How to Make and Use Chocolate Ganache
Creamy Chocolate Icing for Cakes, Cupcakes, Fillings and More
Dec 4, 2008
Chocolate ganache can be made with dark, milk or white chocolate. Dark chocolate is used most often for the superb colour and rich flavour it imparts. The technique is simple, and merely involves melting chocolate with cream or butter. If using white chocolate, extra care must be taken with the melting to avoid scorching, and it is advised that cream be used instead of butter to avoid yellowish ganache.
Butter makes a sturdier, easier to manage ganache; cream gives a more delicate flavour.
Ingredients:
- 250 g. white, milk or dark chocolate
- 250 g. unsalted butter or 300mL cream
Microwave Method:
- Chop chocolate into small pieces. Place in a microwave-safe bowl with the cream or butter.
- On medium power, microwave for one-minute bursts, stirring in between, until melted and combined. Mix well.
Stovetop Method:
- Chop chocolate into small pieces. Place in a heatproof bowl with the butter or cream.
- Sit the bowl in a small saucepan half-full of simmering water, taking care the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Stir until the mixture is melted and combined.
Using the Chocolate Ganache
At this point, the ganache will be very runny. It can now be poured over a cake—sit the cake on a cooling rack, with a plate or sheet of baking paper underneath to catch the drips, and pour the ganache from a jug evenly over the cake. It will soak in and provide an excellent flavour.
To make a thicker icing (useful for disguising any flaws in the surface of the cake), let the ganache cool in the refrigerator, mixing every few minutes, until it reaches a spreadable consistency. Ganache made with butter will achieve this state more quickly than ganache containing cream. Spread over the sides and top of the cake with a palette knife.
For a fluffier icing, cool and thicken the ganache as above, then use electric beaters to whip the ganache. Note that this process increases the volume of the ganache and makes it much lighter in colour. Ice the cake, using ganache as you would buttercream icing.
Ganache that has been thickened can also be piped. Unwhipped ganache makes a dark, smooth piping mixture which is good for piping words or outlines on a cake. Whipped ganache, similar in texture to soft buttercream, is suitable for piping rosettes on a cake or making a basketweave pattern.
In warm weather, cakes iced with ganache should be stored in the fridge.
Other Uses for Ganache
- Chocolate ganache also makes a delicious filling for homemade chocolates and truffles. Use only half the butter or cream, and spike the mixture with a little liqueur such as Tia Maria or Cointreau.
- Use ganache for a cupcake frosting or filling.
- Leftover ganache can be kept in the fridge to use as a decadent chocolate spread for muffins, pancakes and brioche.
- Leftover ganache can also be used as the base for a hot drink. Simply mix a few tablespoons of ganache into hot milk.
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