The Best Chocolate Ganache Recipe
Traditional chocolate ganache is made by heating up cream and pouring it over chocolate, waiting for it to melt, adding flavoring, and stirring it together until smooth. Depending on the temperature, chocolate ganache can become a glaze, a drip, ganache frosting, or even truffles.
Servings: 24 ounces
Calories: 302kcal
Ingredients
Firm Setting Ganache 2:1
- 16 ounces dark or semi-sweet chocolate
- 8 ounces heavy whipping cream
- ¼ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or any other extract
Soft Ganache Frosting 1:1
- 8 ounces 60% high quality chocolate Such as callebaut - about $8/lb
- 8 ounces heavy whipping cream
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Soft White Chocolate Ganache 3:1
- 18 ounces white chocolate
- 6 ounces heavy whipping cream
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Soft Milk Chocolate Ganache 2.5:1
- 13 ounces milk chocolate
- 5 ounces heavy whipping cream
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- IMPORTANT NOTES: Ganache ratios change depending on how you’re going to use them, and the type of chocolate you're using. I'm using Guittard chocolate for these ratios, if you’re using a different brand and it’s not as thick or thin as you want it, you may have to add more cream or chocolate. The darker the chocolate and the more cocoa %, the firmer it will set.Using a scale is recommended for accuracy and to ensure your ganache turns out.
- Measure out the chocolate with a food scale and chop it into fine pieces so that it melts more easily. Place the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl.
Making Chocolate Ganache
- Heat the cream on the stovetop in a small saucepan until steam just begins to rise from the surface. Whisk occasionally to prevent burning and don’t walk away or your cream could boil over.
- Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate and push the chocolate down so it’s all under the surface of the cream. Let the mixture of chocolate and cream sit for 5 minutes.
- Whisk the cream and chocolate together until it’s smooth. Start with small circles in the center until the chocolate and cream start creating an emulsion.
- If you have lumps or un-melted chocolate you can use an immersion blender to make your ganache super creamy and lump-free.
- Use the warm ganache for piping and drizzling, or pour it into a baking sheet pan. I cool mine to 90ºF before doing the drip for a cake so it doesn't run too much down the size of the cake. For best results always drip on a cold cake.
- Cover the ganache with plastic wrap touching the top and set it aside to rest at room temperature for about 4 hours or overnight. If you don't do this crusty film can form on the surface.
- When the ganache reaches "peanut butter consistency" it is ready to use for frosting cakes, piping, or forming into truffles.
- Store leftover ganache at room temperature for up to 48 hours, in the fridge for up to 1 week, or seal it in an airtight container and freeze for 6 months.
Video
Notes
Use good-quality chocolate. Chocolate bars that contain cocoa butter melt more smoothly than many chocolate chips, which often contain stabilizers that can make ganache thicker or grainy.
Always chop the chocolate finely. Smaller pieces melt more evenly when the hot cream is added, helping prevent lumps in your ganache.
Let the cream sit before whisking. After pouring the hot cream over the chocolate, let it sit for about 5 minutes before stirring. This gives the chocolate time to melt fully and helps create a smooth emulsion.
Different chocolates require different ratios. Dark, milk, and white chocolate all contain different amounts of cocoa butter and sugar. If your ganache is too thick or too thin, simply add more warm cream to loosen it or more melted chocolate to firm it up.
Use an immersion blender for ultra-smooth ganache. If your ganache looks slightly separated or has small lumps, blending it for a few seconds will bring it back together and create a glossy texture.
Ganache thickens as it cools. Warm ganache is perfect for drip cakes and glazing. As it cools to room temperature, it thickens to a spreadable frosting consistency.
Store properly. Ganache can be kept at room temperature for up to 48 hours, refrigerated for 1 week, or frozen for 6 months. Rewarm gently in the microwave in short bursts or allow it to come back to room temperature.
Nutrition
Serving: 2oz | Calories: 302kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 127mg | Potassium: 136mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 475IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 67mg | Iron: 1mg
