How to Make Chocolate Ganache: The Ultimate Guide

---

Ganache or crème ganache was originally a kind of chocolate truffle introduced in Paris, France in 1869. It was subsequently developed into other uses.

What Goes In Chocolate Ganache?

Ganache is a mixture of chocolate with double / heavy cream. Other ingredients can be added, such as butter for a glossy shine, sugar, sea salt, liqueur and flavourings.

What Can Ganache Be Used For?

• a filling for cakes and pastries
• a decorative coating on top of cakes
• for frostings and glazes
• piped
• as a fondue dip
• as a sauce
• to make truffles

Chocolate Ganache For Truffles

Truffles are rich chocolate bonbons made of thick dense ganache rolled into balls and either coating with melted chocolate or cocoa powder. They can be further decorated with coconut shavings, white chocolate shavings and/or nuts.

Chocolate Ganache For Crumb Coating

Chocolate ganache is great to use as a crumb-coat for your sponge before you cover it with fondant. This is instead of using buttercream as you can get a better, smoother and firmer finish ready for your fondant.

Chocolate Ganache For Filling And Or Cake Covering (Frosting)

Chocolate ganache can be used for covering large cakes or cupcakes. It has a very smooth finish and gives the entire cake a chocolate flavour, which is especially good with chocolate sponge cakes or white cakes.

It is especially lovely when allowed to cool and then whipped or whisked into a light fluffy mixture to use for frosting, filling or piping.

Chocolate Ganache for Drip Cake / Sauce / Fondue

When you use a higher ratio of cream to chocolate, the consistency is perfect for dripping on cakes, using as a sauce or as a chocolate fondue.

What’s Important To Know About Chocolate Ganache?

Which Chocolate To Use?

For the best tasting ganache, I would always recommend using good quality 70% or more cocoa solid (dark/bitter chocolate) such as Green and Blacks, Lint, Bournville etc.

Try not to use cooking chocolate as the flavour is definitely not as good. Chocolate chips are not ideal either as they do not melt very well and the quality is often not as good as the bars.

Ganache can also be made with milk chocolate. If using milk chocolate, lower the amount of cream you use, since the higher fat and milk content in the chocolate will give a softer set and will be very sweet too. I like to use 50% dark chocolate and 50% milk chocolate instead of all dark chocolate when using it in children’s cakes, as it’s less bitter for them.

Which Cream To Use?

Always use full fat double / heavy cream or for a vegan ganache you can substitute cream with full fat coconut cream. It must be full fat!

Timing Is Everything!

You need to use the chocolate ganache at the right time: too warm and it’s too drippy, too cold and it’s rock hard.

Chocolate Is Temperature Sensitive

It’s vital you do not add ‘boiled’ cream to the chocolate as it will split the chocolate. The cream needs to reach a simmering temperature – just enough to melt the chocolate.

Ratio Of Chocolate To Cream - Ingredients

The texture depends on the chocolate to cream ratio. When more cream is used than chocolate, the ganache will be lighter and thinner. If the ganache contains more chocolate than cream, then it will be firmer.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE TYPE	CHOCOLATE TO CREAM RATIO
POURABLE GLAZE / CAKE DRIPS	1:2 RATIO e.g. 100g chocolate and 200g of double/heavy cream
THICK GLAZE, FROSTING, FILLING	1:1 RATIO e.g. equal amounts of chocolate and double/heavy cream
TRUFFLES	2:1 RATIO e.g. 200g chocolate and 100g of double/heavy cream
WHITE CHOCOLATE GANACHE DRIP	3:1 RATIO e.g. 300g white chocolate and 100g of double/heavy cream

How to Make Chocolate Ganache?

Whichever type of chocolate ganache you wish to make (i.e. truffles / frosting / drips), the method for making it is the same. The only thing that changes is the chocolate to cream ratio (see table above).

1. Break the chocolate into small pieces - the smaller the better as it will be easier to melt. Place it in a plastic bowl. Make sure your spatula and bowl are dry
2. Put the cream in a saucepan and heat it on the hob until it’s hot but not boiling. If it is too hot then it will split the chocolate. If your cream gets too hot then put it aside to cool before using.
3. Pour the cream over the broken pieces of the chocolate. Push the chocolate into the cream with a spatula.
4. Leave it to stand for 10 minutes. Do not cover the bowl as condensation drips can drop into the mixture and may cause the chocolate to split.
5. Use a spatula to mix the chocolate and cream together until it becomes smooth and glossy. It may look like it doesn’t mix well, but keep going! It will! Don’t whisk it whilst it’s warm as this will cause the ganache to have air bubbles.
6. Do not cover your ganache with a cloth or lid as this will cause condensation and droplets of water will come in contact with your ganache and cause it to seize.
7. What you do with it next depends on its intended use.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE TYPE	HOW TO PREPARE THE GANACHE
POURABLE GLAZE / CAKE DRIPS	It can be used straight away as a hot dipping sauce or a pouring sauce. When it’s slightly cooler but still runny it’s ideal to pour over cakes.
THICK GLAZE, PIPING, FROSTING, FILLING	Let it cool and thicken. Use it once it’s cool, or, if you want a mousse-like texture, whisk it first.
TRUFFLES	Let it cool. Put it in the fridge to cool further for 30 minutes. Push a spoon in to test the firmness. It should be like scoopable ice cream (not too hard to scoop). Roll the ganache into a ball in your hands - work quickly or the chocolate will begin to melt!
WHITE CHOCOLATE GANACHE DRIP	When it’s slightly cooler but still runny it’s ideal to pour over cakes.

Making chocolate ganache for frosting / filling / piping:

Making chocolate ganache for truffles:

Making white chocolate ganache for cake drip decoration:

How To Store Chocolate Ganache

You can store your ganache in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for a week. Or you can freeze up to approx. 3 months.

To use, bring to room temperature first. Then warm your ganache either using a microwave on very gentle heat 10 seconds at a time and stir until the desired consistency or use a metal bowl over a saucepan containing hot water. Do this on a gentle heat.

Troubleshooting Chocolate Ganache

Dull, thick, muddy, oily looking

This is because the chocolate has overheated. Don’t fear we can fix this! Just add a little more chocolate to help it cool down.

Gritty and rough

This is what they call ‘seized chocolate’. Your chocolate has come in contact with water somehow. This can sometimes be fixed by boiling some water and adding 1 teaspoon of boiled water at a time and stir quickly until it becomes smooth again. It sounds contradictory to add more water when water created the problem, but adding a small amount of boiling water helps smooth it out.

I’ve boiled my cream

If your cream gets too hot then put it aside to cool a little before using it.

The chocolate isn’t melting. I didn’t heat the cream enough

Don’t worry, put your plastic bowl with the ganache into the microwave and heat gently for 10 seconds. Then stir again until it has melted and mixed well.

Conclusion

Chocolate ganache is a 2 ingredient recipe whose uses are virtually endless. Changing the ratio of chocolate to cream determines what you can use it for. It can be whipped as filling or icing, or just poured over whatever cake you like. It can also be rolled into chocolate truffles.