Melts". I didn't want to use expensive white baking chocolate because there was a high risk this was going to fail since I was using water based colours. On that note I thought well, 'What? Just why can't I use normal gel colours?" I mean, I understand in normal chocolate making it can cause havoc with the emulsion process, but cream is like 75% water so if that makes ganache then I reckon if I colour my cream first there shouldn't be an issue. (Yes this was my biggest "Aha!" moment of the week)

Hands down the Wilton Gel colours worked perfectly each time. I am thinking that Americolors seem to be a little more liquidy so perhaps that is why they took a little longer to set and didn't seem to blend as well. But really with either one you can see in my 2 test batches below they both produced vibrantly coloured ganache. 

Anyway, you can test in your own kitchens and work out what's best for you - and oh hey! You might actually just use candy colours instead!! (And I reckon coloured "Candy Melts" would work too!) 

Wilton Royal Blue Cream added to Melts.

Wilton Royal Blue. 
Set Perfectly after 6 hours, colour is even and smooth.

Americolor Electric Blue, still too runny after 6 hours
colour was patchy and ganache was slightly grainy. 
But still usable after 8 hours. 

So at this point I am squealing with excitement. It was just a whim but OMGOSH IT WORKED! 

Now, all I had to do was test it out on an actual cake. I had a million and one fears, and was ultra paranoid that the ganache would not set on the cake for whatever reason - but as you can see it turned out AWESOME! 

Ok so by now you've got to be as excited as me, I know this because you wouldn't still be reading if you thought it was boring!  (*Cheeky Grin*) So I won't put you in suspense any longer... I present to you:

My Original Coloured Ganache Recipe!

You will need:

White Chocolate

Cream ( For convenience I prefer to use UHT Cream)

Gel Colour of your Choice

Microwave suitable bowl / Jug

A spatula or spoon for mixing

Method

Weigh up your Chocolate and cream in proportions of 3:1*

That means you use 3 parts white chocolate to 1 part cream.

For example 300 grams White Chocolate and 100 mls cream.

*Tip: In my Summer I find up to 4:1 for white chocolate is needed for it to set up firm enough.

**Update: I have been getting a lot of questions about using my Coloured Ganache for Drip Cakes - The answer is YES! You can use this colouring method for drip cakes HOWEVER you will need to change your ratio 1:1 to ensure it is pourable.

In a small bowl Mix your Gel colour into the cream - until you get the desired colour then go a little darker as it will lighten slightly when set.

Next add your cream and chocolate to a microwave safe bowl and stir.

Microwave at 30 seconds on High and stir.

Repeat up to 3 times but do not let your chocolate burn.

It's imperative that you stir well in between each microwave blast - you will see the chocolate continue to melt before your eyes.

Towards the end you will only want to blast for 10 seconds at a time until your stirring gets to this consistency.

Once this process is complete the ganache should be really runny, all colour blended and no lumps of white chocolate. Place a lid or plastic wrap over the top and leave on the bench (not fridge) for at least 6 hours - I prefer to leave over night. 

Once set, your ganache should have a butter like consistency, smooth and thick enough to spread. At this stage you can whip your coloured ganache to use in piping and spreading or you can use it to set up your cakes.

N.B. If you're not sure on how to set up a cake with ganache, check out this absolutely fantastic photo tutorial on facebook from Sugarworks @Red Pepper Catering.

Whipped Ganache

Setting up Ganache

Completed Ganache set Up method.

So there you have it! That's what's got me so ecstatic! Coloured Ganache!! Yes, it is true! I am awesome!! (Well I am going to believe it and that's all that counts - right?!) 

And if you still prefer fondant covered cakes, coloured ganache will totally look fantastic underneath. You can now match your fondant to your ganache - no more awkward colour mismatches!

Green Coloured Ganache

Red Coloured Ganache. Yes you can use for drip cakes,
Just add more cream 1:1 Ratio

Black Coloured Ganache - Great Gatsby Cake
(Using Dark Chocolate)

Naked Blue and Maroon Coloured Ganache cakes.

Pink Colored Ganache, Whitened Colored Ganache,
and Gold painted Ganache. 

Teal Coloured Ganache

*If you use my recipe please let me know, and of course let everyone else know where you got the idea from xoxo

P.S. Keep an out  for my featured fondant toppers tutorial to be released during the week. Learn how I made the gorgeous sugar flowers and handbag to compliment my purple ganached cake.  

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