Ganache

Ganache (pronounced guh-nahsh) is a chocolate glaze made from a 1:1 mixture of warmed heavy cream and chocolate. It has a silky smooth texture with a soft bite to it. Stirred until smooth, silky, and shiny, ganache is a staple in any baker’s kitchen. It’s not only easy and quick, it’s uniquely versatile. Although it’ll firm up in the fridge, it’s not crunchy like a chocolate shell.

Chocolate ganache can be a filling, dip, spread, frosting, topping, or layer in a cake. The uses are virtually endless!

The ratio of chocolate to cream determines how firm the ganache will be. The more cream you use, the softer your ganache will be. Ganache is also used as the base for chocolate truffles. Use less cream when making chocolate truffles because the 1:1 ratio is too thin and sticky. Instead of a 1:1 ratio, use twice the amount of chocolate than cream means the ganache will be very thick, almost like fudge, in other words, a 1:2 ratio of heavy cream to chocolate. You will find many recipes making ganache in different ways.

You can keep ganache at room temperature for up to 2 days before transferring it to the fridge. But it is best to put your ganache covered desserts in the fridge right away because if the chocolate gets too warm, it gets messy to cut and serve.

How to Make Chocolate Ganache
from https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/

You only need 2 ingredients and a few minutes to make pure chocolate ganache. Semi-sweet is the best chocolate for ganache (which is usually between 40%-60% cacao), but you can also use bittersweet or white chocolate. Do not use milk chocolate as the chocolate flavor won’t be as pronounced.

2 4-ounce quality semi-sweet chocolate bars (113g each), finely chopped (see note about using white chocolate)*
1 cup (8 ounces; 240ml) heavy cream or heavy whipping cream [2/3 cups if using using white chocolate - see note below]

Place chopped chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it begins to gently simmer. (Do not let it come to a rapid boil– that’s too hot!) Pour over chocolate, then let it sit for 2-3 minutes to gently soften the chocolate. If you start stirring now, the chocolate could separate and become too gritty.

With a metal spoon or small rubber spatula, very slowly stir until completely combined and chocolate has melted. The finer you chopped the chocolate, the quicker it will melt with the cream. If it’s not melting, do not microwave it. See Troubleshooting Chocolate Ganache in blog post above.

If the chocolate isn’t melting, it wasn’t chopped fine enough or the cream wasn’t warm enough. Chop the chocolate into very small pieces and warm the cream until it’s just simmering. The microwave doesn’t evenly warm cream like the stove does, so I always recommend the stove. If you’re left with chocolate chunks swimming in cream, do not microwave it. Instead, place the mixture into a double boiler OR place the glass bowl over a small saucepan of simmering water. Do not let the surface of the simmering water touch the bottom of the glass bowl. Stir the ganache constantly over the indirect heat until it’s smooth.

Ganache is ready to use as a drizzle or you can let it sit at room temperature to cool and thicken. It will fully cool within 2 hours. Refrigerating speeds this up, but the ganache will not cool evenly. Stir it a few times as it sets in the refrigerator so it remains even and smooth.

Once completely cool and thick, the ganache can be piped with a piping tip or scooped with a spoon.

You can also beat the cooled thickened ganache with a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until light in color and texture, about 4 minutes on medium-high speed. Now you have a decadent mousse-like frosting without an onslaught of extra sugar.

Cover tightly and store ganache in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Once ganache cools completely, you can cover it tightly and freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator. To rewarm or thin out again, stir constantly over low heat on the stove in either (1) a double boiler or (2) in a heatproof bowl placed over a pot of simmering water. Don’t let the bottom of the bowl touch the simmering water.

Yields 1 and 1/2 cups liquid/drizzle/scoop-able ganache. This is enough to cover 1 dozen cupcakes. For piped cupcakes, you may want to double the ganache to ensure there is plenty for piping. If whipping the ganache, you’ll have close to 3 cups. This is enough for 1 dozen cupcakes.

Notes

Chocolate: Ganache will only set if the correct chocolate is used. You can use high quality chocolate chips if needed (the author prefers Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips), but I (the author) recommend using pure chocolate baking bars. You can find them right next to the chocolate chips in the baking aisle. They are sold in 4 ounce bars. I like Bakers or Ghirardelli brands. You can use other varieties of chocolate too, such as milk chocolate (aka German Chocolate) or Dark Chocolate. If using white chocolate, reduce the cream to 2/3 cup (160ml). White chocolate is softer, so you need less cream.

Halve or Double: You can easily halve or double this recipe. No matter how much ganache you are making, you always need equal parts chocolate and cream.

Dairy-Free Alternative for Heavy Cream: Use full-fat canned coconut milk. Shake it up before opening. Whisk on the stove as it heats and bring to a simmer. Measure 1 cup (8 ounces; 240ml). Use instead of warm heavy cream.