Chocolate Ganache x3

If you have not heard of ganache yet, I think you will be in for a treat today.  Chocolate+cream=yum.  and that’s all it is, just 2 ingredients.  Can’t get much easier, right?

I’m going to show you not only how to make it, but also 3 different ways to use it!  I love this recipe because it’s versatile, and easy to alter the level of dark flavor, while still staying consistently delicious. 

Chocolate Ganache

this is a ratio recipe, 2:1 but I’ll also include an example with exact amounts.

2 parts chocolate: (chocolate chips, a bar, or a combination)

*use the chocolate you like best (milk, semi or bittersweet), but remember that you’re adding cream, which essentially makes it more ‘milky’  Play around, mix some, see which combination you like best*

1 part heavy whipping cream

 

For example:

1 C or 8 oz chocolate (I used two 3.5 oz bars and a handful of chips)

1/2 C heavy whipping cream

• If you have a chocolate bar, coarsely chop it. Chocolate chips are fine as is:



• Set your cream in a small pot on the stove over medium heat.

• Place your chocolate in a bowl large enough to hold both chocolate and cream.

• Watch your cream.  When it starts to get foamy around the edges and bubbling like it’s almost about to boil, take it off the heat and pour it over your chocolate:



• Stir the mixture to coat all the chocolate and then let it sit for a few minutes.

• Stir your mixture to help it combine, and keep stirring until all the chocolate is melted:



• If you have a few stubborn pieces of chocolate that are refusing to melt, you can toss it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds then stir some more.

Now that it’s made, here are the three ways you can use it:

#1 use it right away.  It’s nice and runny, and is perfect if you want the drizzle look:

 

#2 let it sit until it starts to set up.  If you’re in a hurry, you can throw it in the fridge, but I like to cover it with plastic wrap then forget about it for an hour or so.  Once it’s set up, it will look like this:

um, that looks delicious.  and it is.  This is great for piping pretty chocolate decorations, or even frosting a whole cake.

#3 make some whipped ganache. After it has set up (in #2) you can beat it until it’s light and fluffy:

the color changes the more you whip it.  Whipped ganache is currently one of my favorite cake fillings.

 

Have fun! Get creative! You honestly probably can’t go wrong with chocolate and cream!

Sweetened Whipped Cream

I have a confession.  Heavy whipping cream is a staple in my house.  Yup…..  it no longer is a, “There is a special occasion treat that requires whipping cream, I’ll add it to my list,” but a “Oh no, we’re almost out of cream and milk, we need to go to the store. Now.”   It stays fresh for a long time, and I use it often enough that it’s worth keeping on hand. 

I really love being able to make my own whipped cream.  It’s super easy! and so delicious.  It will transform your waffles.  or pie.  or hot chocolate. or cupcakes.  or whatever you’re planning to put it on!

Sweetened Whipped Cream

1 Cup heavy whipping cream

1/4-1/3 Cup powdered sugar*

1/2 tsp vanilla

*just depending on how sweet you want it.   

• Put cream in a bowl, and begin to whip on medium high with either a standing or hand mixer.

• When it gets to super soft peaks:

• scrape down the sides, and add the sugar and vanilla. 

• Whip on medium-high until your desired consistency!

 

(note: this is really stiff.  probably even whipped it a bit too long.  But, it still tasted fabulous.  I have yet to mess this recipe up!)

Apple Cake Pops

It’s back to school time!  This is our first official school year, I dropped off my oldest this morning for her first day of kindergarten.  She was absolutely beyond excited, we’ve been counting down for over week.  I wanted to make it a special day, so that each year my kids will hopefully look forward to back to school, instead of dreading it. 

My kids LOVE ‘pop cakes’ (that’s what they call em) so they were very excited to see some apple ones.  Not sure if they made the connection with apples=school, but oh well.  I’m actually not even positive I know why apples=school, but it seems like they do.  It was the perfect little treat for my daughter’s first lunch at school.  My daughter also shared with her new teacher while I was dropping her off, and my almost 2 yr old tried to grab the cake pop back from the teacher :)

Apple Cake Pops (inspired from Bakerella)

basic cake pop tutorial

baked cake + 3/4 C whipping cream

lollipop sticks

red candy melts

pretzel sticks (the straight ones): break off an end to stick in for the stem

green candy melts (or green leaf shaped sprinkles of some kind)

• Instead of rolling the cake mixture into round balls, try to make them shaped more like an apple.  I did thinner on bottom, and fatter on top, with an indent where the pretzel stick would go.  I also poked a hole in the middle of the indent with a lollipop stick. 

I made my own leaves with green candy melts: 



• melt green candy melts in a disposable piping bag, cut off the tip, then pipe leaves onto wax paper.  After the candy melts harden, they come right off.  It was fun practicing piping, and since I made so many I got to pick my favorites.

• After they are chilled, dip them into melted red candy melts, and stick in the pretzel and leaf before the red candy hardens.



There you go!  I hope everyone has a smooth transition during this busy time of year!!

How to make “Buttermilk”

The only time I ever have real buttermilk in my house is when my husband isn’t traveling, and he feels like making some mean, from scratch, buttermilk pancakes.  Yeah, not so often.  But, I have some recipes that call for buttermilk, so…..  what’s a girl supposed to do? Make a special trip to the store for a quart of buttermilk only to use 1/2 C?  I don’t think so.  This is WAY easy, and you’ll never know the difference in your baked goods!  I got this tip from my Better Homes and Gardens cookbook, they call it sour milk.

Sour Milk (substitute for buttermilk)  makes 1 cup

1 Tblsp distilled white vinegar

almost 1 Cup milk

Pour 1 Tablespoon vinegar into a 1 Cup measurer.

Add enough milk to fill the cup measurer to the top.

Stir the mixture to combine, then let sit for 5 minutes before use.

Done.and.done.  Wasn’t that easy?

If you don’t need a whole cup, just adjust the recipe:

for 1/2 C, pour in 1/2 T vinegar, and fill to 1/2 C with milk.

Chocolate & Raspberry Cake

Last summer my husband and I were in downtown Seattle, and we stopped in a cute little bakery.  I remember I got a couple little handmade chocolates, and he got a pile of raspberries, covered in chocolate.  and he loved it.  We’ve talked about it a couple of times since then.

So, when I asked him what cake he wanted for his birthday, I wasn’t super surprised that he asked for a chocolate layer cake with raspberry drizzle of some kind.  and I remembered a cake that both my cousin (she has some great step by step photos) and my mom have made and both loved.  I showed him the pictures from the original maker and he gave the stamp of approval. 

Chocolate Raspberry Ganache Cake Makes a three layer 8″ cake
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup canola oil
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
Raspberry Ganache (recipe follows)
1 cup raspberry jam (I recommend seedless!)

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and prepare three 8” cake pans with parchment paper and either a flour spray (like baker’s joy) or butter and dust with cocoa.
• Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl and mix together to combine. ( I did this in my standing mixer, with the paddle attachment)
• Mix in the oil and sour cream (it will be thick!) then gradually beat in the water.
• Mix in the vanilla and vinegar, then beat in the eggs until batter is combined. (now the batter will be fairly runny.  I was a little nervous, but it turned out great)
• Evenly divide the batter into your 3 cake pans, bake for 30-35 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool in pans for 20 minutes, then flip onto cooling racks and cool completely.
• While your cakes are cooling make the raspberry ganache (recipe is down the page a little bit)
• Once you have all the ingredients, you can start assembling.  Cut your cakes to be level if you want.
• Lay one layer of cake on a plate, and cover the top with 1/3 C raspberry jam.  Spread some of the ganache on top of the jam.
• Repeat with the 2 other layers, including jam on the top.

  *I spread the ganache on top of the jam while it was still fairly warm/runny, then waited until it was more firm to ice the rest of the cake.

• Spread ganache around the outside of the cake.

I love that you can see the yummy raspberry jam swirling throughout the top!

Raspberry Ganache

15 oz chocolate, chopped *
2 cups raspberries (fresh or frozen)
1 C (2 sticks) butter, cut into pieces

*What kind of chocolate depends on what you like. If you like dark, get bittersweet. If you like milk, get semisweet, or even sweeter. I prefer milk chocolate, so I would recommend somewhere around a 50% cocoa (you can mix and match chocolates to get what you like)

• Bring a small amount of water to simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
• While the water is heating, microwave the raspberries in 30 or 60 second intervals, stirring and mashing with a fork in between. Once it becomes more of a liquid than berries, pour through a mesh sieve. You should get between 1/3-2/3 C raspberry sauce. Set aside.
• Make a double boiler: place the chopped chocolate and the butter in a heatproof bowl and set over the saucepan. The bowl should not touch the water. Stir until the chocolate and butter melt.
• Add the raspberry sauce, and stir to combine.
• Take off heat, and let cool until it’s thick enough to spread, stirring once in a while.

This cake is seriously moist.  and delicious. and thank goodness my husband enjoyed it too.