Welcome to the Cake Decorators Q&A

I’m learning all about the ganache techniques and seems to be easier to do going by the tutorials… Previously, I would have used buttercream (bit of a nightmare) but most of my cakes I do is victoria sponge.. what is the best way of covering the sponge? Ganache?? What do put in the middle of my cakes then if I do ganache?

Hi Leah

Ganache can certainly be used for covering victoria sponge cake in the same way as you would use buttercream. Since you are already using vanilla sponge/victoria sandwich cakes, you will be aware how long a sponge remains fresh. The only thing different that you’ll be doing is crumbcoating with ganache instead of buttercream. Ganache will set to give a chocolate shell to protect the cake inside and give a smooth sturdy platform for enrobing with icing. For light cakes such as victoria sponge, most people would use milk or white ganache for the crumb coat. The flavour of dark ganache on such a delicate cake may not be as complimentary. Use any fillings in the middle that you would in a buttercream cake, ensuring not to over fill so to minimise bulging. When using white or milk chocolate, more chocolate is used to make a strong ganache which will set hard. You’ll find ganache quantities charts for covering and filling cakes of different layers and depths in the following link:

Carry on Ganaching! New Charts and Recipes

If you’d like to flavour the ganache, use a good oil based extract for chocolate rather than extracts used in flavouring batter or buttercream. Hope some of this helps and please do post again if you need more information. 🙂

I have also started using ganache, I mixed it with buttercream following the chart given, it was white chocolate, it was ok as a filling but I think I should have used only ganache to enrobe, as it would have dried crisper. I have been looking at another option, adding 1tablespoon meringue powder to 1 lb icing sugar , then adding to creamed butter,

nicky223.

Hello nicky223

I think perhaps you may have used the buttercream chart with added ganache which is here:

How much buttercream do you need to cover a cake?

The amount of ganache added to the buttercream is a guide to give it structure during hot weather. It does not set shell hard like ganache and is given as a choice to members who prefer using buttercream over ganache.
The ganache on it’s own coverage and filling charts is given in my answer to Leah. It is for the three types of chocolate most people ask to make ganache from. Hope this helps any confusion.

Thank you for that update, it does clear up my confusion, and now I understand the quantities and the way it is used.

nicky223.

You’re welcome nicky223! 🙂