Caramel Cappuccino Ganache

• Baker's Tip: To achieve that dreamy, airy texture in your ganache, use a high-quality white chocolate with 28 to 32% cocoa butter content. Something like Callebaut Velvet 32% is a solid pick for melt-in-your-mouth perfection, as this white chocolate is one of the silkiest and creamiest—not too sweet—and it provides a rich mouthfeel that never becomes too heavy when making this ganache. Avoid using Valrhona 35% or any chocolate with more than 32% cocoa solids, as it thickens the ganache too much, making it grainy and hard to spread.
   
• In a small saucepan, combine 500 grams of heavy cream, a generous pinch of sea salt flakes, one teaspoon of instant espresso powder, one tablespoon of glucose, and one to two teaspoons of vanilla bean paste. Warm the mixture over medium heat until it reaches a comfortable warmth, ideally between 75°C (165°F) and 80°C (176°F), but make sure it doesn't boil. Allow the mixture to cool slightly, ensuring it’s at 70°C (158°F) when you pour it over the caramel.
   
• Place 250 grams of good-quality, finely chopped or callet white chocolate in a large, tall measuring mug. Set aside for now.
   
• Baker's Note: Caramelizing sugar is about more than just achieving a golden brown color—it's crucial for developing the right flavor. As sugar caramelizes, it transforms from sweet to rich and complex, adding depth to your ganache.  Aim for a medium amber color to strike the perfect balance between sweetness and caramel flavor. Be careful not to overcook, as burnt sugar turns bitter and loses its sweetness.
   
• In a medium saucepan, add 150 grams of superfine sugar, 20 grams of water, and 15 grams of glucose syrup. Gently stir with a spoon just until the sugar is evenly moistened.
   
• Place the pan over medium-low heat and let the mixture gently bubble. It’s very important not to stir during this time; just allow the sugar to dissolve and caramelize on its own.
   
• As the sugar starts to caramelize, you’ll notice it turning a light color at first, then gradually deepening. When you see that the caramel is beginning to brown on one side, turn off the heat. Using a wooden spoon, gently stir the mixture to ensure the caramel develops an even color without burning.
   
• Continue to stir until the caramel reaches a medium amber color. This is the ideal stage—dark enough to have a true caramel flavor but not so dark that it becomes bitter. Be careful not to let it stay too light, as it will just taste sweet without that distinctive caramel richness.
   
• Baker's Note: It’s crucial to warm your cream before adding it to the caramelized sugar. Ensure the cream is at 70°C for the best results. While 60-70°C is an acceptable range, 70°C is preferable because it minimizes the temperature difference between the cream and the hot sugar, helping to prevent the caramel from seizing or clumping. This ensures a smooth and consistent ganache every time.
   
• Once the caramel reaches a perfect medium amber color, carefully pour in one-third of the warmed cream (at 70°C). Be prepared for the mixture to bubble up rapidly. Let it bubble for a few seconds before gently stirring. After it settles, add the next third of the cream, letting it bubble again before stirring. Finally, add the last portion of cream, stirring until everything is fully combined. The temperature of the cream is key to creating a smooth, cohesive mixture, so make sure it’s at 70°C to avoid any issues with the caramel seizing.
   
• After you’ve added all the cream and the caramel is smooth, let the mixture sit in the pan for a minute or two with the heat off. However, if you notice any lumps forming in the caramel, don’t panic. Simply remove the saucepan from the heat and let it rest on your kitchen counter for 20 minutes. This resting time allows any remaining bits to fully dissolve. Once the lumps have dissolved, you can gently re-warm the caramel to 70°C (158°F) before pouring it over the chocolate. This way, your ganache will turn out smooth and perfect.
   
• For easier handling, I recommend using a saucepan with a spout. This makes it simpler to pour the caramel into your chocolate without spilling, ensuring a clean and precise pour.
   
• Allow the mixture to cool down for 1 minute before drizzling over your white chocolate. This ensures the caramel cream is warm enough to pour without seizing the chocolate.
   
• Without stirring, slowly pour the warm caramel-coffee cream mixture over the white chocolate, and let it stand for 1 minute. Use a hand blender or immersion blender to mix until smooth, ensuring the ganache is thoroughly emulsified.
   
• Pour the mixture into an airtight container, and cover it with plastic wrap directly against the surface of the ganache to prevent a skin from forming.
   
• Refrigerate the ganache overnight to firm up and to deepen the salted caramel, vanilla, and coffee flavors.
   
• Baker's Note: The placement in your fridge matters more than you might think. The coldest parts of your fridge, often at the bottom or near the back, can cause the ganache to cool unevenly or too rapidly. This can lead to a texture that’s less than ideal when it's time to whip it, sometimes making it grainy or too firm to achieve that perfect, smooth consistency. For best results, aim to place your un-whipped ganache in the middle of the fridge where the temperature is more consistent and not as cold as the bottom.
   
• Baker's Note: When whipping ganache, especially with white chocolate, it's crucial to remember it's better to underwhip than to overwhip. Overwhipped ganache can quickly become too thick, affecting its luxurious texture. Aim to whip the ganache to a slightly softer consistency than you might initially think is needed, as ganache tends to firm up after settling. This preparation is particularly important if you plan to use the ganache for piping on your cupcakes or spreading it on your cake later.
   
• Pour the ganache into a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip at medium speed until you reach soft medium peaks—this typically takes about 10 to 30 seconds. If your unwhipped ganache feels extremely cold when you take it out of the fridge—especially if the bottom or side of the container feels very cold—it’s best to leave it at room temperature for about 20 minutes. Whipping a ganache mixture that is too cold (because your fridge might be too cold) can result in a grainy texture. This may extend the whipping time slightly beyond 30 seconds, so watch the mixture closely to achieve the perfect soft medium peaks.
   
• Whipped ganache is best used right away. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 to 5 days. There’s no need to re-whip the ganache.
   
• This ganache pairs best with cakes that are not too sweet, like apple pie, chocolate cakes, or gluten-free almond cakes, or use it to fill your cakes.