Ganache
Ganache is chocolate melted into hot cream. Change the ratio and it becomes a glaze, a whipped frosting or firm truffles. Here are the ratios to use.
Ganache is a smooth mix of chocolate and hot cream. It is one of the most useful chocolate preparations: thin, it is a glossy glaze or drip, and thick, it is a filling for truffles and tarts. Once cooled, it can be whipped into a light frosting. The ratio of chocolate to cream decides how firm it sets.
How to do it
- Chop the chocolate finely so it melts evenly.
- Heat heavy cream (whipping cream in the UK, as double cream is richer) until it just starts to bubble at the edges.
- Pour the cream over the chocolate and leave it for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Stir from the center outwards with a spatula, in small circles, until smooth and glossy.
- Use it warm, or let it cool and thicken.
Why it works
Ganache is an emulsion. Fat from the cocoa butter and cream is held in tiny drops inside the water from the cream. Stirring from the middle helps that emulsion form. More chocolate means more cocoa solids and cocoa butter, so it sets harder.
How to use it
Ratios are by weight, for dark chocolate with about 55 to 70 percent cocoa:
| Chocolate to cream | Texture | Use |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 2 | Pourable, soft when set | Drips, sauces, whipped ganache |
| 1 to 1 | Spreadable once cool | Glaze, cake filling, frosting |
| 2 to 1 | Firm and rollable | Truffles, tart filling |
Milk and white chocolate are softer, so use about twice and three times as much chocolate as cream for the same firmness. To whip it, chill a 1 to 2 ganache for a few hours, then beat it until it turns pale and holds soft peaks.
How to store it
Ganache keeps covered in the fridge for up to 1 week. Warm it gently over a pan of hot water or in short bursts in the microwave until it flows again.
Common mistakes
- Boiling the cream hard and pouring it straight on. The chocolate can scorch or the fat can separate.
- Whisking hard. It adds bubbles that show on a glaze.
- A greasy, split ganache. Stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons of warm milk, or blend it with an immersion blender to bring it back.
- Adding a few drops of cold liquid later. A small splash of water can make chocolate seize into a stiff paste. Add liquids warm and in larger amounts.
Ganache recipes
10 recipes from the sites we collect.
Chocolate Ganache
www.onceuponachef.com · 10 min
Vegan Chocolate Ganache Frosting
minimalistbaker.com · 121 min
No-Bake Vegan Brownies with Chocolate Ganache
minimalistbaker.com · 21 min
Flourless Chocolate Almond Cake with Chocolate Ganache
www.onceuponachef.com · 120 min
1-Bowl Vegan Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake
minimalistbaker.com · 55 min
Chocolate Kisses (Baci di Cioccolato)
www.onceuponachef.com · 60 min
Chocolate Macarons
www.onceuponachef.com · 60 min
The Best Vegan Gluten-Free Chocolate Cupcakes
minimalistbaker.com · 50 min
Vegan Peanut Butter Cup Pie
minimalistbaker.com · 40 min
No-Bake Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecakes
minimalistbaker.com · 30 min
Related terms
- Heavy creamHeavy cream is rich cream with at least 36 percent fat that whips well and can boil without curdling. Here are its UK, Swedish and Australian names.
- FrostTo frost is to spread a thick, creamy layer such as buttercream over a cooled cake or cupcakes. Here is how to get a smooth coat without crumbs.
- GlazeA glaze is a thin, shiny coating brushed or poured on food, from sugar icing on cakes to jam on tarts and sticky sauces on meat. Here is how to make one.
- Temper chocolateTempering chocolate is melting and cooling it to set temperatures so it sets glossy and snaps cleanly. Here are the temperatures for dark, milk and white.
- SeizeChocolate seizes when a few drops of water turn it from smooth and melted to thick, grainy and stiff. Here is how to avoid and rescue it.
- Split sauceA split sauce is an emulsion, like mayonnaise or hollandaise, that has separated into fat and thin liquid. Here is why it happens and how to fix it.