The easiest frosting to try: just two ingredients — chocolate and cream. Can these two go wrong together? Hardly.
What is ganache?
Ganache is a smooth, velvety emulsion of chocolate and cream. Depending on the chocolate you choose — dark, milk, or white — ganache can be adapted to many uses. At different consistencies it becomes a glossy glaze, a pourable drip, a rich frosting, a whipped filling, a dense layer for cakes, or the base for truffles.
What do you need to make ganache?
Ganache requires just two essential ingredients: chocolate and cream. Because the recipe is so simple, use the best-quality ingredients you can access. Some variations add a little sugar, egg yolks, corn syrup, or butter for extra shine. You can also infuse or flavor ganache in many ways, which we cover below.
Cream: Heavy (or double) cream with more than 35% fat is ideal. In places where heavy cream is hard to find or expensive, a lower-fat cream (around 20% fat) can work. Non-dairy whipping creams are not ideal because they’re not designed for heating — they may be used sometimes, but the flavor and texture usually don’t match real cream.
Chocolate: Dark chocolate (52–70% cocoa) is a favorite for ganache. Higher percentages may be too bitter for some palates. Milk and white chocolate work well too but require different ratios because of their lower cocoa solids and higher sugar. Compound chocolate will work, but once you taste ganache made with real chocolate, you’ll notice the difference.
Ratios: The chocolate-to-cream ratio varies with chocolate type, cream fat, ambient temperature, and the intended use.
- Using heavy cream (≥35% fat), a near 1:1 ratio is common: 1 cup (240 ml) cream to 8 oz (226 g) chocolate. For truffles, use a 2:1 chocolate-to-cream ratio.
- With lower-fat cream, use 1:1 for glazes and fillings, about 1.5:1 (200 ml cream to 300 g chocolate) for frosting, and 2:1 or 2.5:1 for truffles.
- Milk chocolate ganache typically needs about 2.5:1 to 3:1 chocolate to cream.
- White chocolate ganache generally uses around 3:1 chocolate to cream.
These are approximate guidelines — in hotter climates you may need slightly more chocolate to achieve the right set.
How do you make ganache?
Method one — conventional (pour-over):
Place chopped chocolate or chocolate chips in a bowl. Heat the cream in a saucepan or microwave until it is just bubbling at the edges — do not boil. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate to cover it, then let it sit for a couple of minutes. The heat will melt the chocolate; stir gently with a whisk or spatula until smooth and glossy. You can pour this warm ganache over a cake, but for best texture let it rest at room temperature for a few hours or overnight to set.
Method two — one-pot (preferred by many):
In a saucepan, combine chopped chocolate and cream and heat gently on low while stirring constantly until the chocolate fully melts and the mixture is uniform. You can also do this in the microwave on low power, stirring every 20 seconds. When stirred, even pieces that look solid will melt into a smooth ganache. As with the conventional method, you can use it immediately or let it rest to thicken.
Method three — instant ganache:
If you want thick ganache right away, melt finely chopped chocolate first (in the microwave or double boiler), then stir in the warm cream. This produces an instantly thick and very smooth ganache, since the chocolate is already melted. The texture differs slightly from ganache made and rested conventionally, but it’s useful when you need a quick set.
What can you do with ganache?
- Glaze: Place a cake on a wire rack with a tray underneath. Pour warm (not hot) ganache over the center so it cascades down the sides. Use a warm metal spatula to smooth, then refrigerate or let it set at room temperature.
Thicken and use for frosting or piping: Let ganache rest for a few hours or overnight; it will firm up and can be used to frost cakes or pipe onto cupcakes. A chocolate cake filled and frosted with thick ganache is often called a truffle cake.
Filling: Use set ganache as a filling for layer cakes or other desserts.
Drip: Use warm, thinner ganache to create decorative drips down cake sides.
Truffles: Chill set ganache until firm, shape into balls, and coat with cocoa, nuts, or other coverings. Ganache truffles can be flavored many ways.
Donuts: Use ganache as an easy, rich filling or topping for doughnuts.
Flavoring creams: Fold ganache into whipped cream or buttercream to flavor and enrich them.
Sandwich: Use ganache to sandwich cookies or macarons.
Tarts: Pour ganache into a prebaked tart shell for a simple, luxurious tart filling.
Eclairs and pastries: Dip tops in ganache for a glossy finish.
These are just a few of the many uses for ganache.
What can go wrong?
- Bits of unmelted chocolate: Heat in short intervals (20 seconds) and stir, or warm gently on the stovetop while stirring. Chop chocolate small and evenly for the smoothest result.
- Too thick after setting: Reheat slightly to soften, but be careful not to overheat or it will become liquid again.
- Won’t set: Add more melted chocolate to increase the chocolate-to-cream ratio to about 2:1 or 2.5:1 (higher for white chocolate).
- Too thick before setting: Stir in a little more heated cream to loosen the texture.
- Grainy or separated (split ganache): Add milk tablespoon by tablespoon while stirring until smooth. Alternatively, freeze half the ganache and warm the other half, then combine and emulsify.
Anything else I should know?
- After emulsification, ganache is stable: it can sit at room temperature for up to two days and refrigerate for up to two weeks (many keep it longer).
- If you need it to set quickly, refrigerate but stir every 20 minutes so it firms evenly.
- Weights are more accurate: 1 ml cream ≈ 1 g. One cup cream ≈ 240 g. A cup of chopped chocolate ranges roughly 175–200 g depending on packing.
- Always use the best chocolate you can — it makes a noticeable difference.
Ways to elevate your ganache
Shiny ganache: Add 1 tablespoon butter per cup of cream while heating for extra gloss.
Whipped ganache: If you use heavy cream, chill and whip set ganache until light and fluffy for a mousse-like frosting.
Mocha ganache: Stir 1–3 teaspoons instant coffee or espresso powder into the cream as it heats for a coffee note.
Liquor ganache: Add 2 tablespoons of your preferred liquor to 1 cup of ganache for a boozy flavor.
Nutella or caramel variations: Fold Nutella into dark ganache or stir in caramel sauce for flavored ganaches.
Orange chocolate: Add about 2 tablespoons orange juice and some zest to 1 cup of ganache for a bright citrus twist.
There are countless other flavorings and combinations — these are just a few tested ideas.
Luscious and chocolatey, ganache is an easy, adaptable, and elegant frosting — my go-to whenever I want reliable, delicious results.