Lumpy Ganache

[kungpowchickin]

Hi, there,

So I made a very nice chocolate bundt cake to take to a potluck party today, and I decided to make a nice chocolate ganache icing for over the top. Naturally, I didn't have any heavy cream on hand and no time to run to the store. So....I decided to substitute cinnamon-vanilla coffee creamer for the heavy cream. A bit weird perhaps, but boy does it taste good. Mmmmmm.

Anyway, the problem is that it somehow became slightly lumpy when I mixed the boiled creamer with the hot melted chocolate. I'm not worried about it, because it tastes really good and the people I'm giving it to aren't fussy like that, but I'm just curious to know why it got lumpy?? Something in the creamer perhaps?

Any ganache experts out there?

Thanks!

 

[bakechef]

When you add anything like water or a water based ingredient (like coffee creamer) the chocolate will "seize" and get lumpy. The chocolate needs the high fat content of the heavy cream to stay smooth and velvety.

This is one of those instances where substitutions will not work well.

 

[kungpowchickin]

Ah! So if I had made the extra effort and gone to the store to get the proper ingredient, it would have worked out fine. Better luck next time, I guess. Thanks for the advice!

 

[LPBeier]

Also, you should not melt the chocolate first. This is the work of the hot cream. You can infuse the cream with vanilla (bean or paste, not liquid) and a cinnamon stick while it heats but that is the only way to get the flavour you want. Chop the chocolate into small pieces, pour the just barely boiling cream over the chocolate, let it sit for five minutes or so and then start stirring them together.

Do you agree bakechef?