How To Make Chocolate Ganache

A perfect pair to top your favorite desserts, from fresh fruit, ice cream to the basic cakes! With 2 simple ingredients, this Chocolate Ganache is fabulously delicious and easy to make. 

Chocolate Ganache is not only for chocolate lovers but also a friend to those who start to get used to baking goods. Because it is easy and quick to serve up and the taste is undeniably amazing. If I were tasked with baking a birthday cake and I knew I ran out of time, chocolate ganache would be top of my choices to decorate a cake.

Chocolate Ganache is versatile and can be used in many ways. You can use it like a thick glaze like my Chocolate Cake or layer cake filling or even whipped frosting. It all depends on the chocolate ganache’s temperature, thickness and how you play with it. The most important thing to adjust your chocolate ganache thickness: the ratio.

THE ULTIMATE RATIO FOR CHOCOLATE GANACHE

Back to the time I first baked from scratch, I would love to make everything simple and easy to do the frosting. Therefore, the 1:1 mixture of chocolate and heavy cream is an ideal ratio, which yields a smooth, silky and creamy texture, making it perfectly for topping or frosting. If you are looking for a more pourable glaze, use 2:1 ratio of heavy cream and chocolate. Want to make it thicker? 2 parts of chocolate against 1 part of cream would be the best ratio!

CHOCOLATE GANACHE INGREDIENTS

To make chocolate ganache, you will need:

• Chocolate. I believe that high quality chocolate will result in the good chocolate consistency. I sometimes use chocolate chips but chopped chocolate bars are my preference. For the level of sweetness, I recommend semi-sweet chocolate rather than bittersweet chocolate or milk chocolate. The cocoa content of semi-sweet chocolate is approximately 35 percent, making it not too sweet and bitter and enabling it to work well in all recipes. But feel free to use milk chocolate, bittersweet chocolate if you like. 
• Heavy cream or whipping cream. I recommend using any cream that contains higher-fat liquid (usually more than 35% fat). It will help the ganache to set and reflect in a nice ganache texture.

WHIPPED CHOCOLATE GANACHE

After ganache is done with a smooth, silky consistency, allow it to set for 30-60 minutes. When the ganache is firm but still soft, transfer it to a mixing bowl of a stand mixer or handheld mixer fit with a whisk attachment and whip it on medium/high speed until light and fluffy. This will take about 3-5 minutes.

CHOCOLATE GANANACHE TIPS

Ganache is an easy recipe with just 2 ingredients but it’s somehow tricky. To avoid or to fix grainy texture in the chocolate ganache, here are some tips:

Use double boiling method which means  placing a bowl over a pan of boiling water. The heat from boiling water can help melt the grainy chocolate remained in the texture, leaving a smooth and shiny final product. I would not recommend using a microwave to heat up the cream. I have tried that method when I felt like I wanted to make it quick. I was totally wrong. It made my chocolate ganache worse.

Use a sharp knife to finely chop the chocolate. Do not use chocolate chunks as it would not melt when you leave them in warm heavy cream. Otherwise, use high-quality chocolate chips.  

How To Make Chocolate Ganache

A perfect pair to top your favorite desserts, from fresh fruit, ice cream to the basic cakes! With 2 simple ingredients, this Chocolate Ganache is fabulously delicious and easy to make. 

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Servings: 1.5 cups

Ingredients

• 8 ounce (226g) semi-sweet chocolate bars, chopped
• 1 cup (240ml) heavy cream or whipping cream

Instructions

• Place chopped chocolate in a medium sized bowl and set aside.
• In a small saucepan bring cream to a simmer and bubbles are just starting to form around the edges of the pan. Remove from the heat. Pour over chocolate, allow to sit for 3-5 minutes.
• With a whisker or a metal spoon, gently stir in the cream and chocolate together until a smooth, silky consistency. Avoid over whisking, which can cause air bubbles to the ganache. 
• Ganache can be used as a glaze, toppings or frosting/piping. For glaze/drizzle, ganache can be ready after sitting for 10 minutes. For a firmer consistency to make frosting, let it cool completely and chill in the fridge for a few hours.
• *Whipped Chocolate Ganache: After ganache is done with a smooth, silky consistency, allow it to set for 30-60 minutes. When the ganache is firm but still soft, transfer it to a mixing bowl of a stand mixer or handheld mixer fit with a whisk attachment and whip it on medium/high speed until light and fluffy. This will take about 3-5 minutes.
• Cover tightly and store ganache in the refrigerator for up to 5 days and freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, place a bowl over a saucepan of boiling water until reaching the consistency you want. 

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