How to assemble and ganache a cake

When it comes to making cakes, there are a few key steps that you  don't want to miss if you want your final results to be neat and tasty.

For more pictures and details on basic cake decorating, be sure to check out Planet Cake's latest book :D

Make sure that you give yourself at least two days to make the cake, three if you have extensive decorations to make. Make the cake and the ganache the first day, let them sit in the fridge overnight, and then do the ganache and decorations the second day. 

Once your cake has cooled overnight, begin by letting it come back to about room temperature, as it will be easier to cut if it is cool , but not solid like it will be when you first take it out of the fridge.

• Begin by trimming the top of the cake so it is nice and flat on top.

• Place the cake on a flat surface (the book recommends a turntable, but I just set it on my kitchen counter) and score the side of the cake twice so that when you cut you will come up with 3 equal sized pieces. Using a long serrated knife cut through the side of the cake, making sure to keep the knife as level as possible all the way across, AND be sure to keep your other hand on top of the cake to keep it from moving too much (NEVER on the side of the cake, we don't want any accidents, here) . Repeat to get the third layer. 

•  Use a knife (preferably a palette knife if you have one) to spread some ganache or buttercream (whichever you are using to cover the cake with, although ganache does give a much cleaner finish) onto a cake board the same size as the cake your'e using. Apply the ganche or buttercream to each layer of the cake and sandwich them together. 

Cake board covered with ganache

Sandwiching the layers together

•  Apply your ganache/buttercream to the sides of the cake. Try to get the edges as sharp as you can.

• Once you have a smooth finish, let the ganache set. I just put my cake in the fridge for about 20 minutes. Then apply ganache to the top of the cake and let it set for about another hour in the fridge. Remove all excess and try to keep everything even and the edges sharp.

That's about as smooth as I could get it with a butter knife...but it worked!

 Now you can cover with fondant or just begin decorating as you please!

As I make more cakes I will do more tutorials on how to cover round cakes, shaped cakes, and cupcakes.

Oh, and here is the recipe for the ganache that I used. It made enough to cover a 9x9 square cake as seen here with plenty left over.


Dark Chocolate Ganache

2 lb 10 oz dark chocolate
2 1/3 cups + 1 tablespoon whipping cream

1. Place chocolate in a large bowl.
2. Put the cream in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Pour the cream over the chocolate and mix with a hand whisk until smooth. Allow to cool and then refrigerate.