1. Always chop chocolate finely or keep them to similar size pieces. That way the whole batch will melt evenly.
2. Never let heavy whipping cream boil. You want the cream to be hot but not boiling. If necessary it's better to place the ganache in the microwave for 30 seconds to get the last bit of unmelted chocolate.
3. If you have one or two stubborn pieces of chocolate left in the ganache that won't melt. It's best to remove them, then to take a chance of overheating the whole batch and risking a split.
4. Microwave ganache - often a culprit of overheated ganache. Depending on how big the batch is, start with 30 seconds then heat at increments of 1o secs stirring between every interval to distribute the heat evenly.
5. Ganache has split or separated - this happens when the cocoa solids and fat don't emulsify properly. Add a splash of milk and give it a good stir. Add another splash and stir again until you have a smooth ganache.
6. If the chocolate looks lumpy, grainy means you have overheated the chocolate. Use a stick blender and give it a whiz. All should be well again.
7. If you realize the ganache is split only after it has cooled. Add a little more chocolate to it. And reheat the melting process keeping a close watch, making sure to stir and encourage even distribution of heat. If necessary add more cream to maintain the ganache ratio you need.
8. Never over mix chocolate ganache - this will incorporate too much air into the ganache but also can cause the ganache to split. Especially with white chocolate ganache keep stirring to a minimum once the chocolate is melted.
9. Ganache is best made in a glass bowl when using a microwave and in stainless steel when using a stovetop. Never use plastic or aluminum for melting chocolate, the ganache will not have a shiny appearance.
10. Place a plastic wrap/cling wrap directly over the ganache when letting it cool. This will prevent any crust from forming on top.

How to use chocolate ganache

• Ganache Drips – Fresh ganache in its liquid form works such a treat over drizzled cupcakes like the one below in the video.
• Ganache glaze – Again fresh ganache while still in its liquid form can be poured over your favorite dessert or cake for that chocolate glaze. If your ganache is a bit thick, add a tablespoon or two or corn syrup or vegetable oil – voila..it’s pouring consistency now.
• Ganache a cake – Let the fresh ganache set for a while and guess what happens the chocolate in it sets which makes it thicker and easy to spread – similar to peanut butter consistency. Now, you can spread it between layers of a cake and around the cake. Apply liberally to the cake, use a warm spatula to smooth it. If necessary chill it to let it set between spreading.
  Tip – if you need to wrap a cake with ganache – do not use this recipe. Use my cake decorators ganache recipes instead. Trust me on this one, I’ve been a cake decorator for years.
• Piped ganache – Whip the cooled ganache a little to add volume to the cream in the ganache. This also adds stability to the ganache which means you can put it in a piping bag and pipe amazing details to decorated cakes and cupcakes.
  Tip/Trick: if you over whip your ganache? don’t worry too much – just add a tablespoon of milk and give it a good stir.. it should be smooth and creamy again.