Chocolate Ganache – Everything You Need to Know!

Indulgence takes many forms, but few can rival the sheer delight of chocolate ganache! A velvety, luxurious concoction born from the marriage of chocolate and cream, ganache has become a beloved staple by bakers around the world.

It’s simple to make, but easy to mess up! But not to worry, because in this post I’m going to share literally everything you need to know about ganache (including dark, milk, white, whipped and pipeable ganache) so you never fail at making one again!

What is chocolate ganache?

Chocolate ganache is a luxurious mixture made by combining chocolate and cream. It is a smooth and velvety sauce or filling that adds a rich and indulgent touch to desserts. The process involves melting high-quality chocolate and blending it with warm cream until it forms a glossy and luscious mixture.

Depending on the desired consistency, ganache can be used as a pourable glaze, a fluffy frosting, or a solid filling. Its intense chocolate flavor and versatility make it a beloved ingredient in cakes, pastries, truffles, and more!

How do you make chocolate ganache

At its core, chocolate ganache is a simple and elegant blend of two primary ingredients: chocolate and cream. The process begins by gently heating heavy cream until it reaches the brink of boiling. The hot cream is then poured over finely chopped chocolate, allowing its warmth to coax the chocolate into melting. Left undisturbed for a few moments, the mixture gradually transforms into a smooth and shiny chocolate ganache!

Does the type of chocolate and cream I use matter?

In short, yes. When it comes to the chocolate, it’s best to use a couverture chocolate. This is because couverture chocolate contains a higher cocoa butter percentage compared to regular chocolate, meaning it will melt easier and also give you a shinier ganache.

Couverture chocolate can be a little expensive though, so the good news is you can get away with using a good quality chocolate bar that you would find at your regular supermarket. The only type of chocolate I would recommend not using is a compound chocolate, as it sets very firmly and doesn’t taste as good!

When it comes to the cream, you can technically use any type of cream, but for a perfect ganache you want to use a cream that has a fat percentage of 34% or higher. This will give you that perfect, glossy consistency!

The difference between dark, milk and white chocolate ganache

When it comes to making either dark, milk or white chocolate ganache, different ratios of chocolate to cream are used due to the differences in cocoa solids across the three types of chocolate.

Dark chocolate has the highest percentage of cocoa solids (usually around 35 – 60%), meaning it sets more firmly compared to other chocolates. This means we need more cream compared to a milk or white chocolate ganache.

Milk chocolate ganache contains a lower percentage of cocoa solids, therefore will require less cream to turn it into a silky ganache.

Lastly, white chocolate has no cocoa solids in it, and only has cocoa butter. This makes it easier to melt, so requires the least amount of cream to chocolate to make a ganache.

For a spreadable ganache that can be used as a glaze, filling, topping or frosting, I like to use the following ratios:

DARK CHOCOLATE GANACHE – 1:1 ratio of chocolate to cream.

MILK CHOCOLATE GANACHE – 1.5:1 ratio of chocolate to cream.

WHITE CHOCOLATE – 2.5:1 ratio of chocolate to cream.

See the recipe card below for instructions on how to make these different ganache’s.

How do I make a thinner or thicker ganache?

To make a thinner or thicker ganache, simply adjust the ratio of chocolate to cream used.

For example, to make a thinner dark chocolate ganache that I can use to whip into a delicious whipped cream frosting, I like to use the following ratio:

WHIPPED DARK CHOCOLATE GANACHE – 1:3 ratio of chocolate to cream.

For a thicker dark chocolate ganache that be used to pipe or make truffles, I like to use the following ratio:

PIPEABLE DARK CHOCOLATE GANACHE – 2:1 ratio of chocolate to cream.

See the recipe card below for instructions on how to make these different ganache’s.

Why is my ganache grainy and not smooth?

The most probable cause of your grainy ganache is that your cream was too hot, and has ended up burning your chocolate.

Chocolate is very sensitive to heat, and when burned, will seize up and won’t melt as well. When heating up the cream, make sure you take it off the heat as soon as it starts to gently bubble.

Don’t worry though, as most of the time you can save your ganache! To do this, simply place your ganache over a double boiler, and gently stir and it should slowly come back together. If it’s not coming together, then simply add in a tablespoon of cream at a time and this should help bring it back together.

Another reason your ganache may be grainy is that your chocolate hasn’t incorporated well into the cream. If you notice this happening often, then I would recommend using an immersion blender to make your ganache.

Chocolate Ganache 5 Ways

5 from 12 votes

Print Pin Video

Chocolate ganache is a rich, versatile, decadent yet simple concoction of chocolate and cream, which can be used as a frosting, filling, topping, glaze and so much more! I'll be sharing 5 different ways you can make chocolate ganache, and the quantities given will give you about 1 and 1/2 cups or so of ganache. Simply adjust the quantities using the same ratios given for more or less ganache 🙂

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Setting time: 10 hours hrs

Total: 10 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Servings: 1.5 cups (about)

Author: Cakes by MK

IMPORTANT: For accuracy, I would recommend using the gram measurements provided, as those are the exact quantities I use. Cup measurements are given as estimates (based on US cup measurements) to make it easier for those who do not have a scale.

Ingredients

 

½x1x2x

Spreadable Dark Chocolate Ganache (1:1 Ratio)

• ▢ 150 g dark chocolate - I use 50% dark chocolate
• ▢ 150 g cream - minimum fat percentage of 34% or higher

Spreadable Milk Chocolate Ganache (1.5:1 Ratio)

• ▢ 240 g milk chocolate
• ▢ 160 g cream - minimum fat percentage of 34% or higher

Spreadable White Chocolate Ganache (2.5:1 Ratio)

• ▢ 180 g white chocolate
• ▢ 72 g cream - minimum fat percentage of 34% or higher

Pipeable Dark Chocolate Ganache (2:1 Ratio)

• ▢ 200 g dark chocolate - I use 50% dark chocolate
• ▢ 100 g cream - minimum fat percentage of 34% or higher

Whipped Dark Chocolate Ganache (1:3 Ratio)

• ▢ 150 g dark chocolate - I use 50% dark chocolate
• ▢ 450 g cream - minimum fat percentage of 34% or higher

Instructions

• Begin by cutting up your chocolate into small pieces. This is only applicable if you're using a block of chocolate. If you're using chocolate buttons/drops/chips then this is not required. Set aside.
• Place your cream in a saucepan and heat over a low-medium heat until the cream begins to gently bubble. Once it starts to gently bubble take it off the heat immediately as you don't want to overheat the cream.
• Pour the cream over the chocolate and let it sit undisturbed for 5 minutes.
• Once the chocolate is melted, using a spatula or whisk, gently stir the mixture until everything comes together into a shiny ganache. You can also use an immersion blender for this, but make sure the bottom of the blender is submerged into the ganache as we don't want to incorporate air bubbles into our ganache. For the whipped dark chocolate ganache, I always use an immersion blender (see note 3 for extra steps for whipped chocolate ganache).
• If you want a thinner ganache, then you can use it immediately (or when it cools down to room temperature if required). For a thicker ganache, place some cling wrap over the top of the ganache so that the cling wrap is touching the top of the ganache (see note 1). Let it set at room temperature for at least 10 hours, then use as desired (see note 2).

Video

Notes

Note 1. By covering the ganache so that the cling wrap is touching the top of the ganache, this prevents a skin from forming as the ganache cools. If a skin forms, then when you come to mixing your ganache once it sets, this can leave little specks of the skin running through your ganache. 

Note 2. You can use the ganache earlier if you want a less firm ganache. If after the ganache has set, it is too firm for your liking, then you can heat it up in the microwave for 5 second bursts, giving it a mix in between each burst until you're happy with the consistency. Just be careful as ganache melts very quickly in the microwave.  

Note 3. Because of the high cream to chocolate ratio for the whipped dark chocolate ganache, I find that it doesn't come together as easily with a whisk or spatula, hence why I would recommend using an immersion blender for this. Once the ganache is whipped, cover it with some cling wrap so it's touching the top of the ganache and then place it in the fridge to cool for at least a few hours (ideally overnight) before whipping. 

Note 4. In the video, I mention the quantities I used to make a whipped dark chocolate ganache. The quantity of the cream is incorrect and should be 450g, not 375g 🙂

Nutrition

Calories: 4885kcal | Carbohydrates: 258g | Protein: 56g | Fat: 410g | Saturated Fat: 251g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 15g | Monounsaturated Fat: 112g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 757mg | Sodium: 438mg | Potassium: 3584mg | Fiber: 38g | Sugar: 184g | Vitamin A: 9456IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 1071mg | Iron: 41mg

Nutritional information are estimates only as they are automatically calculated by a third party application. Actual values may differ based on brands and types of products used.

Keyword: chocolate ganache, dark chocolate ganache, ganache, milk chocolate ganache, piped chocolate ganache, whipped chocolate ganache, white chocolate ganache

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