I do not own a cake stand, and as if that is going to stop me from picking up frosting skills?

I can always remove the glass tray from my microwave oven, balance it over a large rim bowl to elevate it, and tah-dah: my makeshift frosting station is set up! That’s how much I like to make my stuff “multitasks”.

I have been using this Chocolate Ganache recipe to make my cakes look every inch fancier.  No matter how I spread it, the frosting never appears messy, just pretty and glossy, no piping skills required!

CHOCOLATE GANACHE FROSTING
Source
INGREDIENTS :

- 10 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup water (or cream, if you prefer it richer)
- 1 and 1/2 sticks or 170g unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

 INSTRUCTIONS :

01. Place water/cream and the chocolate in a small metal pot, melt the chocolate by placing the pot over pan filled with barely simmering water.  Stir occasionally and remove the pot from the simmering water once all the chocolate has melted.
02. Whisk cubed butter into the chocolate mixture until they have completely melted.  The frosting should look smooth and glossy.
03. Set aside at room temperature let it cool down to a spreadable consistency.

++ Notes To Self ++
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this recipe is enough to generously frost a 2 tier 9 inch cake, with about 1/2 cup leftover.
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the frosting appears to be runny but i still manage to use it to frost my cake, sides and all, at room temperature.  However, the slippery frosting between a 2-tier cake makes cutting difficult, the layers appear to be sliding off each other with every slicing motion.  My solution is to chill the cake slightly in the fridge to set the frosting before cutting it.
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