Chocolate Ganache is such an easy recipe, made with just 2 ingredients – chocolate and cream, but it has so many practical uses as a dip, frosting, filling, and topping. You’ll love this versatile master recipe for the best homemade ganache.
Chocolate Ganache Video
See how simple it is to make this amazing chocolate ganache recipe at home. Soon you’ll be pouring this chocolate sauce over everything you can get your hands on,
Easy Chocolate Ganache Recipe
I remember the first time I made this chocolate ganache recipe, I messed it up by stirring it too soon. I also measured the chocolate all wrong, but don’t worry, if you don’t have a kitchen scale, you can measure chocolate chips with level dry ingredient measuring cups – I’ll share all my tips below so it’s fail-proof for you! Once you have this recipe mastered, you can use it a hundred different ways (see ideas below).
Tips for Making the Best Ganache
- 1:1 Ratio – you only need two ingredients measured in equal WEIGHT proportions. Measure the chocolate using a scale (or the package weight) and the cream with a scale or measuring cup meant for liquids.
- Good Quality Chocolate – For a classic ganache, use high-quality semisweet chocolate bars or chips (35-55% cacao) or bittersweet chocolate (60% cacao). It also works with milk chocolate and white chocolate.
- Tools for Ganache – You’ll need a small saucepan to heat the cream, a glass or metal heat-proof bowl to melt the chocolate, and a silicone spatula or metal spoon to stir. Make sure they are all dry because water can make ganache seize.
Chocolate Ganache Ingredients
It really is just chocolate and heavy cream, but be sure to measure correctly and use good quality ingredients for the best taste and texture.
- Chocolate – classic ganache is made with semi-sweet chocolate. Use high-quality chocolate bars such as Ghirardelli baking bars, which have 40-50% cocoa, chopped into small pieces. You can also save a step by using high-quality chocolate chips with 51% cocoa.
- Heavy Whipping Cream – Use heavy cream with 36% milk fat. Heavy cream with 40% milk fat will work, but the ganache will be too thick to pour. Avoid half-and-half or milk because the fat content isn’t high enough for the ganache to set.
How to Make Chocolate Ganache
It’s so simple to make chocolate ganache. Follow these easy steps:
- Bring the heavy cream to a simmer in a small saucepan. You will see steam coming from the pot and small bubbles around the outside, but don’t let it boil. As soon as it simmers, pour the cream over the chocolate chips, swirling the bowl to cover all the chips.
- Cover the bowl with a lid to trap the heat and let it sit undisturbed (no mixing) for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and swirl the chocolate chips with a silicone spatula or metal spoon. It will turn into a velvety ganache right before your eyes and you’ll get excited!
Pro Tip:
Keep in mind that the longer the ganache sits, the thicker and more of a frosting or mousse it becomes, but it won’t become hardened. Once it has cooled, or after refrigeration, you can whip it into a frosting (see instructions below).
There are 3 Forms of Ganache
- Ganache Glaze or Dip: Let it sit uncovered at room temperature for about 15 minutes until it coats a spoon nicely before pouring it over a cake (see our tips below)
- Ganache topping or filling: wait until it cools, then cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Use it plain to frost a cake or cupcakes; as filling between cake layers, or inside cupcakes or donuts; or pipe using a wide-tipped piping bag.
- Whipped Ganache: refrigerate for 2 hours, then whip on high speed for a few minutes until fluffy and lightened in color. It makes 3 cups of ganache frosting, which pipes beautifully.
How to Glaze a Cake with Ganache
Place the cake on a wire rack over a rimmed platter or rimmed baking sheet. Pour your slightly cooled liquid chocolate ganache evenly over the top of your cake until the desired coverage is reached. You can lift up the wire rack and re-use the chocolate ganache that drips onto the platter.
Troubleshooting Chocolate Ganache
- Lumpy Ganache – If the chocolate isn’t melting, the cream may not be warm enough or the chocolate pieces were too big. Solution: Reheat in a double boiler or in the microwave, stirring every 15 seconds, just until it melts.
- Separated, oily, or seized – cream was too hot or there was water in the bowl. Solution: stir in 1 Tbsp of warm milk until the mixture comes back together.
- Grainy – usually from low-quality chocolate, or using a whisk (incorporates too much air), or a plastic bowl. Solution: add a tablespoon of warmed milk while stirring.
- Too Thin/Too Thick – the ganache thickens as it cools, but if it’s not thickening, try melting more chocolate chips and stirring them in. If it’s too thick, add warmed milk by tablespoons.
This decadent chocolate ganache is one of our favorite chocolate recipes. It’s so easy and delicious that you’ll be searching high and low for things to dip, spread, and cover with chocolate sauce. Don’t wait to try this recipe!