Welcome to the Cake Decorators Q&A

Hello,
Looking for a bit of advice. I am a hobby baker and have been asked to do a wedding cake for my friend, have done a few tiered cakes now so ok with that bit.
The couple have requested a 3 tiered cake with different flavours on each tie, covered in chocoalte ganache with different coloured choc ciggarellos on each tier. I’m ok with two of them dark chocolate and lemon cake.
However the groom has specifically asked that I make a spicy sultana cake (a childhood memory for him) but I’m not sure whether this will go with ganache. What do you think and what flavour ganache?
Thank you, Lorna.

Hi lorna

The flavours will go together. The trend now is chillie choc, chia masala, cinnamon and a host of other spicy herby flavours. I’ve used Christmas spices in ganache and also infused herbs, so the spicy sultana cake with chocolate would be lovely. I would keep the ganache neutral or infuse the cream with vanilla pods to compliment the spices in the cake. For the infusion, boil the cream with a vanilla pod, scrape out the vanilla beans and leave it all to infuse for 15 -20 minutes, remove the pod, strain the cream and reheat, add to your chocolate for the ganache. If you want a strong vanilla taste leave to infuse longer. You could use warm spices same as in the cake but I think that would be too much. Just another thought you could infuse orange zest which would also compliment the spices in the cake. Infuse, strain and use as with the vanilla.

Thank you for your reply, some great ideas thanks! Will run them past the groom. Do you think white milk or dark choc will go best?

I would ask the groom for his preference. For me childhood choccy memories are of milky bars, cadbury dairy cream, Turkish delight and flake, ah those were the days!! Flavours are so evocative, I’d let him choose. Just remember that if you use milk or white, make your ganache 3:1 ratio as these don’t set as well as dark so you’ll need a bit more chocolate to cream. You asked a lovely question! x

Thanks very much, will do. And what a lovely, helpful answer as always 🙂 Xx

I would use marzipan and fondant.just another idea

Thanks Hilary for your idea. The bride has a severe nut allergy so can’t use marzipan. They also want choc cigarellos so need to use ganache with it. Xx