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in a few days, I will be trying to create a buttock shaped cake (back and buttocks). I want the fondant to look very smooth and want to ganache the cake to have a smooth effect. I will be using dark chocolate to make the ganache. I am pretty good at ganaching a square or a round cake (traditional method) before I fondant the cake but am not very confident getting the ganache smooth on a carved cake. I only did it once and it was a disaster and wasn't smooth at all.

I was wondering if I could pour a layer or 2 of ganache while it hasn't set yet but is cool enough so that it sets firm on the cake and gives me a smooth finish. I couldn't find anything anywhere and was wondering why its always the traditional ganaching method and if the pouring method would work or not.

This is the look I'm trying to achieve but with a carved cake

enter image description here

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  • I noticed noone has commented on this yet, but can I inquire (for the sake of knowing) why you are making a buttock shaped (chocolate, of all the different flavors to chooses from haha) cake.
    – Jay
    Dec 26, 2013 at 4:13
  • @Jay: Coz my boyfriend likes mine....haha
    – Divi
    Dec 26, 2013 at 4:14

2 Answers 2

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I asked a professional cake maker at the shop where I buy my cake ingredients and got told not to pour the ganache for the effect that I was trying to achieve. I got my results by following method:

  • First, I applied the ganache as usual, following the traditional method.
  • Then I dipped my hands in hot water and smoothed the ganache with the wet hands
  • In the end, I used a hot knife to get it perfectly smooth.

This made a good looking cake.

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There is no reason pouring ganache wouldn't work for this. 50/50 cream to bittersweet chocolate will work just fine. Just move quickly while the ganache is warm - you shouldn't have any problem at all.

here's a picture of a cake iced by pouring 50/50 ganache:

enter image description here

50/50 poured ganache sets firm in the sense that it stays put once it has cooled. Considering the carving that your cake is going to require, and the fragility that I would expect in the cake, I'd definitely go with a liquid that is more pourable than the icing in your picture looks to be. 50/50 ganache slices just fine. Look at the cut out in my picture. The slice through the ganache will just as "clean" 48 hours later.

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