Chocolate Ganache

Chocolate ganache is a rich, luxurious mixture of chocolate and cream. It can be used as a filling or topping for cakes, pastries, and other desserts. Ganache is simple to make, and the variations are endless. You can add different flavors to the ganache or even use it as a glaze. In this blog post, I will show you how to make ganache in three different ways - milk, dark, and white chocolate ganache. It's easier than you might think!

What is chocolate ganache?

Ganache is a French word that literally translates to silly/stupid, or chump. The story behind the name is actually pretty entertaining. In 1869, a man named Paul Siraudin was a playwright that became a confectioner. He created a chocolate truffle and named it after a popular Vaudeville comedy that debuted that year, called "Les Ganaches" (the Chumps).

Today, you'll recognize chocolate ganache as a thick cream made by combining chocolate with heavy cream. Making ganache is actually really simple!

All you do is heat up some heavy cream in a saucepan, pour some chocolate into it, and keep mixing until you have a smooth, unified cream.

Three different types of ganache

I am going to show you how to make ganache 3 different ways:

• Dark chocolate
• Milk chocolate
• White chocolate

All three types of chocolate can make a delightful ganache. Yet, because the cocoa solids, sugar, cocoa butter, and milk each have varying levels of consistency, you will need to use different amounts of heavy cream for each type of chocolate in order to get the best-tasting ganache!

Chocolate note:

In 2017, the fourth type of chocolate was revealed to the public: pink chocolate or ruby chocolate. Even if you're not familiar with it yet, don't sweat it ––it's still relatively new. I tried it and personally found it to have a fruity, sweet, and sour taste. It is considered to be a type of white chocolate when making ganache.

There is a variation of white chocolate that I also mentioned in my chocolate tart recipe, which is caramelized white chocolate that is called Dulcey chocolate. Because Dulcey chocolate is made from white chocolate, it's considered white chocolate when making ganache.

Ingredients

When you make the ganache, you will need:

• Heavy cream
• Chocolate

Depending on the type of chocolate, the ratio of cream to chocolate will be different. The higher the percentage of cocoa solids in the chocolate, the less cream you will need.

Here are the ratio formulas for each type of chocolate to make a ganache!

Dark Chocolate

• 1:1 ratio, equal amounts of dark chocolate and heavy cream
• 250 grams (1⅝ cups | 8.8 oz.) of chocolate and 250 ml (1 cup) of heavy cream

Milk Chocolate

• 1:1.5 ratio, for each amount of heavy cream, an amount of 1.5 milk chocolate
• 250 grams (1⅝ cups | 8.8 oz. ) of milk chocolate and 167 ml (⅔ cup heavy cream)

White Chocolate

• 1:2 ratio, for each amount of heavy cream, double the amount of white chocolate
• 250 grams (1⅝ cups | 8.8 oz. ) of white chocolate and 125 ml (½ cup) heavy cream

How to use chocolate ganache

Ganache was first used for chocolate truffles. Basically, chocolate truffles are set in ganache batter that is then rolled in a coating like cocoa powder or shredded coconut flakes.

However, there are a lot of other ways to use ganache, too. You can use it as a:

• Cake filling
• Glaze
• Pie and tart filling or topping
• Ice cream swirl
• Cookie and brownie filling
• Cheesecake topping
• Fruit dip

How to make vegan ganache

In order for the ganache to fit a vegan dish that doesn’t use heavy cream or any dairy products, you can use coconut oil or coconut cream to replace the heavy cream. This way, the ganache is vegan and also parve, so it can fit non-dairy desserts!

FAQS

Here are some questions people often ask about making homemade chocolate ganache.

Can I use milk chocolate chips to make ganache?

Yes, you can use milk chocolate chips. In fact, any type of chocolate can be used to make ganache as long as it's in a bar or chip form.

What is the difference between ganache and frosting?

Ganache is made with chocolate and cream, while frosting is typically made with sugar, butter, and milk. Ganache is also thinner in consistency than frosting.

Does chocolate ganache set hard?

Yes, as it cools down, it will harden. It becomes almost like a chocolate shell on whatever you cover it in. This is why people like to use it as a glaze on a cake or to cover chocolate truffles.

How far in advance can I add ganache to a cake?

A cake covered in ganache will last about two days at room temperature, a week in the refrigerator, and about six months in the freezer. Ganache is a wonderful way to make dessert ahead of time. Just make sure you keep the air off of it to help it last even longer.

Make this chocolate ganache today!

There you have it - Chocolate ganache is a lot simpler than most people think. Don't be intimidated by the fancy name or how beautiful it makes cakes and cupcakes look.

Anyone can make tasty dark, milk, or white chocolate ganache with just a few easy steps.