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Ganache:
Place the chopped chocolate in a medium sized heatproof bowl. Set aside.
Heat the cream and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. (Can
also heat the cream and butter in the microwave.) Bring just to a boil. Immediately pour the boiling cream over the chocolate
and allow to stand, without stirring, for a few minutes. Stir
gently (as you do not want to incorporate air into the ganache) with a
spoon or whisk until smooth. If
desired, add the liqueur.
Makes enough ganache to cover one - 9 inch (23 cm) cake or torte.
To Cover a Torte or
Cake: If
the cake you are covering needs to be refrigerated, first chill the
cake. (This will ensure
that the ganache will not lose its shine when the cake is stored in the refrigerator.)
First, brush any loose crumbs
from the cake. Using a cake spatula or knife, cover the sides and top of the
cake with a thin layer of ganache. (This is called a crumb coat
and seals in any cake crumbs so that your cake will have a smooth finish.) Refrigerate
the cake for about 5 minutes or until the crumb coat has set. Then place the cake on a wire rack,
and put the wire rack on top of a large baking sheet (to catch any excess
ganache that drips from cake.) Then pour
the ganache into the center of the cake. Working quickly, spread the ganache with
a large metal spatula or knife, using big strokes to push the ganache over the sides of the cake.
(This will
create an even coating of ganache.) If there are any bare spots on the sides of
the cake, cover with ganache. Let the ganache set before covering and storing
the cake.
Leftover
ganache can be strained to remove any crumbs. It can be used to make chocolate
truffles. Cover and refrigerate the ganache until firm (several hours or
overnight). Roll into small
balls and then roll in
cocoa powder, confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar or chopped nuts. You can use your
hands to form the truffles, a melon baller or small spoon. Truffles can
be refrigerated for a couple of weeks or else frozen for a couple of months.
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