At Planet Cake we follow the 3 DAY RULE:
Day One: Bake your cake & allow cooling time (or freeze)
Day Two: Cut and ganache cake and allow setting time
Day Three: Decorate
SHAPING A 3D CAKE
When cutting and ganaching a complex cake you need to approach your cake like a sculptor rather than a baker. Each complex cake will require different set up instructions and making complex cakes is a messy business. Before you start, it is important to be well prepared with templates, equipment and freezer space.
Although your cake may start as a square, you may use many little pieces all glued together with ganache to make your shape. The idea is to amass enough cake to carve/sculpt your shape, before it is rough ganached and then hot knifed. Once it receives its final layer of ganache it will be perfect.
BAKING
To achieve good results with a baked cake, always make sure all ingredients are at room temperature. Always preheat your oven and never open the oven door during first 30 minutes of baking. Always bake your cake in centre of the oven. A skewer test will tell you if your cake is cooked right through or not. Always cool cakes on a wire rack.
STORING LEFTOVER CAKE
If you have left over cake, glad wrap it, pop it in an airtight Tupperware container and keep it in the freezer. Keep the container away from meat as it will absorb the flavour. As a general rule, don’t keep frozen cake longer than 3 months and it is better to freeze just the cake, without ganache.
Want more fanatstic advice from Paris? CLICK HERE or ask her a question HERE
I follow the 3 day rule, but still have not tried to ganache a cake.