Welcome to the Cake Decorators Q&A

To the Cakeflix team,

I am attempting the tank cake for my son’s birthday party on Saturday morning (5th October). It’s sunday evening and I have already made Paul’s chocolate cake and it’s currently in the freezer.

I have all the decorating ingredients ready but have no idea when is best to get the cake out the freezer and start making the milk chocolate ganache and begin decorating the cake to ensure it is still fresh for saturday’s party?

Please could someone advise? Thank you very much, Natalie x

CakeFlix Guidance

Does ganache need to be refrigerated?

Does ganache need to be refrigerated? The answer depends on your recipe and storage conditions. Paul’s suggested timescales below provide a guide for planning your cake decorating, but they are not guaranteed safe shelf lives for every ganache mix.

How long does chocolate ganache last?

Paul suggests the following timescales for his mixes when prepared and stored correctly:

You need to carry out your own shelf life tests based on your exact mix, ingredients and room environment. The chocolate-to-cream ratio, added flavourings, preparation methods, temperature and humidity can all affect the results. A mix that keeps well in one decorator’s workspace may behave differently in another.

These suggested timescales should only be used where testing supports them for your recipe and conditions. For cream-based ganache without a validated room-temperature shelf life, refrigeration is the safest default. Appearance, smell and taste alone cannot establish that a product is safe.

What about a ganache-covered cake?

Consider the cake and every filling as well as the ganache. Use the shortest validated shelf life of any component when planning storage and serving.

For more information, including freezing, defrosting and storing decorated cakes, read our full guide to how long ganache lasts.

Need more Important Information on Baking and Cake Decorating?

Learning about how to make and store ganache is just one of 39 lessons covered in the CakeFlix Diploma, which, along with 1,800+ tutorials from 100+ of the world’s top cake artists, comes as part of your CakeFlix membership from only £5.17 a month (billed annually).

Making and Storing Ganache | Module 1 | CakeFlix Diploma

Hi Natalie

Ganache is pretty stable and will last a couple of weeks in the fridge in an airtight container. Make sure the cream is well in date or use UHT cream which will give a better shelf life. It can be made the night before you start decorating. Once made, cover the surface of the ganache with cling film to prevent a crust forming on it. It doesn’t have to be refrigerated. However, if you decide to place it in the fridge, it will become solid. To bring back to working consistency, remove the cling film and gently heat it in the microwave on medium heat for 20 -30 seconds increments. Gently mix after each warming until you have a thick glossy emulsion.

Take the cake out of the freezer the day before you need to decorate and let it defrost in a cake box in the fridge. If you have it covered in clingfilm, leave that on to keep the cake moist. Paul’s chocolate cake has a shelf life of approximately five to seven days so you could start carving and decorating it three days before your son’s birthday. I bake Paul’s recipe quite and lot and it stays moist.

Ganache and cake shelf life is discussed comprehensively throughout Q & A. To see helpful answers, links to blogs, please search ‘ganache’ and ‘shelf life of cake’ in the search bar parallel to the right of your user name. Also, search ‘ganache’ in the blog section to see related topics.

Please let me know if this helps or if you need any other information. 🙂

That’s all so helpful, thank you very much. I’ll be making ganache today with the intention of starting decorating Wednesday/ Thursday.
Thanks again x

You’re welcome Natalie. Hope all goes well, good luck and Happy Birthday to your son. ?

Hi everyone,
Is it ok to mix milk and plain chocolate for ganache, I have various bars and brands that I want to use up?
Also how would I calculate the cream to chocolate ratio please.
Thankyou x

Hi Sandra Bibby

Milk can be used to make ganache but it won’t be as strong as when made with cream. Milk has a lot less fat content so, although the liquid will blend in with the chocolate, it will not have the strength or shelf life. It will probably crack once dry and not have the same shine. You could add some butter into the ganache which will boost its fat content.

To calculate chocolate to cream ratios, take a peek at the Cakeflix ganache calculator which you will find under the resources tab. There you will also find other useful calculators. Here is the link:

Cake Calculators

Hope you find them all useful. ?