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Hi Bold Bakers!
You have seen me make Chocolate Ganache multiple times but now I want to show you 3 different uses for ganache. Ganache is really easy to make: the ratio is 1:1, equal amounts of cream and chocolate.
Ganache for Glazes and Fillings
To make the ganache that is used for fillings and glazes the ratio is 1:1 , one part chocolate to one part cream. Heat up some cream, pour it over chopped chocolate and let it sit for 4 minutes. Then stir. This is for filling cakes, covering truffles, and drizzling over cakes and cupcakes.
Ganache for Easy Frosting
Another use for ganache is an incredible easy chocolate frosting. Once made and cooled, place in the fridge and let it cool down for roughly 30 minutes, just long enough for it to set but not too hard. Then go in with an electric mixer and whip it up to create a fluffy chocolate Frosting.
Ganache for Chocolate Truffles
Anther wonderful product from ganache are truffles. It is probably the easiest sweet treat you will ever make. Once your ganache is cold and hard, scoop it with a spoon. Shape it in your hand and toss in cocoa powder. Feel free to add liquor into the ganache to make more interesting truffles in a variety of flavors.
Try These Recipes!
Watch The Recipe Video!
How To Make Chocolate Ganache and 3 Ways to Use It (Bold Baking Basics)
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (12oz/340g) heavy cream
- 2 cups (12oz/340g) dark chocolate
Instructions
- Chocolate Ganache Proportions: These proportions are based on weight. For example, a 1:1 ratio means 4 ounces chocolate to 4 ounces cream.
- Weigh the chocolate: Weigh out the amount of chocolate called for in your recipe. If you aren't following a recipe, start with a small amount and make more as needed.
- Heat the cream: Pour the cream into a small saucepan and place it over medium-low heat for a few minutes. Keep an eye on the cream — it's not necessary to boil it. It just needs to get hot. The cream is ready when you can place a finger in the cream and keep it there for 3 to 4 seconds. Turn off the flame and remove the cream from the stove.
- Chop the chocolate: While the cream is heating, chop the chocolate into fine pieces.
- Pour the cream over the chocolate. Stir gently to distribute the chocolate through the cream and then let it sit for a few minutes to give the chocolate time to soften and melt.
- Stir the mixture: With a spatula or wooden spoon, stir the ganache. At first it might look spotty and broken but keep stirring until it comes together in a creamy mass.
- Ganache for filling and glaze, Cool the ganache as specified in your recipe, or as described here:
- If you plan on pouring the ganache over a cake, pie, or pastry, it will need to be loose enough to flow but thickened enough to stay on the pastry.
- To whip the ganache for frosting or for layer cake filling, cool the ganache until it is thick, but still soft, and then beat in a stand mixer or with a hand held mixer, until the ganache is fluffy and has lightened in color, about 1 or 2 minutes.
- To use the ganache make truffles, you may need to set the pan in the refrigerator so the ganache cools. Remove the pan every 5 minutes or so and stir so that the ganache cools evenly. As the chocolate begins to stiffen, stir it more frequently — it will go from soft to very hard quite suddenly. (If this happens, soften the ganache over gently simmering water, stirring until you've reached the right consistency again.)
- The easiest way to work with ratios is to measure both the cream and the chocolate by weight. If you don't want to weigh your cream, remember that 1 cup of liquid is 8 ounces.
- Ganache can be store for up to 1 week in the fridge.
is heavy cream and fresh cream the same ? can i use fresh cream instead?
Thanks for the recipe. Really love them. Just a small question.. can I use whipping cream instead of heavy cream? What’s the difference between these two?
How much ganache is needed to frost a 9 inch and a 4 inch cake. Thanks.
Made your chocolate ganache for my eclairs – absolutely perfect recipe – will never use anything else again. Tried posting a photo but couldn’t ☹️
Hi Gemma,
What would be the ratio if I wanted to make white chocolate ganache as a frosting for cupcakes? Thank you
I’ve used this recipe for frosting, glazing, and truffles. Perfect results every time 🙂
◼back in 82 the fresh cows cream was so thick. Couldn’t get it to make good ganache. ◼took evap.milk and chocolate.chips, a tbsp.salted butter, plastic wrap over my pyrex bowl, microwave for one min. Let it sit a couple min. Got a blueribbon at the fair that year for my ganache. If your melted chips are grainy, add ONE tbsp.water and continue stirring with a whisk. ◼ have also……while the cake is baking put my plastic wrapped bowl on top of the oven or even near my woodstove (long after the fire is out) to slowly melt first. The ambient… Read more »
Hi Gemma I love your recipes! I wanted to know can I use ganache to cover strawberries? I have left over in the fridge,how do you bring it back to a dipping consistency? Can that be done?
Thank you soooooooooooooooooooooo much Emma!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hi chef, is it fine to use 56% dark chocolate for this kind of ganache? Thank you 🙂